An Example to Us All:
Campus Honors 10 Exemplary Employees

By Amanda Chavez | May 31, 2005

Award recipients with Chancellor Marye Anne Fox and Rogers Davis

Ten Exemplary Staff Employees of the Year were honored Monday in a ceremony at the Faculty Club. Family, friends and colleagues joined Chancellor Marye Anne Fox and other campus leaders in paying tribute to the accomplishments of the awardees.

"I am so honored to be able to join you here today in paying tribute to these exemplary staff," said Chancellor Marye Anne Fox. "They truly represent the spirit of UCSD -- excellence in service to both this institution and their communities."

As various campus leaders shared the honorees' accomplishments, they were greeted by a mixture of laughter, tears and awe. The speakers described how these exemplary staff are driven to improving campus life and operations, often saving their departments money, serving as mentors to others, donating vacation time to co-workers in need, and looking for innovations and technologies to increase efficiency. The presenters remarked on how these individuals have become subject matter experts, given conference presentations and served as resources to individuals at UCSD and other institutions. They acknowledged the award recipients' contributions to UCSD do not end in their departments -- many sit on campus committees and work on interdepartmental projects.

The introductory remarks contained many examples of service to the community, detailing how awardees have volunteered on a one-to-one basis and with national and international organizations like the American Cancer Society and Rotary. They illustrated how these individuals see a need, and then find a way to meet it whether it be opening their home as a foster parent or creating a youth program that highlights performance arts. The awardees were shown to be people who passionately support others, working for the rights of members of the LGBT community, raising diversity awareness, and caring for women during their pregnancy and labor.

"The diverse recipients have had a tremendous effect on the UCSD and San Diego communities," said Rogers Davis, assistant vice chancellor of Human Resources. "They've assisted a variety of individuals and groups from prospective and current students, alumni, parents, patients, donors and co-workers to disadvantaged youth, the homeless, senior citizens, individuals with HIV/AIDS, immigrants and troops in Iraq.

Principal Exemplary Employee of the Year Leann Cortimiglia, a clinical nurse III in the UCSD Regional Burn Center, and Chancellor Marye Anne Fox

In addition to being recognized at the ceremony, recipients have their names engraved on a perpetual plaque that hangs in the Human Resources lobby. They also received a certificate of recognition signed by the chancellor, a monetary award, and a gift bag, which included donations from Birch Aquarium, Dining Services, the Faculty Club, the UCSD Bookstore, UCSD Recreation, the UCSD Staff Association, the UCSD Storehouse, the UCSD Theater and Dance Department, and USE Credit Union.

To read more about the individual award recipients, visit the Blink Exemplary Staff Employee of the Year Recipients page.