For the first time in the University of Houston Staff Council history, the organization held an in-person Staff Council Awards ceremony to honor and recognize employee excellence at the University of Houston.

The inaugural Staff Council Awards Ceremony was held July 14 at the Elizabeth D. Rockwell Pavilion in the M.D. Anderson Library and saw eight awards and 15 scholarships handed out to university staff.

“It’s an opportunity for us to recognize staff for their hard work and dedication,” said Staff Council President DaNesha Allen. “Staff Council is dedicated to ensuring that staff feels acknowledged, honored, and appreciated.”

The eight awards handed out were Rookie of the Year, Optimism Award, High Performance Award, Impact Award, Inspiring Leadership Award, Collaborator Award, Friends of Staff Council Award, and the Team Excellence Award.

The award winners received an engraved award, a special acknowledgment at a future Staff Council General Meeting and be featured in the Staff Connect newsletter and Staff Council social media.

While the Staff Council Awards are for all university staff, the Division of Administration and Finance was well represented among the award winners.

Human Resources Senior Recruiter Cristian Garcia received the Optimism Award.

“It was great to receive it, even if it was unexpected and a surprise. It was a great feeling,” said Garcia. “And I think that’s when awards mean more when it’s unexpected and something you didn’t see coming.”

The University Information Technology department also walked away from the Staff Council ceremony as award winners having received the Team Excellence Award. UIT averages over 2,200 calls a month, 800 chats, and text messages and is always ready to assist university staff with technological assistance.

“This award was definitely a surprise as we have been nominated in the past, but this is the first year we were recognized and won,” said UIT User Service Specialist Lead Amy Ma. “We took a moment to enjoy the recognition but are back to answering calls/chats and tending to walk-up customers, meeting to improve services and productivity and prepare for the upcoming semester.”