Diane Hamilton-Puffenbarger has been an employee in the Department of Procurement Services for over thirty years - starting out as an administrative assistant and working all the way up to Procurement Manager.  One of the primary roles of the Procurement Manager is to coordinate Capital Construction project furniture, fixtures, and equipment purchases.  This is an incredibly detail-oriented and demanding job.  One must have great interpersonal skills, as they need to coordinate with many department heads to purchase the correct items.  One nominator described their experience with Diane during the largest construction project on campus at its time - the Forbes Center for the Performing Arts.  They noted that Diane was highly collaborative, constantly in contact with them making sure that they had all the options they could ever want when it came to sewing machines, outdoor furniture, and music stands.  Diane’s exemplary relational skills were evident across all of her eight nomination letters.  

Many individuals cited Diane’s “presence, soft spoken voice, and knowledge as a constant breath of fresh air that could instantly calm one's spirit in the storm of building preparation”.  Just a few of the many projects Diane has had her steady hand in include the Forbes Center for the Performing Arts, the Student Success Center, and the Health and Behavioral Sciences building.  Unfortunately, this summer Diane will be retiring from James Madison University.  While she may not physically be with us as we enter into another school year, Diane’s presence will continually be felt across this campus. There was no doubt when the committee read of her unique combination of empathy, knowledge, and determination that Diane Hamilton-Puffenbarger was a shining example of the “All Together One” spirit that James Madison University was founded upon.  We hope that this award can be a small thank you for the countless times you went the extra mile for this university and its people.