Staff Employees Of The Year Announced By Charlotte Human Resources
Three individuals and two teams are this year’s Staff Employee of the Year recipients as announced by the Human Resources Office Staff Awards and Recognition Program.
The financial aid team, which includes Bruce Blackmon, Patti Bowman, Sheila Anderson, Amber Branton, Rita Brown, Tyrone Dimery, Emily Gallagher, Chelsea Gary, Robert Green, Jeremy Hamilton, Tamara Hinton, Peyton Lambert, Hunter Sells and LaTonja Miller, received the 2025 Staff Employee of the Year Award in the category of Devotion to Duty.
In the Human Relations category, Liz Paradis, director of audience services in the College of Arts + Architecture is the recipient, and Don Garipey, maintenance manager in FM, is the Staff Employee of the Year in the category of Innovation. Research clinicians Cindy Charles and Heather Rikli are the recipients in the category of Community and Public Service. Amy Kelso, senior associate general counsel was named Staff Employee of the Year in the Safety and Heroism category.
The 2025 Staff Employees of the Year were chosen from among 31 eligible nominations.
Nominees: Devotion to Duty
- Jennifer Anderson, Business Affairs
- Catherine Butt, Academic Affairs
- Monica Burke, Academic Affairs
- Steven Carter, Academic Affairs
- Susan Carter, Athletics
- Megan Garner, Academic Affairs
- James Green, Academic Affairs
- Michelle Guobadia, Student Affairs
- Jahtoya Means, Academic Affairs
- Mark Neel, Business Affairs
- Laura Pagani, Academic Affairs
- Deon Ritchie, Academic Affairs
- Beth Rucker, Academic Affairs
- Katie Turner, Business Affairs
- Karyn Williamson-Coria, Academic Affairs
Nominees: Innovation
- Sydney Gallup, Academic Affairs
- Katie Garahan, Academic Affairs
- Colleen Karnas-Haines, Academic Affairs
- Curtis Kularski, Academic Affairs
Nominees: Human Relations
- Michael Carr, OneIT
- Sarah Eppard, Business Affairs
- Sarah Humphries Nazionale, Academic Affairs
All nominees and their supervisors will be invited to attend the Staff Employee of the Year Sweet Success Reception from 2 to 4 p.m., Wednesday, April 23. Award recipients will be honored at the event and featured in Niner Insider.