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2019 Outstanding Supervisor Award Recipients
Happy Boss’s Day! (Oct 16, 2019)
Erin Gorman
One of the best parts of Erin’s award ceremony, besides that delicious cake, was seeing her family take part in the celebration. It was really touching and we hope you see that in the photo!
Bryce Henderson
Bryce’s celebration was special! His family came to the 3rd Floor of 1855 Place at 8a to watch the entire Residential and Hospitality Services (RHS) Team welcome Bryce with cake and flowers. Several members of his team shared their perspective on why Bryce is so outstanding. One particular employee was appreciative of Bryce’s willingness to craft a flexible schedule that allowed the team member to pursue and complete his bachelor’s degree. The staffer was recently accepted into an internship in Texas and the process was much less stressful due to Bryce’s supervisory approach. Bryce’s supervisor (Phyllis Sherwood) and supervisor’s supervisor (Bob Patterson) also attended the celebration. The entire experience left Bryce relatively stunned and at a loss for words, but his team was able to fill the silence by reading their letters of support for his nomination. The staff was thankful that Bryce was accommodating during the recent “Polar Vortex” and that he has been very supportive when staff members experience family circumstances outside of work. Bryce is a fantastic example of supporting his team and the worklife fit!
William Wetzel
William won the award as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Entomology, Center for Integrated Plant Systems. He was nominated by Luke Zehr who wrote a wonderful letter about how Will gets to know the team on an individual level. During the celebration, Luke conveyed a slide show titled “The Joys of Fieldwork” that included photos at the Kellogg Biological Station. Another member of Will’s staff explained how he is an “advocate for healthy, productive, and collaborative work.” Dr. Moria Robinson was able to join in the celebration via Skype while the lab dog drooled as cake was served. Several members of the awards committee packed the small room to hear anecdotes about Will and how much he “sets the tone” for a pleasant and productive work environment at Michigan State. It was clear that Will Wetzel is truly outstanding!
Erica Lange
Erica won the award as an Office Supervisor with the Pharmacology & Toxicology Department. She reported to Richard Neubig, Department Chair, and was nominated by Stephen Stofflet, Academic Program Coordinator. Her award celebration was unique because it occurred on her last day with MSU! Dozens of her colleagues joined together for a going away party and we surprised her with a pillow made from a Spartan Marching Band uniform, purchased at the MSU Surplus Store. It was a great gift because Erica loves the marching band. Many of her colleagues spoke about how much of an impact Erica made while she was a supervisor at MSU. She transformed the work environment, shifting it from toxic to a place where “people enjoy coming into our office now.” She spoke about her use of “Strengths Finder” to help her team members identify their strengths. She mentioned that a team member might have a strength – for example, technology skills – that she lacks. Identifying who is good at what is essential for a well functioning team because that allows any team member to collaborate and leverage a colleague’s skill set when needed. Erica supported work life balance when several members of the team had family members become ill. She supported her team, both personally and professionally, through it all.