Employee Recognition
Employee recognition acknowledges employees for exemplary performance or service. Recognizing your colleagues goes a long way in creating a positive working environment. At Smith, we have a few formal ways of recognizing and appreciating our employees.
Some benefits of practicing employee recognition include:
- Increased productivity
- Job satisfaction
- Better employee retention
- Better networking opportunities
- Positive employee-employer relationship
- A healthy, positive environment
Staff Spotlight Award
What is a Staff Spotlight Award?
The Staff Spotlight Award recognizes staff for going above and beyond the everyday scope of their responsibilities.
Why is it important to have a Staff Spotlight Award?
Employees feel more connected to the workplace culture when they receive recognition for service excellence. Through a nomination system, the Staff Spotlight Award celebrates achievements and reinforces values and behaviors. Recipients receive a monetary gift shortly after their nominations and are invited to a special Staff Spotlight Award celebration in the spring.
How will nominees be categorized?
Nominees will be categorized by the following:
- Service excellence
- Process improvement/development
- Problem solving
- Fostering an inclusive and collaborative work environment
- Other (to be described by the nominator)
Service Excellence
Justin Allard
Kamlyn Allman
Tina Atkinson
Carie Congleton
Tom Cote
Michelle Daley
Kala'i Ellis
Rhonda Fowler
Raven Fowlkes-Witten
Mary Giles
Anna Goudreau
Martin Green
Erin Grice
Gina Hall
Bridget Hart Martin
Austin Hatch
Regina Hunt
Kate Jamieson
Graydon Kaplan
Clayton Kennedy
Patricia Kingston
Leilia (Lil) Knight
Christina Kuralt
Cameron LaRochelle
Ruthie Lee
Irma Lopez-Gottlieb
James Lucey
Glen Mahoney
Becca Maloy
Scott Marrocco
Paul Matylas
Ann Mayo
Michael McCarthy
John McCarthy
Nora Molloy
Abril Navarro
Megan Nolan
Zachary Parker-Mayforth
Marie Petrie
Kim Philbrook
James Purcell
Susan Rees
Michael Rigali
Laurie Rohrer-Wildhagen
Kaitlin Rooks
Heather Rosenfeld
Eric Sergel
Amy Smith
Thomas Spooner
Caitlin Szymkowicz
Jamie Warren
Sherry Wingfield
Problem Solving
Becca Banach
Sarah Brickey-Nguyen
Deborah Doulette
Andrew Gnatek
Jodi Hoover
Charlotte Ljustina
Mike Makoski
Heather McQueen
Gail Murray
Chris Shea
Sunny Windorski
Fostering an Inclusive & Collaborative Work Environment
Frank Citino
Melissa Jacobs
Oliver Kelly
Lisa Page
Daisy Pereira-Tosado
Kathy Robbins
Marjorie Valdivia
Process Improvement & Development
Jamil Asad-Ubinas
Emily Beaudry
Mairin Brady
Amy Donahue
Ferron Dooley Fairchild
Cristina Guevara
Lucie Mancari
Dan Michelson
Rob O’Connell
Dana Olivo
Allison Page
Suzanne Palmer
Xochitl Quiroz
Brandon Reed
Esther Roth-Katz
Elizabeth (Iola) Sylvan
Laura Tiktin-Sharick
Lucinda Williams
Other
Lauren Correnty
Angelo Pisano
Claire Seely
Hope Watroba
Bena Williams
Years of Service
Smith College recognizes and honors employees who have reached certain service milestones. Awards are presented to employees in recognition of years of service beginning at 10 years and every five-year milestone through 35 years and beyond. Each Spring, a special event is held in their honor.
After addressing the honorees, the president presents a special gift to staff reaching their 25th year of service with the college, thereby inducting them into the Twenty-Five Year Club.
All honorees are presented with a certificate signed by the president of Smith College.
25-Year Club
The 25-Year Club was established in 1958 by Grace Asserson, the college’s employment manager, as a means of recognizing and expressing the college's appreciation to those staff members—retired and still employed—who had completed 25 or more years of service. Grace retired in 1971 after 30 years of service; she passed away in 1983.
Although we now formally recognize employees with fewer than 25 years of service, this club has a special significance for employees simply by its uniqueness and by the number of years required for membership.
The symbol of club membership is a gold pin that is a replica of the Grécourt Gates (in front of College Hall), with a diamond in the center of the pin. Formal recognition and club membership is accomplished at the Years of Service Awards, held each year.
Informal Recognition
Besides these formal ways of recognizing people, here are some examples of Informal recognition that you can use to share your appreciation for a colleague’s contributions to your team:
- Email on a job well done
- Treat the department to lunch
- Bring in a special treat (fruit dish, cake, donuts) “just because”
- Coordinate a team event (bowling, etc.)
- Gift card for lunch at the campus center
Take the time to acknowledge your colleagues today and tomorrow for a stronger future!