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Recognizing Excellence
At Auburn, we deeply value the contributions and dedication of our employees. The Spirit of Excellence program celebrates outstanding efforts by our employees and acknowledges their commitment to Auburn's mission.
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, Office Administration, Technical, and Administrative/Professional.
FAQs
Auburn University employees can be nominated for the Spirit of Excellence award. The following employee groups are not eligible:
-
Temporary employees
-
Student employees (graduate and undergraduate)
-
County agents and extension specialists
-
Faculty (tenure track and non-tenure track)
Employees must also:
-
Have at least one year of continuous employment with Auburn University
-
Have a performance evaluation rating that meets or exceeds expectations at the time of nomination
Nominees should consistently exceed expectations, contribute to exceptional service and elevated quality, and/or positively impact Auburn’s culture of excellence.
Anyone -- even non-employees -- can nominate an Auburn employee for Spirit of Excellence.
Complete this nomination form. (The form is also published below the FAQs.) Be sure to answer this question thoroughly:
Please share why you believe this employee deserves to be a Spirit of Excellence recipient. In your response, describe and give examples of how they have consistently exceeded expectations, contributed to exceptional service, elevated quality, and/or positively impacted Auburn’s culture of excellence.
Recipients will be selected from nominations submitted in the last 12 months. Nominations should be submitted by the 15th of each month to be eligible for the following month.
They receive a certificate and a gift from Employee Relations. They will also be recognized in Auburn News.
Each monthly winner of the Spirit of Excellence Award will be considered to receive one of four Employee of the Year awards.
The winners will be announced and recognized at the annual Employee Recognition Award ceremony which is held in the spring.
Nominating an Employee
Recent Recipients
March 2025
|
Recipient |
Department |
Category |
|---|---|---|
|
Patrick Kelly Bearden |
Student Center |
Service/Maintenance |
|
Quintella Allen |
College of Education (Curriculum and Teaching) |
Office Administration |
|
Kyle Mesina |
Office of Information Technology |
Technical/Paraprofessional |
|
Erin Duffie |
Biosystems Engineering (College of Agriculture) |
Admin/Professional |
February 2025
|
Recipient |
Department |
Category |
|---|---|---|
|
Anthony Coleman |
Floor Maintenance (Facilities) |
Service/Maintenance |
|
Carol Vinzan |
ACES (Marshall County) |
Office Administration |
|
Michael Stone |
Library |
Technical/Paraprofessional |
|
Michelle Denney |
Truman Pierce Institute (College of Education) |
Admin/Professional |
January 2025
|
Recipient |
Department |
Category |
|---|---|---|
|
Mark Carroll |
Automotive Shop |
Service/Maintenance |
|
Debbie Kreis |
Office of Registrar |
Office Administration |
|
Silas Zee |
College of Veterinary Medicine |
Technical/Paraprofessional |
|
Dylan Dunn |
Library |
Admin/Professional |
December 2024
|
Recipient |
Department |
Category |
|---|---|---|
|
Nolan Torbert, Jr. |
Classroom Building Management (Facilities) |
Service/Maintenance |
|
Stacey Roby |
Human Resources |
Office Administration |
|
Brian Schwieker |
Chemical Engineering |
Technical/Paraprofessional |
|
Mary Catherine Turner |
Student Counseling and Psychological Services |
Admin/Professional |
November 2024
|
Recipient |
Department |
Category |
|---|---|---|
|
Suanne Gilbert |
Forestry, Wildlife, and Environment |
Office Administration |
|
Carolyn Brown |
Custodial Services |
Service/Maintenance |
|
Crystal Gulledge |
College of Education (Education Administration) |
Admin/Professional |
|
Marcus Moore |
Service Support |
Technical/Paraprofessional |
October 2024
|
Recipient |
Department |
Category |
|---|---|---|
|
Elizabeth Chmura |
Career Discovery and Success |
Office Administration |
|
Charnita Wright |
Classroom Building Management |
Service/Maintenance |
|
Kristine Ball |
Human Resources |
Admin/Professional |
|
Yinbo Chen |
Physics (COSAM) |
Technical/Paraprofessional |
September 2024
|
Recipient |
Department |
Category |
|---|---|---|
|
Lana Beason |
College of Architecture, Design and Construction |
Office Administration |
|
Sharon Smith |
Custodial Services |
Service/Maintenance |
|
Gregory Konietzky |
Aerospace Engineering |
Admin/Professional |
|
Chelsey Hooper |
Auburn University Libraries |
Technical/Paraprofessional |
August 2024
|
Recipient |
Department |
Category |
|---|---|---|
|
Katherine Calloway |
COSAM |
Admin/Professional |
|
Alexander Hedgepath |
Landscape Services |
Technical/Paraprofessional |
|
No nominee |
Office Administration |
|
|
No nominee |
Service/Maintenance |
|
July 2024
|
Recipient |
Department |
Category |
|---|---|---|
|
Daffny Pierce |
Air Force ROTC |
Office Administration |
|
Willie Trimble |
Floor Maintenance (Facilities) |
Service/Maintenance |
|
Allison Stadler |
Academic Support |
Admin/Professional |
|
Jonah Lasley |
Auburn University Libraries |
Technical/Paraprofessional |
June 2024
|
Recipient |
Department |
Category |
|---|---|---|
|
Candace Konietzky |
Office of the Registrar |
Office Administration |
|
James Stillwell Jr. |
Automotive Shop (Facilities) |
Service/Maintenance |
|
Stacy Taylor |
Residence Life (Student Affairs) |
Admin/Professional |
|
José Ortiz Rodriguez |
Auburn University Libraries |
Technical/Paraprofessional |
May 2024
|
Recipient |
Department |
Category |
|---|---|---|
|
Ariel Rocker |
Learning Resource Center (College of Education) |
Office Administration |
|
John David Gowan |
Industrial Design (College of Architecture, Design & Construction) |
Service/Maintenance |
|
Holly Davenport |
Engineering Administration |
Admin/Professional |
|
David Crane |
Auburn University Libraries |
Technical/Paraprofessional |
April 2024
|
Recipient |
Department |
Category |
|---|---|---|
|
Anita Smith |
Office of the Registrar (Provost) |
Office Administration |
|
Dora Moore |
Custodial Services (Facilities Management) |
Service/Maintenance |
|
Samantha Allbrook |
Engineering Administration |
Admin/Professional |
|
Sedrick Jefferson |
Auburn University Libraries |
Technical/Paraprofessional |
March 2024
|
Recipient |
Department |
Category |
|---|---|---|
|
Melanie Hall |
AU Bookstore |
Office Administration |
|
Nathan Phillips |
Facilities Management (Zone 3) |
Service/Maintenance |
|
Melissa Gore |
Entomology and Plant Pathology (Agriculture) |
Admin/Professional |
|
Nabeel Rawajfih |
Engineering Administration |
Technical/Paraprofessional |
February 2024
|
Recipient |
Department |
Category |
|---|---|---|
|
Mary "Kim" Johns |
NCAT |
Office Administration |
|
Vaness Jerido |
Facilities Management |
Service/Maintenance |
|
Katharine Hardy |
Engineering Administration |
Admin/Professional |
|
Caroline Whiting |
Biosystems Engineering |
Technical/Paraprofessional |
January 2024
|
Recipient |
Department |
Category |
|---|---|---|
|
Kaylen Anderson |
Admin - Pharmacy |
Office Administration |
|
Morgan Smith |
Athletic Department Admin |
Admin/Professional |
|
Kelly Price |
Computer Science and Software Engineering |
Technical/Paraprofessional |
December 2023
|
Recipient |
Department |
|---|---|
|
Brandon Gann |
Contract Services (Facilities) |
|
John Martin |
Automotive Shop (Facilities) |
|
Yvette Stone |
Honors Program |
|
Tyler Davidson |
Information Systems Support |
November 2023
|
Recipient |
Department |
|---|---|
|
Kimberly McCadden |
Navy ROTC |
|
Trenton Berry |
Automotive Shop (Facilities) |
|
Lindsey Johnson |
Business and Finance HR |
|
Kenneth Lindsey |
Information Technology |
October 2023
|
Recipient |
Department |
|---|---|
|
Katherine Lenkner |
Property Management (Student Affairs) |
|
Mikenna Babbs |
Research Security Compliance |
|
Jessica Gammons |
Clinical Sciences |
September 2023
|
Recipient |
Department |
|---|---|
|
Sarah Beckum |
School of Kinesiology |
|
Jeffrey Dyal |
Landscape Services |
|
Perry Wood |
Maintenance |
|
Thomas Jon Bell |
Office of Information Technology |
August 2023
|
Recipient |
Department |
|---|---|
|
Teresa Jernigan |
Cooperative Education |
|
Courtney Martin |
Tax Compliance |
|
Joshua Jones |
COSAM - IT |
July 2023
|
Recipient |
Department |
|---|---|
|
Zandi Foss |
ACES - Dale County |
|
Elizabeth Campbell |
Mechanical Engineering |
|
Hayden Helms |
Provost and VP Academic Affairs |
|
Thomas Billingsley |
School of Fisheries, Aquaculture & Aquatic Sciences |
June 2023
|
Recipient |
Department |
|---|---|
|
Julie Rodiek |
Auburn MRI Research Center |
|
Jackie Bailey |
Office of Information Technology |
May 2023
|
Recipient |
Department |
|---|---|
|
Kecia Hill |
Computer Science and Software Engineering |
|
Branden Farmer |
Industrial and Systems Engineering |
|
James Johnson |
Biosystems Engineering |
April 2023
|
Recipient |
Department |
|---|---|
|
Brandy Tucker |
University Human Resources |
|
Brooke Bailey |
Communications and Marketing |
|
Daniel Nunes |
Office of Information Technology |
March 2023
|
Recipient |
Department |
|---|---|
|
Carla Story |
College of Engineering |
|
Janice Reese |
Student Affairs (Property Management) |
|
Amanda Hanks |
College of Engineering |
|
Janet Bandy |
Libraries |
February 2023
|
Recipient |
Department |
|---|---|
|
Nina Hollingsworth |
Facilities (Access Control) |
|
Brandon Hudson |
Student Affairs (Property Management) |
|
Ross Bearden |
Student Affairs (Recreation and Wellness Center) |
|
Philip Stephens |
Office of Information Technology |
January 2023
|
Recipient |
Department |
|---|---|
|
Teresa Westbrook |
Office of Information Technology |
|
Gwendolyn James |
Student Affairs |
|
Nicholas Head |
Student Affairs |
|
Carla Nelson |
Engineering |
