Terry Minder is October EOM

Terry Minder walked into his Employee of the Month celebration carrying food for his own party, but the surprise was already out of the bag.

“I kind of knew it. I kept threatening to call in sick, but Joan says no you can’t. I don’t know what else to say. I’m honored,” said Minder.

Minder was honored with the October Employee of the Month award during a ceremony in the UIS Student Center on Thursday, October 29, 2009.

He started working for UIS in May of 2000 as a part-time grounds keeper and in March 2002 was named the Assistant Grounds Gardener.

The UIS grounds crew is responsible for caring for more than 370 acres of land. Minder takes care of some of the most diverse flowerbeds and other areas around campus.

“He does an excellent job and a beautiful job taking care of the annuals and perennials that we put out every year,” said Joan Buckles, UIS horticulturist and grounds worker supervisor.

Minder has helped to nurture many of the plants and flowers on campus from the seed phase to full bloom. He spends a lot of time working in the greenhouse on campus to make sure they’re perfect.

Laurie Koehne is September EOM

Laurie Koehne couldn’t figure out why everyone kept telling her they were sorry she was sick last week. It all started to make sense when she found out she’d been named September Employee of the Month at the University of Illinois Springfield.

Koehne was honored with the award during a ceremony at the PAC Restaurant on Monday, September 21, 2009.

Koehne went home sick on the day her party had originally been scheduled, which meant some last minute changes. Her co-workers did what they could to keep it a secret and it appears to have worked.

“I’m extremely shocked,” said Koehne.

Laurie has been a building services worker for UIS for almost 4 years.

“Laurie just does everything she’s asked to do and much, much more all the way around,” said Tim Ritzo, Building Services Superintendent.

“Does that mean I don’t have to finish working throughout the day?" Laurie fired back at her boss. Ritzo said they rely on her too much to take a day off.

The party was complete with cake, punch and other treats made by her co-workers.

Michelle Green is August EOM

When Michelle Green was up late making a cheese ball for Diana Nelson's Employee of the Month party, she said she didn't mind because she knew what a great job Diana has done for UIS lately.

So when Michelle walked into Diana's celebration on Thursday afternoon, September 3, she got a huge surprise when she found out the celebration she had been helping to plan was actually for her!

Michelle, director of marketing for the university, was named August 2009 Employee of the Month on Thursday during a surprise party in the Public Affairs Center Restaurant.

"You guys are good!" Michelle laughed when she realized the party was in her honor. "And I'm usually not easily fooled!"

Being director of marketing, Michelle works very closely with the staff of the Office of Admissions to craft the branding and messages that they use to recruit students to UIS, said Ed Wojcicki, associate chancellor for constituent relations.

"We're all grateful to you for your hard work and helping us focus on our brand," Ed said.

Michelle has also done a lot of market research over the summer to "help us understand who we are," Ed said, and helping the public to recognize UIS as a university that provides a U of I degree with small classes and professors who have great relationships with their students.

"She works really hard," Ed said. "She is one of many one-person operations we have here at UIS, which is not easy to do. But she does it, and she does it extremely well. So we're here to honor you as Employee of the Month."

Michelle acknowledged that although she is a "one-man band," she couldn't do her job without everyone that she works with.

"I just want to say thank you for coming today," she told the gathered crowd. "This is a great place to work because of the people. Everyone's open to new ideas."

"I love being at a place where we're on our way up and making progress," she added. "I know what we're doing is really important, so thank you all; I really appreciate it."

Emily Welch Boles is February EOM

Even as the applause started and she was handed a bouquet of flowers, Emily Welch Boles had absolutely no idea what the cause for all of the celebration was. But she quickly found out that it was her.

On Monday morning, February 9, Emily was named the February 2009 Employee of the Month at UIS. Emily works in the Office of Technology-Enhanced Learning as a Computer Assisted Instruction Specialist.

"She's an exceptional worker, staying late often to provide service above and beyond what is expected, showing original thinking in her solutions to problems, and displaying an infectious 'can-do attitude' in every situation," said Shari McCurdy, associate director of OTEL.

Shari said that Emily is always positive and supportive in her relationships with her coworkers, students, faculty and staff at UIS.

"Emily works tirelessly and moves mountains to help our office fulfill its mission to faculty and staff," Shari said.

Emily was thrilled to celebrate the occasion with her family and coworkers on hand.

"Thank you all very much; I'm floored," she said. "I couldn't do my job without my coworkers."