Western New Mexico University has created a new, prestigious award to recognize the staff member who best represents remarkable achievement, unwavering dedication and leadership, and a commitment to excellence. This Presidential Leadership Award will be given annually, and recipients will receive their awards at the Welcome Back Convocation in January.
The impetus for the award came from a desire to create an award for staff that parallels the prestigious awards given to faculty each year, said Staff Senate President Adele Springer. While the university already has awards for Employee of the Month and Employee of the Year, these awards are not available to employees who are currently part of a bargaining unit. The new award will be open to any employee of WNMU with at least three years of service who works in a regular, benefits-eligible position, except faculty and senior leadership. The Presidential Leadership Award is intended to not only honor individual achievements but also to foster a culture of service excellence, empowerment and continuous improvement.
A committee of WNMU employees, the Staff Recognition Program Development Committee, has been working since February of this year to develop the award and create a nomination and selection process. The committee agreed on five criteria that demonstrate outstanding achievement and leadership as well as a commitment to excellence: Ambassadorship, Service to WNMU, Teamwork, Innovation/Creativity/Process Improvement, and Transformational Leadership. Each nominee will be assessed on how they demonstrate these qualities. “We have a stringent scoring matrix that we will compare [every nominee] to,” said Director of Professional Development Bobbi Dodson, who serves on the committee and who, along with Springer, has been instrumental in establishing the new award. “The committee will vet them, and then we will turn over the top three finalists to [WNMU President] Dr. [Joseph] Shepard,” she said.
University staff, faculty, students and affiliates of WNMU as well as members of the community are welcome to submit nominations. Employees of the university may also nominate themselves. This year, the nomination window will open on Monday, September 11 and remain open for three weeks. Once the nomination process is closed, nominees will be notified and receive a letter of recognition, and they will have three weeks to submit a portfolio that reflects their service to WNMU.
The nomination form and full program details about the Presidential Leadership Award can be accessed here, and questions and nominations may be directed to awards@wnmu.edu.