Several Virginia Tech employees in the Division of Administrative Services were recently honored for their customer service initiatives on campus. 

“These awards recognize individuals and teams who provided outstanding service to their co-workers and other members of the Virginia Tech community,” said Sherwood Wilson, vice president for administration. “It’s important to recognize the incredible work our employees do every day.”

This is the fourth year for the awards. Recipients were nominated by their peers, co-workers, or supervisors and received a cash award and framed certificate. 

Award recipients were

  • Ana Agud, wellness coordinator in the Department of Human Resources, was recognized for her work redesigning the Hokie Wellness program and for helping employees access benefits and community resources.
  • Dawn Camacho, administrative program coordinator for University Organizational and Professional Development in the Department of Human Resources, was recognized for taking on extra work to coordinate two high-profile programs. In addition, she assisted with logistics for the executive director search while still consistently providing excellent service in her traditional duties.
  • Kayla Chaffin, operations planning coordinator in Business Services Planning and Development was recognized for her commitment in taking over the complex billing process for Air Transportation Services and for taking initiative to learn new policies, processes and business functions.
  • Sgt. Tony Haga, detective in the Virginia Tech Police Department, was recognized for his mentoring and leadership within the police department. In addition, he was commended for his interactions with community members during challenging circumstances and his ability de-escalate situations.
  • Steve Johnston, enterprise systems development coordinator in Facilities Services was recognized by two separate nominators for his commitment to finding solutions and implementing technology in ways that maximize productivity. He consistently undertakes responsibilities beyond his job description and always excels.
  • Patrick McGuire, officer in the Virginia Tech Police Department, was recognized for his response to a call concerning a person experiencing a mental health crisis. He located the individual and convinced them to seek assistance. The person later stated “If it weren’t for [Officer McGuire], I would not be here today.”
  • Nicole Quesenberry, senior officer in the Virginia Tech Police Department, was recognized for her efforts to develop and grow the Residence Life Resource Officer unit and for organizing the police department’s Community Days.
  • Kenny Smith, officer in the Virginia Tech Police Department, was recognized for tremendous customer service during challenging situations. After assisting a student in crisis, Smith received an email from the individual stating “I really appreciate the kindness and compassion you showed me. …  It makes me feel safer on campus to know such amazing people are watching over me and the rest of the students.”
  • David Tribble, officer in the Virginia Tech Police Department, was recognized for exceeding the high service expectations of the department. He exemplifies the university’s motto of Ut Prosim (That I May Serve) through his humble but consistently excellent service to the community.
  • Karen Troutman, business services center manager in Facilities Services, was recognized for her attention to detail and persistence in ensuring the Business Service Center provides excellent customer support. Her professionalism with both clients and staff was noted.
  • Diane Worrell, customer service representative in Facilities Services was recognized for providing responsive and efficient service to customers and other staff members. She was also commended for her institutional knowledge regarding campus building maintenance and co-worker strengths. 
  • The Information Technology for Administrative Services team -- Malcolm Beckett, Kevin Bishop, Nathan Chamberlin, Jason Dominiczak, Tracy McElroy, Charles Ruble, Adam Smith, and Jonathan Thomas – were recognized for their efforts protecting the division’s data when centralized computing systems were compromised. No information on the division's 70 servers was affected during the event.

Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech takes a hands-on, engaging approach to education, preparing scholars to be leaders in their fields and communities. As the commonwealth’s most comprehensive university and its leading research institution, Virginia Tech offers 240 undergraduate and graduate degree programs to more than 31,000 students and manages a research portfolio of $513 million. The university fulfills its land-grant mission of transforming knowledge to practice through technological leadership and by fueling economic growth and job creation locally, regionally, and across Virginia.

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