
The University strives to promote the success of faculty and staff who contribute and support the University through their daily interactions, research, and commitment to JMU. In support of the Governor's Award program, JMU has established the President's Purple Star Awards to recognize the contributions to the University made by faculty and staff. The yearly recipients receive recognition at the President’s Opening Address ceremony and a certificate commemorating the award.
Awards
Agency Star
The employees nominated typically have been recognized within the agency because of their contributions to the overall mission, objectives, and values of the agency. Because there is such great variation from agency to agency in employee recognition programs, we refer to them generically as “Stars.” For instance, an agency may select an “Employee of the Year,” as well as employees that best represent each of their agency values.
Career Achievement
The employee nominated has a record of consistent achievement over time that has significantly improved the efficiency and effectiveness of Commonwealth operations. For instance you may have an employee who has demonstrated personal achievement and is frequently called upon for advice because of his/her expertise and experience.
Community Service and Volunteerism
The nominated employee volunteers his/her own time in non-profit community activities or serves as the “extra pair of hands” in agency activities. For instance, you may have an employee who helps build a house for Habitat for Humanity or who coordinates your Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign at your agency.
Customer Service
The employee nominated consistently provides a level of service to solve the customer's problem; communicates effectively with customers about services, policies and procedures; and treats customers with dignity and respect. For instance, you may have an employee who has received a letter of commendation from the public about customer service, or you may have already identified a specific employee who has rendered outstanding customer service throughout the year.
Innovation
The employee nominated produces results such as increased productivity, efficiencies, or cost savings through creativity and bright ideas that are implemented within the agency or state government.
Teamwork
The group of employees consistently exhibits the qualities that make teamwork essential to an agency’s success, including coordination of efforts to produce quality service or innovative results. As an example, an appropriate nomination would be a team that achieved substantial savings through re-engineering processes within an agency.
Workplace Health, Wellness and Safety
The nominated employee leads the way in promoting a safe and healthy work environment, suggests workplace improvements, and promotes and supports the importance of a safe and healthy work environment. For instance, you may have an employee who consistently suggests workplace improvements to reduce the risk to other employees or someone who has done particularly well in identifying ways to reduce workers compensation claims in your agency.
Previous Awardees
Agency:
Lauren Allyene
Career Achievement:
David Taylor
Community Service and Volunteerism:
Karina Kline-Gabel
Customer Service:
Finance Office
Robbie Campbell
Jill Dean
Olivia Fulk
Christine Jones
Cindy Mathews
Kristi McDonnell
Danelle Ross
Barbara Shepherd
Randy Shiflet II
Sherry Willis
Innovation:
Glenn Wayland
Teamwork:
Valarie Ghant
Brent Lewis
Ritter Clevenger
Urs von Rotz
Angela Ritchie
Jonathan Stewart
Chervon Moore
DeAndre Powell
Gary Shears
Mike Derrow
Anna Campbell
Jared Combs
Sam Hottinger
John Khamphavong
Victor McManaway
Kirk Morris
Agency Star:
Residence Life
Laura Miller-Blazewicz
Hugh Brown
Holmes Browne
Michael Busch
Sam Butler
Kathleen Campbell
Stephanie Carr
Jennifer Dodson
Chris Ehrhart
Emily Higham
Jason Jones
Alicia Lamb
Mariea McNeill
Kevin Meaney
Dee Nilsen
Liz Odermatt
Dawn Ohanessian
Tripp Purks
Karen Sampson
Courtney Samuleu
Brenda Smith
Kelsey Snyder
Sam Squyars
Jon Strine
Garrett Suhr
Justin Tarbell
Jordan Todd
Stephanie Williams
Career Achievement:
Glenn Hastedt
Community Service and Volunteerism:
Lisa Porter
Customer Service:
Whitney Sajko
Sheila Smith
Innovation:
Becky Davis
Teamwork:
Office of Financial Aid
Shari Arehart
Brad Barnett
Claire Bergan
Anne Callahan
Jessica Cortes
Steven Cox
Brandon Crenshaw
Andrea Dyjak
Rick Gardner
Judy Hensley
Jessica Hopkins
Brice Hostetler
Ashley James
Brooklyn Kier
Christi Knight
Colleen McAvoy
Donna Marie McMillian
Susan Moyers
Adrianna Penn
John Michael Schott
Klaudia Sheffer
Timley Simmons
Shana Smith
Amber Weaver-Shifflett
Workplace Safety and Health:
Olivia Hale
Jon Leonard
Agency Star:
Andy Guertler
Kristina Blyer
Career Achievement:
Marilou Johnson
Community Service and Volunteerism:
Covid PPE Response Team
Carlson Jenkins
Kevin Hegg
Eric Stauffer
Amy Russel Yun
Dave Wang
Kathleen Conery
Laura Atkins
Laura Lambert
Rebecca Field
Jordan Brink
Jamie Calcagno-Roach
Gover Saunders
Dan Easley
Art Pekun
Kirsten Mlodynia
Laura Taalman
Adrienne Hooker
Customer Service:
Admissions Office
Freshman/Transfer Recruitment
Visitation Team
Telephone Reception/Correspondence Team
Application Processing Team
Admissions
Innovation:
University Recreation
Teamwork:
Libraries
Center for Faculty Innovation
Office of Disability Services
Information Technology
Workplace Safety and Health:
Housekeeping
Frankie Lucas
Carolyn Armentrout
Chrissy Estep
Cynthia Harris
Diana Taylor
Heather Baker
Kay Lam
Kim Collier
Debbie Morris
Vickie Raynes
Yolanda Morris
Melissa Gaylor
Russell Gambino
Tiffany Mayhew
Holley Carter
Bryan Falls
Steven Brubaker
Terry Lindsey
Agency Star:
RJ Ohgran
Career Achievement:
David Onestak
Community Service and Volunteerism:
Jennifer Taylor
Customer Service:
Print Services Team
Heather Wilharm
Lisa Rhodes
Connie Fulk
Sherry Brooks
Laurie Brinkley
Innovation:
Williams Yates
Teamwork:
Green Dot Campaign
Lorie Miller
Holly Bailey
Destiny Savage
Elizabeth Chenevey
Sarah Blackstone
Jamie Williams
Jessica Weed
Tiffany Brutus
David Chew
Jennifer Principe
Megan Driver
Misty Newman
Jacqueline Hieber
Arianna Sessoms
Jordan McCann
Paige Hawkins
Angela Ritchie
Ann Simmons
Workplace Safety & Health
Matthew Lovesky
Agency Star:
Debbie Pine
Career Achievement:
Sharon Gasser
Community Service and Volunteerism:
Carlos Aleman
Customer Service:
Kimberly McGivern
Innovation:
Nick Swayne
Teamwork:
Human Resources Benefits Team
Julie Byers
Tiffany French
Gina Holloway
Raven King
Kristi Moon
Tara Roe
Meghan Schaeffer
Workplace Safety and Health:
University Health Center
Kristina Blyer
Deborah Darrell
Halea Fansler-Rexrode
Betsy Gentry
Dr. Andrew Guertler
Brandon Hereford
Morgan Keplinger
Kristin Kirwan
Katy MacDonald
Barbara Mahaffey
Jordan McCann
Lisa Mongold
Angela Ritchie
Becky Schaeffer
Arianna Sessoms
Julie Shiflet
Katelyn Shiflet
Ann Simmons
Dr. Lee Ward
Anna Wyse
Agency Star:
Dawn Knight
Career Achievement:
Joe Urgo
Community Service and Volunteerism:
Delo Blough
Customer Service:
Jill Staley Wade
Innovation:
Joan Fahrney
Teamwork:
East Campus Power Plant
Steven MacRae
Kenny Stickley
Thomas Burkholder
Aaron Carper
Cody Warlitner
Deland Morris
Alfred Miller
Randal Alger
Mark Hess
Steve Rains
Glen Smith
Brian Moshier
Reginald Lawson
Homer Whetzel
Dennis Hart
Workplace Safety and Health:
Dr. Mary Thompson
Agency Star:
Frank Lucas Jr.
Career Achievement:
Rich Harris
Community Service and Volunteerism:
Pete DeSmit
Customer Service:
Julie Byers
Innovation:
Jon Jarvis
Teamwork:
JMU Transfer Team
Adam Anderson
Regina Admas
Jennifer Jackson
Kate McDaniel
Shannon Mercer
Laika Tamney
Workplace Safety and Health:
Seth Arnold
Agency Star:
Karen Gerard
Career Achievement:
Joan Houff
Community Service and Volunteerism:
Sgt. Rodney McCarter
Customer Service:
Darlene Quackenbush
Innovation:
Bill Hartman
Teamwork:
Kevin Carnago
Workplace Safety and Health:
Marcella Mullenax
Agency Star:
Debbie Pine
Career Achievement:
Nina Stenby-Hurst
Community Service and Volunteerism:
Gerri Rigney
Customer Service:
Laura Brinkley
Innovation:
Alvin Chao
Teamwork:
Kara Kiblinger
Kelly Miller-Martin
Elizabeth Thompson
Workplace Safety and Health:
Ronald Phillips
Environmental Stewardship:
Holmes Browne
Career Achievement:
Judy Anderson
Community Service and Volunteerism:
Tracy Hakala
Amy Sirocky-Meck
Customer Service:
Diana Little
Teamwork:
Carrier Library Cataloging Team
Judy Anderson
Mark Purington
Debbie Ryman
Cindi Sandridge
Darlene Newman
Joan Bowlen (Honorable Mention)
Glenn Huffman (Honorable Mention))
Workplace Safety and Health:
Brett Sinclair
Agency Star:
Robert Reid
Career Achievement:
---
Community Service and Volunteerism:
Charles Blake
Customer Service:
Wanda Layman
Innovation:
Anna Lynn Bell
Alvin Chao
Susan Reid
Teamwork:
Leslie Beam
Courtney Hidges
Sheila Hopkins
Wesley Elyard
Workplace Safety and Health:
Leslie Bellavance
Agency Star:
Chris Gatesman
Michael Walsh
Career Achievement:
Jackie Ciccone
Community Service and Volunteerism:
Anne Stewart
Customer Service:
Julie Love
Innovation:
Rick Orebaugh
Teamwork:
Media Resources Technology Team
Vince Drumheller
Doug Gimbert
Jeff Roadcap
Olen Siron
James West
Jackie Woolf
Agency Star:
Dr. Newell Wright
Career Achievement:
Fred Hilton
Community Service and Volunteerism:
Pete DeSmit
Customer Service:
Betty Reedy
Innovation:
Interprofessional Services for Learning Assessment
Dr. Tim Schutle
Teamwork:
The Science and Mathematics Learning Center Coordinators and Tutors
Workplace Safety and Health:
Dennis Hart
Agency Star:
Jennifer McCabe
Career Achievement:
David Taylor
Community Service and Volunteerism:
Don Hobbs
Bill Baker
Frank Viscomi
Albert Buracker
Ronnie Rhodes
Sidney Monroe
Daniel King
Gregg Chevalier
Ken Fox
Jeff Smallwood
John Ventura
Frankie Lucas
Customer Service:
Diane Puffenbarger
Innovation:
Rinn Siegrist
Teamwork:
Jane Beach
Tyra Berger
Cathy Goldsborough
Diane Nash
Workplace Safety and Health:
Heather Armstrong
Agency Star:
----
Career Achievement:
Shirley Cobb
Community Service and Volunteerism:
Suzanne Vance
Customer Service:
Phyllis Funkhouser
Innovation:
---
Teamwork:
Summer Orientation Registration Working Group
Violet Allain
Anna Lynn Bell
Jill Card
Steve Grande
Linda Halpern
Rene Harrell
Sherry Hood
Lisa Kiracofe
Catherine Mahoney
Joe Manning
Trisha McCoy
Karyn Sproles
Lee Ward
Michele White
Nomination Process
Nominations may be submitted anytime throughout the year. The lengthy nomination period provides nominators with the opportunity to submit nominations after performance evaluations are completed each fall, when employee accomplishments are still top of mind.
View the nomination guidelines and procedures.
Recipients are selected as the result of a review by the Purple Star Awards Committee, which consists of employees and leaders from across the university.