Outstanding Achievement Award

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The Outstanding Achievement Award recognizes meritorious and outstanding achievement in job skills and/or service to the University by State Classified employees. Up to five awards are granted each year, which consists of a plaque, an award of $1000, and special recognition in the Celebrate! CSU Awards SOURCE story and Classified Personnel Council Recognition Luncheon. Nomination materials are also included in the recipient’s permanent employment record.

The Outstanding Achievement Award provides an important opportunity for the University community to recognize the valuable contribution of State Classified employees at CSU.  We hope you will consider nominating a deserving employee in your area.

Criteria for Selection

All awards are selected from one general pool and are designed to recognize individuals for outstanding achievement in their service to the University. This can include excellent job skills and workplace achievements that are above/beyond what is normally expected. Nominees must have been employed as a State Classified employee at Colorado State University for at least three years to be considered for the award, and past recipients are not eligible for ten years. A list of past recipients can be found on the bottom of this page.

Criteria that will be considered:

  • Contributes to the success of fellow employees and students – provides leadership, mentoring, support, etc. to others;
  • Contributes to the success of the University as a whole – recognized as someone who gives back to the University (e.g. committee service, volunteer work, etc.);
  • Demonstrates superior efficiency and productivity – shows initiative in the workplace and/or uses innovative techniques to improve University operations.
  • Has a history of service and excellence at CSU.

Guidelines for Nomination

Nominations are encouraged from anyone who interacts with State Classified employees. Please feel free to nominate your co-workers, peers, supervisors, or other colleagues within the State Classified system. Nominations must be submitted on behalf of individuals; nominations of groups will not be accepted. If you know other individuals are nominating your nominee, please collaborate with them. The selection committee will not give added weight to those receiving more than one nomination.

To ensure fairness and consistency, nominations must consist of:

  • A completed nomination form (see link below).
  • Please describe nominee qualifications in the form below. Provide as much detail as possible.
    •  The nomination should include specific examples and supporting evidence that demonstrate employee excellence. Please do not include normal job responsibilities and/or experiences. We recommend focusing on the exceptional qualities of the nominee, detailed examples of how they typically go above and beyond, and their history of service and excellence at CSU.
    • A strong nomination will include multiple perspectives from inside and outside the University.
    • Optional – Supporting Documentation: One letter of support may be included in addition to the descriptions on the nomination form. Published materials or exhibits cannot be used as supporting documentation.

If you want to nominate an employee for an award but are unsure which employment category they are in (State Classified vs. Administrative Professional vs. Faculty), you may ask the supervisor of the individual or contact the HR Service Center (491-6947 or [email protected]). You may also contact the Office of the Vice President for University Operations (VPUO) for support at [email protected].

Outstanding Achievement Nomination Form

The award is closed for nominations. The due date was February 10, 2024.

Past Award Recipients

2023/2024

2022/2023

2021/2022

  • Amalia Ornelas
  • Nancy Rhodes
  • Nita Schissell
  • Julie A. Steinhoff
  • Felipe Y. Vazquez

2020/2021

  • Courtney Hensel
  • Kathy Krell
  • Kevin Nolan
  • Sandy Dailey
  • Jan Lee Cordova

2019/2020

  • Hannah Penland
  • Judy Rogers
  • Meg Skeehan
  • Elizabeth Sorenson
  • Marcia Stille

2018/2019

  • Stacey Baumgarn
  • Emily Farrenkopf
  • Zara Hopkins
  • Teresa Krueger
  • Alfreda Whaley

2017/2018

  • Heather Bellotti
  • Alysha Ducharme
  • Julie Iven
  • Ginger Lacy-Gill
  • Louie Sanchez

2016/2017

  • Zach Barnes
  • Rita Deilke
  • Katie Esquivel
  • Donna Iovanni
  • Monica Thrasher

2015/2016

  • Chris Bachman
  • Karen Kahler
  • Teresa McClure
  • Linda McDowell
  • Lynne Shanahan

2014/2015

  • Natalya Bowen
  • Connie Jaime-Lujan
  • Courtney Loflin
  • Margaret Parks
  • Maria de Lourdes Zavala

2013/2014

  • Harry Campbell
  • Jordan Jiruska
  • Joyce Pratt
  • Barbara Risheill
  • Kristin Stephens

2012/2013

  • Jamie Yarbrough
  • Connie Horak
  • Ellen Butler
  • Brenda Duffy
  • Barbara Brown

2011/2012

  • Ellen Audley
  • Joy Childress
  • Mary Hill
  • Dan Kelso
  • Pam Neelan

2010/2011

  • Sheela Backen
  • Bonnie Countryman
  • Chriselda Engel
  • Rosalie Samaniego
  • Rodney Smith

2009/2010

  • Barbara Ball
  • James Cizek
  • Don Dick
  • James Shorkey
  • Nancy Weiss

2008/2009

  • Marcy Abrams
  • Christine Bartholomew
  • Bob Bee
  • Leslie Butler
  • Gwen Sieving

2007/2008

  • Karla Cummings
  • Carol Dollard
  • Lisa Duggan
  • Karen McCormick
  • James Stoddard

2006/2007

  • Linda Leal-Cardenas
  • Pam Johannsen
  • Greg Redder
  • Chuck Sampler
  • Daniel G. Tisue

2005/2006

  • Rick Allen
  • Nancy Fockler
  • Craig Sommer
  • Sallie Varner
  • Sue Wagner-Renner