Staff Appreciation Day Collection

The first annual Staff Appreciation at Elon was organized by the Office of Human Resources and took place on May 25, 1995, in Moseley Center. The purpose of the day was to celebrate the accomplishments of staff and to "say thank you to the employees (who are not faculty) for their work throughout the year". During this day-long event, all campus offices were closed, and staff could dress casually for the day. Festivities included a keynote speaker, group activities and program sessions, free lunch, and the presentation of three Staff Appreciation Awards-the Physical Plant Staff Member of the Year, the Office Staff Member of the Year, and the Administrative Staff Member of the Year. The awards were conceived of as a way to recognize the contributions of staff similar to the Daniels-Danieley Award for faculty (Second Monday, May 1995). The inaugural awards were granted to Buddy Evans (Custodian), Martha Hill (Administrative Assistant for the Vice President of Academic Affairs), and Mark Albertson (Registrar), respectively. (Second Monday, July 1995). In 2003 the day had to be shortened due to a last-minute cancellation by the keynote speaker, and the staff were given the afternoon off. Response to the shortened day was positive, so for the following year the Office of Human Resources altered the schedule so that Staff Appreciation Day activities and recognitions took place in the morning, and staff had the afternoon off following lunch. The half-day celebration has been part of the schedule since that time until the present (as of Fall 2014). Beginning in May of 2012, three additional awards were introduced to recognize outstanding contributions from staff members. The Phoenix Rising Award is presented to a newer member of the Elon staff who has consistently displayed excellence in pursuit of the Elon Commitment with an engaged mind, inspired leadership and global citizenship. The Phoenix Community Engagement Award is presented to a member of the Elon staff who has demonstrated exemplary service to the university, local or global community through his or her engagement in volunteer organizations. The Phoenix Innovation Award is presented to a member of the Elon staff who has displayed innovation by creating, designing, and improving or implementing a new idea or program that benefits the university or our community. The three inaugural winners of these awards were Jennifer Fish (Administrative Assistant for the Teaching Fellows Program), Brian Chandler (HVACR Supervisor), and Jason "J" McMerty (Coordinator of Video Projects in the School of Communications), respectively. (E-Net, 2012).