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Staff honored with Presidential Recognition Awards

President Katherine Bergeron acknowledged members of the Connecticut College staff for their valuable contributions at the annual Presidential Staff Recognition Breakfast and Awards Ceremony May 13.

Bergeron presented awards to six staff members and two teams. The awards were selected from more than 100 nominations for individuals and teams in the rising star, service excellence, inspiration, citizenship, student support and team collaboration categories.

The 2022 Presidential Staff Recognition Award winners are:

Citizenship Award: Margaret Bounds, Assistant Director of Sustainability

The Citizenship Award, which honors an individual who has enhanced the quality of life and made a substantial difference for the College community, was awarded to Bounds for the invaluable role she has played in moving the College to a more sustainable future, furthering Conn’s mission and initiating positive change across campus. In 2021, Bounds helped the College earn a Stars GOLD rating from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. She has also been instrumental in setting the College’s new goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030, and she was commended for personally ensuring sustainability is a critical part of long-term financial and environmental planning at Conn.

Rich Madonna and Katherine Bergeron surprise Margaret Bounds with a staff award.

Margaret Bounds poses with President Katherine Bergeron and VP Rich Madonna.

President Katherine Bergeron and Vice President for Finance and Administration Rich Madonna surprise Bounds with the Citizenship Award.

Inspiration Award: Dot Wang, Associate Director, Career Adviser and Supervisor of the Career Fellow Program in the Hale Center for Career Development

The Inspiration Award, presented to an individual who excels at building relationships and motivating others to higher levels of performance, was awarded to Wang for inspiring the entire career office with her tireless dedication to students. Wang was lauded for her commitment to diversifying the pool of Career Fellow candidates, for serving as an adviser to the Connecticut College Asian Students in Action organization, for contributing in key ways to the Creativity Pathway and the overall Connections curriculum, for serving as a member of the Green Dot campus training team, and for always going the extra mile for students, all while helping 400 individual advisees find their career paths.

President Katherine Bergeron surprises Dot Wang with a staff award as her colleagues cheer.

A portrait of Dot Wang, Associate Director, Career Adviser and Supervisor of the Career Fellow Program in the Hale Center for Career Development

Wang's colleagues cheer as Bergeron suprises her with the Inspiration Award.

Rising Star Award: Ashlyn Healey ’20, Assistant Director of Admission

The Rising Star Award, which recognizes an individual who has worked at the College for less than three years and has made a recognizable impact, was awarded to Healey who, despite joining the Admission team in the midst of a global pandemic, has made an indelible impact on the College community. Healey, who was tasked with leading tour guides during a time when most colleges weren’t even allowing visitors, was praised for her creative solutions for working with student workers and prospective students to deliver a positive and safe tour experience, as well as for her infectious positivity, energy and enthusiasm.

President Katherine Bergeron, right, and Ashlyn Healy '20 share a laugh.

President Katherine Bergeron, right, congratulates Ashlyn Healy '20

Bergeron congratulates Healey on winning the Rising Star Award.

Service Excellence Award: Marco Michaud, Supervisor of Projects and Procurement for Facilities Management, and Donna Scott, Bursar in the Accounting office

The Service Excellence Award, which honors an individual who demonstrates distinction in the conduct of his or her responsibilities at the College, was awarded to two individuals this year. Michaud was recognized for his immense talent in finding quality goods or services at a price that meets the College’s needs, as well as for being a true team player and willingly sharing resources to help others do well, including once driving all the way to Canada to retrieve needed equipment. Scott was honored for providing the highest level of customer service while advising students and parents through the process of paying for a Connecticut College education—a job made all the more difficult by the financial uncertainties surrounding the global pandemic. While the confidential nature of Scott’s work means it often goes unrecognized, Scott’s nominators noted that alumni often remember her as someone who helped them and made a positive impact on their lives.

President Bergeron, Marco Michaud and coworkers pose for a photograph — Bergeron, far left; Michaud, second from left; and Michaud's coworkers celebrate after Bergeron presented Michaud with a Service Excellence Award.

President Katherine Bergeron congratulates Donna Scott. — Bergeron congratulates a surprised Scott.

Student Support Award: Noel Garrett, Dean of Academic Support and the Director of the Academic Resource Center

The Student Support Award, which honors a staff member who has bolstered student success and facilitated a positive student experience, was awarded to Garrett for developing countless initiatives to support students while overseeing Conn’s nationally renowned Academic Resource Center, serving as a liaison between the Dean of the College and faculty in support of student academic success, and co-coordinating the Entrepreneurship Pathway. Garrett was praised for developing Fast Forward, an intensive week-long, career-readiness program, as well as many other workshops and seminars in budgeting, finance, time management, presentation and other topics to help students prepare for the transition to life beyond Conn.

President Bergeron interrupts a meeting to surprise Noel Garrett.

Noel Garrett and President Bergeron pose for a picture.

Bergeron interrupts a meeting in the Academic Resource Center to surprise Garrett with the news.

Team Collaboration Award: Child Development Lab School Teachers and Administrators

The Team Collaboration Award, which recognizes a group of individuals whose work has benefited the entire College, was awarded to the dedicated teachers and administrators of the Child Development Lab School, including: Katie O’Connor, director; Monica Franzone, associate director; Cynthia Hendry, academic department assistant; Laura Rodriguez, RN school consultant; Deb O’Brien, bookkeeper; Carolyn Morrison, parent coordinator; teachers Alyssa Bombard, Sheila Bairstow, Sarah Bevington, Lisa Aldrich, Laura Foster and Nancy Kivlin; and teacher assistants Ada Turley, Marlene Pellegrini, Carmen De La Cruz, Daphne Michie, Joane Woodhall, Liz Brown, Monica Henry-Siefert, Maureen Jordan and Kim Brissette. The team was honored for providing a model for inclusion throughout the pandemic and exceeding expectations and living up to the mission of the College while serving community preschool children and their families.

Teachers from the Lab School are surprised by President Katherine Bergeron.

Teachers and administrators from the Lab School pose for a photo with President Bergeron.

Child Development Lab School teachers and administrators are surprised with the Team Collaboration Award.

Special Commendation: Dining Services Staff

In addition to the annual awards, Bergeron and the Presidential Staff Awards Selection Committee honored the hard-working staff of Dining Services with a special commendation, noting that the team was one of the very few departments working onsite during the entirety of the pandemic, making an impact on students, faculty and staff while maintaining the highest health and safety standards possible. The team was commended for displaying extraordinary professionalism and perseverance and for going above and beyond to serve students in isolation and quarantine, providing nourishment and comfort for those coping with a once-in-a-lifetime global health event.

May 13, 2022

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