Employee Excellence Award Winners Named
Staff Council has announced the winners of this year's Employee Excellence
Awards.
Three long-time MTU staff were chosen. Dave Nordstrom, manager of SDC
building operations, received the award in the professional/administrative
category. In the clerical/secretarial category, Office and Accounting
Assistant Peggy Gorton (Mining Engineering) was the recipient. And David
Hendrickson (Facilities Management), the Administration Building custodian,
received the award in the crafts/food service/maintenance/technical group.
Dave Nordstrom
Nordstrom's former co-worker Cathy Codere (Accounting Services) calls
him "the most dedicated individual that I have ever had the pleasure to
work with."
"Dave is available to that building and all of its workers night and
day. He has been called in to fix problems in the middle of the night,
worked until morning, and then attended department meetings on little
or no rest."
Special Events Coordinator Marsha Rosenberg recalls one commencement
when they realized that the guest speaker, Rosa Parks, was too short to
be seen behind the lectern. "We called Dave the night before commencement
and asked if there was a stool or something she could stand on," Rosenberg
said. "In the morning, there was a newly made platform that was nicely
carpeted. He had come in that night and built it himself, after he had
dropped his wife off at the hospital to have a baby."
"He certainly deserves the award," said Nordstrom's supervisor, Retail
Services Director Howard Greenley. "Dave is an extremely hard worker,
and he has a wonderful family, not only at home but also at work. . .
. He has a great attitude toward life, and it shows in how well he works
with everyone and does his job. It's wonderful that he's received this
recognition."
Peggy Gorton
"Peggy's dependable, warm personality welcomes students to MTU," she
said. Students recognize Gorton on Secretaries' Day and take her out to
lunch, Anderson said. "And alumni call her to reminisce about their days
at MTU."
Professor Francis Otuonye, the former chair of mining engineering, cited
Gorton for her flexibility and her role as a stabilizing force in the
department. "And for five years, she spent many Saturdays and Sundays
helping me organize induction ceremonies for the Academy of Mining Engineers
and meetings of the Industrial Advisory Board. The quality of her work
is excellent and she pays very close attention to detail. I am not aware
of any faculty, staff, student, or alumnus of the department who have
not commended her for her work."
Graduate student Aimee Blanchard indicates that Gorton's role in the
department can't be underestimated. "Peggy is always one of the last people
to leave the office in the afternoon and one of the first to arrive in
the morning," she said. "She completes tasks as quickly as possible after
receiving them, and they are always done correctly . . . The department
does not function properly when she is not around."
"She is a very hard worker, and I don't think that I would still be here
if it weren't for her support and understanding."
Her new supervisor, Associate Dean of Engineering Neil Hutzler, calls
Gorton "an excellent choice" for the award. "She has been extremely dedicated
to the department and has handled a wide range of tasks for it," he said.
"And she has devoted a large effort toward helping students throughout
her career at Michigan Tech."
Gorton was completely surprised to learn she'd received an Employee Excellence
Award. "It's pretty exciting," she said. "They kept the nomination a secret."
"It's so nice working with thoughtful people, and I love working in a
small department," she said. "It's more like family than a job. And the
students make it for me; they are really appreciative. Last week, I got
a call from an alumnus who graduated in 1978, and it's neat to have that
longterm connection."
Gorton has been active on Staff Council, currently serving as vice president,
and in UAW Local 5000.
Dave Hendrickson
"David has always been an outstanding worker," she said. "The area he
attends to is always very clean and orderly in the mornings. You really
do notice if he has taken a day off."
Administrative Secretary Ann Roth (Finance and Administration) agreed.
"Dave has always done an exceptional job. The offices on our floor are
always clean and neat, even on days when lots of sand gets tracked in.
. . . Every morning when I come in, no one would have ever known what
a mess my office floor was the day before."
In nominating Hendrickson for the award, Charlie Dlubala, the administration
building attendant, praised his leadership abilities. "He leads by setting
a good example for others," Dlubala said. "Dave is extraordinarily neat
and particular to the smallest detail . . . everything Dave touches has
that clean and polished look. Dave was chosen to be lead custodian for
these reasons."
"In addition, Dave has superior communication skills," Dlubala said.
"He is well liked and respected by his co-workers and management."
Facilities Management Director Bill Blumhardt said that employees of
Hendrickson's caliber help set MTU apart. "When I am with my peers from
other universities, they always ask how MTU operates with such a small
staff and such a low budget," he said. "The answer is simple: Copper Country
workers are dedicated, smart, and look out for MTU. Dave is one of those
workers and one of the best workers MTU has."
Hendrickson's supervisor, Dennis Salo, called him "my right hand man
on the night shift."
"Dave is a dedicated, hard-working individual who is willing to go the
extra mile for Michigan Tech," he said. "He meets all the demands of this
position with professionalism and skill."
The Employee Excellence Awards will be presented Wednesday, Sept. 20,
at President's Convocation. Each winner will receive $1,500.
###
09/18/00-MTN361
A
nearly-eighteen-year veteran of Michigan Tech, Nordstrom left a teaching
job at Hancock High, where he also worked as a coach, and never got out
of the teamwork habit. "Dave has the ability to get all units of the SDC
to work together to their full capacity," said Cheryl DePuydt, chair of
the physical education department. "The exceptional building cooperation
is due to Dave's leadership skills."
Terry
Anderson says an award isn't enough for Peggy Gorton, who has been at
MTU twenty-four years, twenty-three of them in mining engineering. "This
woman deserves a big medal!" she said in her nomination. "She is the backbone
of the [mining engineering department], providing history, consistency,
and continuity to MTU's oldest program. . . . Peggy has helped
the mining department move four times on campus, and she's definitely
counted on to know where things are and to keep things operational even
when in chaos!"
Cashier
Rita Smith calls Hendrickson, a twenty-four-year veteran of MTU, "our
little cleaning elf."
