Each month, Auburn University recognizes as many as four employees with the Spirit of Excellence award. Employees are recognized from each of the following groups:

  • Service/Maintenance

  • Secretarial/Clerical

  • Technical

  • Administrative/Professional

Award Criteria

In order to be selected as a Spirit of Excellence Award winner, an employee must:

  • Be a regular Auburn University employee (excludes temporary employees, graduate and under graduate student employees, county agents and extension specialists, and tenure track and non-tenure track faculty) with the exception of research associates

  • Have at least one year continuous employment with Auburn University

  • Have a performance evaluation rating that meets or exceeds expectations at the time of nomination

Recipients must also meet at least one of the following criteria:

  • Goes "beyond the call of duty” to improve service, quality, and the department’s or unit’s image

  • Exemplifies professionalism and dedication to excellent service by putting forth extra effort

  • Performs "outstanding contributions of significance"

  • Achieves specific or sustained accomplishments that exceed normal expectations

  • Initiates or brings a job to a successful conclusion

How to Nominate an Employee

Employees may be nominated for these awards by any regular Auburn University employee, including university faculty. Nominations are not limited to your immediate area of employment.

In order to nominate an employee, a nomination form must be completed and sent to the Spirit of Excellence Award Selection Committee, c/o University Human Resources: 1550 East Glenn Ave. Nominations must be received by the 15th of each month.

Please note that recipients will be selected from nominations submitted in the last 12 months. An employee who is not selected can be nominated again. 

 

Recent Recipients

January 2023

Recipient

Department

Teresa Westbrook

Office of Information Technology

Gwendolyn James

Student Affairs

Nicholas Head

Student Affairs

Carla Nelson

Engineering

 

December 2022

Recipient

Department

Jenice Jackson

Athletics

Griffin Futrell

Ag Experiment Station

Holly Williams

Student Affairs

Heath Truitt

Libraries

 

November 2022

Recipient

Department

Cedric Hall

Libraries

James Coleman

Facilities

Taylor Dyleski

Student Affairs

Matthew Sasser

National Center for Asphalt Technology

 

October 2022

Recipient

Department

Stacie Hunter

NCAT

Justin Choron

Property Management

Sydney Riley

Engineering Admin

Shelby Callaway

Veterinary Medicine

 

September 2022

Recipient

Department

Daffny Pierce

University Libraries

Jeff Dyal

Facilities (Landscape Services)

Jessica Holmes

CADC

Vickie Adams

NCAT

 

August 2022

Recipient

Department

Cheryl Rhodes

College of Engineering

Larry "Tom" Moore

Property Management

Kimberly Bledsoe

Tax Compliance

George Adams

Office of Information Technology

 

July 2022

Recipient

Department

Mandi Buckalew

Office of Accessibility

Steven Moore

College of Engineering

Kelli Harris 

Advancement

Mallory Brown

Office of Information Technology

 

June 2022

Recipient

Department

Lane Sullivan

Human Resources

Rick Doiron

Student Affairs (Property Management)

Paige Patterson

College of Pharmacy

Jay James 

Office of Information Technology

 

May 2022

Recipient

Department

Karen Tidwell

Human Sciences

Steven Barnes

Student Affairs (Property Management)

Nan Chambliss

Alabama Agriculture Experiment Station

Wiley Page

Office of Information Technology

 

April 2022

Recipient

Department

Michelle Pegues-Washington

Entomology and Plant Pathology

Christol Gutherie

Student Affairs (Campus Recreation) 

Amy Pope

Office of Alumni Affairs

Chelsy Hooper

University Libraries

 

March 2022

Recipient

Department

Jenny Williams

Campus Recreation

Tyler Lynn

Property Management

Sherry Ray

Graduate School

Damon Hebb

Information Systems Support

 

February 2022

Recipient

Department

Alicia Harkless

College of Engineering

Paige Petrey

Student Affairs

Vanessa Jerido

Facilities Management

Kelly Steele

Human Resources

 

January 2022

Recipient

Department

Gina Bailey

Auburn Research & Economic Development

Stephanie Parrish

OIT

 

Employees of the Year

Each monthly winner of the Spirit of Excellence Award will be eligible to receive the Employee of the Year Award.

The winners will be announced and recognized at the annual Employee Recognition Award ceremony.  An employee selected as a Spirit of Excellence Award winner cannot be nominated again prior to the annual university-wide Employee Recognition Award ceremony in the spring.

Last updated: 02/16/2023