University announces November, December 2022 Employees of the Month

LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas recently announced the November and December 2022 Employees of the Month. These staff members have made outstanding contributions to the Lawrence and Edwards campus communities.

Winners of the Employee of the Month awards receive the following:

• A surprise visit from the provost or her designee
• A certificate of award
• A biography featured through KU Today
• A $750 gross monetary award.

Nominate an employee for this award by completing and submitting the online or paper Employee of the Month nomination form and returning it to HRM by email or fax to 785-864-5790. More information is available here.

November 2022

Name: Stacy Ash

Title: Undergraduate recruitment coordinator, School of Music

Stacy Ash has worked for KU since July of 2008, and during this time has proven herself to be a recruiter who truly cares about delivering an amazing experience for prospective and incoming students. Ash is primarily responsible for organizing and managing undergraduate recruitment efforts for the school of music.

Ash’s colleagues all agree that her greatest strength is her people skills. She is personable and energetic, bringing a sense of enthusiasm to the School of Music that is infectious. Her excitement for KU, and her welcoming nature, along with her strong communication skills encourages many potential students to become applicants. She goes above and beyond for every prospective student, remembering details about them and tailoring their experience with personalized information. She makes herself readily available to support potential applicants and their families and is very knowledgeable in her role and in her understanding of the application process. Her honest communication every step of the way puts potential students and their families at ease. Thanks to Ash’s hard work, the 2022 Audition Days were an incredible experience for both the students and the staff, colleagues said. During both days, the students and parents had glowing reviews for Ash’s positive energy and the personal touch she brings to her work. A colleague has this to say about her: “During the Audition Day events one of the common themes was a tremendous appreciation for Stacy's clear and regular communications, which kept them informed and made them feel welcomed. Many of the parents cited Stacy's recruiting work as one of the deciding factors in their students choosing to come to KU.”

Ash has a lot on her plate, and she frequently works late or on weekends to ensure the highest quality of service possible. She is known to take extra time with prospective students and their parents to make sure they are comfortable and is tireless in her efforts to serve the needs of the School of Music. She was originally hired as an event coordinator, but when the School of Music asked her to take on the role of recruiter due to low staffing, she immediately stepped up as well as continued to assist with coordinating events. Another colleague said, “Stacy is the warm and inviting face of the School of Music, able to speak to our strengths and challenges in a way that is both exciting and supportive. She is a true Jayhawk who emulates all that we stand for!”

Name: Jack Campbell Jr.

Title: Commissioned law enforcement officer and investigator, KU Public Safety Office

Jack Campbell Jr. has been working with the university since April 2006, and during this time he has distinguished himself amongst his colleagues as one of the most trustworthy individuals in the department. His primary responsibilities include investigating any major crime or death on campus, as well as conducting internal investigations for the department. He also performs background checks for any potential employees for the department and provides security for major campus events.

The department knows that Campbell can be counted on for anything, even for things outside of the scope of his role. He faces every challenge head-on without complaint and always takes the extra step to make sure that he does everything possible for his assignments, his co-workers and the university. His work schedule was originally Monday through Thursday, but when Mike Rounds asked him to take part in Staff Fellows for a second time, he changed his schedule so that he would be available for the Friday meetings. At the same time, Campbell volunteered to take a training course to become a certified instructor in the Police Executive Research Forum critical decision-making model so that he could train others to ensure that the department meets the guidelines of the chancellor’s task force. He has also taken on teaching new employees report writing and is one of the defensive tactics instructors. None of these are in his job description, yet he volunteers for all of them so that the department can excel. A co-worker has said this about him: “No matter how big or small the importance level, Jack puts 100% towards whatever task he is given. He is a great example to all employees at the department.”

Campbell always gives his best regardless of what he is doing because of how deeply he cares about his co-workers and the people he serves, colleagues said. He is organized and detail-oriented, and he conducts thorough criminal and pre-employment investigations to ensure that only the highest-quality care is given to every case and that the department finds the best talent. He always meets the department’s high-quality expectations and gives such comprehensive assignment presentations that there is rarely a need for follow-up questions.

Campbell is particularly known for going above and beyond for survivors of sexual assault. He spearheads the Peer Support Program, playing a pivotal role in revamping the program and has been involved with the sexual assault response team and the Child Advocacy Center to make sure that he stays well-informed and can use a trauma-informed approach with every call. Because he is so people-oriented, his co-workers have said that he is great to work with and is often a go-to resource in the department when dealing with difficult situations. Another co-worker has stated this about him: “Jack is one of the kindest and most caring people you will ever meet. His emotional intelligence is one that can’t be compared to anyone else. He is an above-exemplary officer and detective. He is someone I quite literally trust to have my back in hairy situations and trust him with my life.”

December 2022

Name: Meseret Guremu

Title: Custodian, Edwards Campus Facilities

Meseret “Mesi” Guremu has worked for KU since May of 2019, and she has truly embodied what it means to be a team player. She is responsible for keeping all three buildings on the KU Edwards Campus clean during the daytime hours, especially high-traffic areas such as the lobbies and restrooms. She is also responsible for vacuuming, trash duty, wiping down windows, cleaning up spills and cleaning after events.

Guremu’s colleagues said she has been amazing since the day she first arrived at Edwards Campus and has become a staple in the custodial department due to her consistency of high-quality service and her helpful spirit. She always goes above and beyond to keep the campus clean, despite the department’s short staff, and she never complains about the extra work. In fact, when two of the four custodial staff members had to leave the country this summer to care for their families, Guremu not only continued to deliver thorough service during the six weeks that they were gone, but she also volunteered to take on the responsibilities of her co-workers so that the department could save money on hiring temporary staff during the day.

Guremu takes pride in her work, always wearing a smile, and is eager to assist in any way she can. She has excellent insight and has provided the department with many great ideas on efficiency with supplies, equipment and processes. She works well with others and is always friendly and welcoming with staff, students and visitors, making her a go-to person in the department. Not only does she continually put her best foot forward, she inspires others to try harder to make a difference on campus and truly celebrates her co-workers’ achievements. She has been known to praise the good work of others and frequently shares when she sees someone else succeeding.

Though her role is not one that requires leadership, Guremu has displayed excellent leadership qualities by assisting with the training of her team members and pitching in to suggest ways she can help, even without being asked. A co-worker has said this about her: “She brightens everyone’s day with her smile and positive attitude, no matter what is going on!”

Name: Tina Todd

Title: Custodian, Lawrence campus

Tina Todd is a custodian assigned to level 4 of Wescoe Hall. She has worked for KU since December 2011 and during this time has become irreplaceable to her team. She is responsible for cleaning roughly 60,000 square feet of public corridors, offices, restrooms, classrooms and miscellaneous spaces. Daily tasks include taking out the trash, cleaning the restrooms, sweeping/mopping/vacuuming the floors and other light detail cleaning such as dusting and cleaning glass. Her responsibilities also include shoveling snow in the winter and custodial project work, such as shampooing carpets and finishing floors.

Todd can always be relied on to lend a hand with whatever is needed, according to her colleagues. She does consistently great work across the board, frequently anticipates what needs to be done and volunteers to do it before anyone even asks. Most recently, she power-scrubbed the restroom floors without anyone from custodial leadership mentioning a need for it, simply because she cares about her job and her co-workers. She takes initiative, pays close attention to details and has excellent communication skills. With her nearly perfect attendance, great attitude and team-oriented approach, Todd is a delight to work with and has become a pillar in the department. This summer, she routinely gave up 2-3 hours of her night without complaint to provide coverage in buildings where there was an ongoing staff shortage. Because of this, everyone was able to keep up with their own additional work, take scheduled time off, and remain happy and healthy. She’s known to say, “We all just do our part and get it done as best we can,” and she truly embodies this statement in her work.

She goes above and beyond every day, and it’s clear that her motivation for doing the best she can is her desire to support the students. She cares more about the individual student experience than the average employee and truly puts her whole heart into everything she does just to make the students’ experience here at KU that much better. She even went out of her way to detail clean Budig 120, the big auditorium, before finals week, stating, “the students deserve it.” Her excitement and pride in her work are infectious, and she has helped to motivate many of the new trainees and her fellow staff members to do their best as well. A co-worker has this to say about her, “She is a special person and employee. She cares more about KU and the students who go here than can be put into words.”