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Audacity, Agency, Authenticity.

A Culture of Care >> Read Smith’s plans for the fall 2021 semester.

Staff Recognition

Spotlight Awards

We are pleased to have the Spotlight Awards as a means of acknowledging and demonstrating timely appreciation and recognition for the exceptional contributions of individuals at Smith that go beyond the everyday scope of their responsibilities.

All employees, managers and supervisors are encouraged to nominate staff colleagues, inside or outside of their departments, by submitting a Spotlight Award Nomination Form. The Spotlight Awards cycle runs from September 1 to March 31. Anne-Marie Szmyt, VP for Human Resources will approve all Spotlight Awards.

Spotlight Awards have a pretaxed value of $200 and are included in the recipient’s paycheck usually within the next payperiod of receiving recognition.

Supervisors will give recipients their letters and their names will be featured on the Spotlight Award webpage along with who nominated them.

Each spring human resources hosts a celebratory Spotlight Awards Reception for the honorees to include the entire community to gather and congratulate all of the Spotlight Award recipients for the year. Recipients are eligible to participate in a special grand-prize drawing.

Academic Year 2020–21

Please note the college is not issuing Spotlight Awards during this academic year. Human Resources has removed the nomination form at this time.

Spotlight Awards Ceremony

  1. Maria Aguilar, nominated by Cathy Glazier

  2. Kate Aloisio, nominated by Alexander Barron

  3. Tina Atkinson, nominated by Thomas Lark

  4. Amy Avard, nominated by Andrew Guswa

  5. Joseph Bacal, nominated by Dawn Fulton

  6. Michele Bala, nominated by Dawn Faucher

  7. Elizabeth Bannish, nominated by Fraser Stables

  8. Mary Barr, nominated by Lea Ahlen & Ellen Wall

  9. Sika Berger, nominated by Brendan O’Connell

  10. Jennifer Blackburn, nominated by Dawn Fulton

  11. Jessica Blasko, nominated by Brendan O’Connell

  12. Ruth Bonilla Cuaresma, nominated by Renee Cowan

  13. Karla Borecky, nominated by Kathy San Antonio

  14. Daniel Bridgman, nominated by Nicholas Baker

  15. Danielle Brown, nominated by Betsy Carpenter

  16. Jennifer Burwell, nominated by Dawn Fulton

  17. Ashleigh Bushey, nominated by Renee Cowan & Ellen Wall

  18. Tristian Chambers, nominated by Christie Peterson

  19. Frank Citino, nominated by Tony Caldanaro

  20. Theresa Collins, nominated by Bonnie May

  21. Kerry Connors, nominated by Matt Motyka

  22. Renee Cowan, nominated by Ellen Wall

  23. Kimberly Cook, nominated by Linda Sbrega & Kimberly Shea

  24. Matt Cook, nominated by Irene Rodriguez-Martin & Maddy Neely

  25. Rachel Cook, nominated by Lynn Oberbillig

  26. Steve Davis, nominated by Robert Newton

  27. Patti Dion, nominated by Pat Mahar

  28. Christina Duquette, nominated by Ellen Wall

  29. Krystle Ellis, nominated by Maureen Trafford

  30. John Eue, nominated by Matt Motyka

  31. C. M. Flynn, nominated by Dominique Tremblay

  32. Cristina Fox, nominated by Kerry-Beth Garvey

  33. Kathy Gauger, nominated by Kelly DeForest & Patricia DiBartolo

  34. Meghan Garrity, nominated by Kathy Tobin & Ellen Wall

  35. Patricia Gilbert, nominated by Dawn Faucher

  36. Mary Giles, nominated by Maria Held

  37. Donna Gingras, nominated by Kristin Hughes

  38. Travis Grandy, nominated by Elizabeth Pryor

  39. Alicia Guidotti, nominated by Kelly DeForest & Patricia DiBartolo

  40. Melanie Gulow, nominated by Patti Thornton, Marilyn Woodman & Lynn Korza

  41. Jessica Henry-Cross, nominated by Jessica Nicoll

  42. Dawn Hines, nominated by Betsy Carpenter

  43. Michael Ireland, nominated by David Belanger

  44. Jason Jensen, nominated by Maureen Trafford

  45. Valerie Joseph, nominated by Kevin Shea

  46. Donna Kortes, nominated by Bosiljka Glumac

  47. Louise Krieger, nominated by Jessica Nicoll

  48. TJ (Thomas) Lippie, nominated by Meghan Garrity

  49. Jane Majkiewicz, nominated by Chrissie Bell

  50. Lyn Minnich, nominated by Lea Ahlen

  51. Phoebe McKinnell, nominated by Joel Kaminsky

  52. Siobhan McManamon, nominated by Abby Baines

  53. Joe McNeish, nominated by Paula Pawloski

  54. Heather McQueen, nominated by Thomas Richardson

  55. Jack (John) Miller, nominated by Margaret Rakas

  56. Elly Mons, nominated by Kevin Shea & Stacie Hagenbaugh

  57. Toni Murray, nominated by Lucinda Williams & Rose Reynold

  58. Maddy Neely, (nominated by Irene Rodriguez-Martin)

  59. Sarah Nolan, nominated by Pat Mahar

  60. David Osepowicz, nominated by Cornelia Pearsall

  61. Suzanne Palmer, nominated by Steve Davis

  62. Barbara Pliska, nominated by Joel Kaminsky

  63. James Richard, nominated by Dianne Mikucki

  64. Thomas Richardson, nominated by Kevin Shea

  65. Emily Robinson, nominated by Ben Baumer

  66. Esther Roth-Katz, nominated by Brendan O’Connell

  67. Rebecca Rubin, nominated by Ellen Wall

  68. Rachel Siegel, nominated by Joel Kaminsky

  69. Hayley Spizz, nominated by Dawn Fulton

  70. Thomas Spooner, nominated by Steve Davis

  71. Tracy Tien, nominated by Jon Caris

  72. Katey Tobin, nominated by Ellen Wall

  73. Mario Valdebenito Rodas, nominated by Atsuko Takahashi & Elizabeth Pryor

  74. Jessica Vallone, nominated by Ellen Wall

  75. Michael Vollinger, nominated by Bosiljka Glumac

  76. Rebecca Washut, nominated by Chris Carr Hill

  77. Paul Wetzel, nominated by Sue Froehlich

  78. Nanci Young, nominated by Matt Motyka

  79. Susan Zachary, nominated by Kate Queeney

Years of Service Luncheon

Smith College recognizes and honors employees who have reached certain service milestones. Awards are presented to employees in recognition for years of service beginning at 10 years and every five-year milestone through 35 years and beyond. In the fall, a special luncheon is held in their honor.

After addressing the honorees, the president presents 25-year pins 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.

2019 Honorees

Robert Pare, Facilities Management

Scott Messinger, Campus School

Cynthia Naughton, Campus School

Ilse Barron, Dining Services

Joseph Menzyk, Dining Services

Lucinda Williams, Libraries

Stephen Campbell, College Relations

Albert Evans-Perez, Information Technology Services

Sandra Bycenski, Information Technology Services

David Culver, Facilities Management

Sandra Dix, Facilities Management

Pamella Wright, Facilities Management

John Eue, College Relations

Rocco Piccinino, Libraries

Leslie Jaffe, Health Services

Rick Rubin, Dining Services

Joanne Cannon, Information Technology Services

Glen Mahoney, Libraries

Peg Pitzer, College Relations

Nancy Subocz, Student Financial Services

John Pierson, Facilities Management

Donna Phaneuf, Facilities Management

Jacquelyn Murphy-Henderson, Facilities Management

Susan Roach, Health Services

Alicia Guidotti, Theatre

Serena Harris, Human Resources

Mary Irwin, Libraries

John MacMillan, College Relations

Karen LeHouiller, Information Technology Services

Gary Hartwell, Facilities Management

Kimberly Lebron, Career Development

Edna Howe, Facilities Management

Clifton Noble, Music

Judith Wopereis, Biological Sciences

Emily Juster, Dining Services

Robert Andrews, Information Technology Services

Janet Long, Facilities Management

Tiphareth Ananda, Campus School

Jacqueline Demarey, Dining Services

Tina White, Facilities Management

Lori McKenna, Center for Early Childhood Education

Kamlyn Allman, Development

Karen Kristof, Admission

Lynn Cocco, Human Resources

Ben Marsden, Information Technology Svcs

Charles Amass, Chemistry

Joyce Follet, Religious and Spiritual Life

Scott Johnson, Athletics

Damian Gawle, Facilities Management

Kenneth Hassin, Facilities Management

Timothy Zima, Dining Services

Sandra Hennessy, Dining Services

Robert Tacy, Dining Services

Rebecca Thomas, Chemistry

Christina Kuralt, Class Deans Office

Kirsten Ritter, Information Technology Services

Michael Yargeau, College Relations

Nora Sweeney, Center for Early Childhood Education

Hannah Durrant, Student Affairs

Lou Ann Bierwert, Biological Sciences

Sara Eddy, Jacobson Center

Peter Sapira, Jacobson Center

Carole Congleton, Class Deans Office

Thomas Neuburger, Information Technology Services

Patrick Carey, Facilities Management

Michael Ireland, Student Financial Services

Chad Gagnon, Facilities Management

Deanna Dixon, Admission

Erin Smith, Clark Science Center Administration

Charles Dougherty, Facilities Management

Christopher Carlotto, Facilities Management

Paul Matylas, Campus School

Angel Elahi, Student Financial Services

Nam Kim, Facilities Management

Angel Torres, Facilities Management

William Torres, Facilities Management

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 October.

Regardless of your period of association with Smith, just being among such friends and colleagues of so many years is an exciting and heartwarming experience.

2012 Ceremony