Stellar Staff
Laurie Patton ’95 Earns 2019 STAR Award, 60 Recognized for Milestones
Laurie Patton has been helping high school students to find their place in the college universe since 1997, and on Jan. 9, she was honored with Ohio Wesleyan University’s 2019 STAR Award for her stellar efforts.
Patton was presented with the 2019 Special Thanks and Recognition (STAR) Award from the University Staff Council during OWU’s annual Employee Service Recognition Lunch. The award honors a non-faculty employee who goes above and beyond their job description, offering encouragement, a positive attitude, and an efficient work ethic to the campus community. Nominees are evaluated by Staff Council.
Patton was introduced as OWU’s 2019 staff STAR by Stefanie Niles, vice president for enrollment and communications.
“Whether it is through her work with prospective or current students, members of the enrollment division, faculty and staff members across campus, or alumni and college counselors throughout the country, Laurie is an exemplary representative of Ohio Wesleyan,” Niles told the crowd. “She does the University proud each and every day with her strong work ethic, her dedication, consistency, warmth, creativity and willingness to go above and beyond. I can’t think of a more deserving candidate for the STAR Award than Laurie Patton. …
“I suspect that many of you know Laurie as our event planner extraordinaire,” Niles said. “I will tell you, I have worked at five institutions and crossed paths with many individuals – at those institutions and others – who do this type of work, and Laurie is the very best of a group of very talented people. Her attention to detail, her focus on the prospective student experience, her creativity, and the care and consistency that she puts into the planning of each and every event are stellar.”
Patton is a 1995 OWU graduate and a double-major in psychology and sociology-anthropology. In addition to serving as OWU’s events coordinator, she also is a senior associate director of admission and, for the remainder of the current academic year, the department’s interim director.
“I am so humbled and honored to have been nominated and selected for this award,” Patton said afterward. “OWU is a very special place that has been a part of my life as a student and an employee for a very long time. I see my role here as simply helping to keep the University the great place that I know it to be. And the people here, who are so tirelessly dedicated to the same thing, make it easy for me to get up, come to work every day and to give it my all. I do what I do for the love of OWU.”
During the Jan. 9 Employee Service Recognition Lunch, Ohio Wesleyan also honored 60 staff members reaching milestones in their service to the campus community. Those recognized included:
35 Years of Service
- Mark Beckenbach ’81
- Fody Frentsos ’84
25 Years of Service
- Kandi Akers
- James Stull
20 Years of Service
- Michael Dewitt ’87
- Diane Manns
15 Years of Service
- Darrell Albon
- Carol Burns
- Emilie Clark
- Shane De Wiggins
- Lisa Ho
- Becky Lauer
- Michael Wester
10 Years of Service
- Susan Childrey
- Ian Miller ’99
- Charity Romero-Rose
- Lisa Tabak
Five Years of Service
- Krista Cobb
- Nicole Dianzumba ’14
- Stacie Ernest
- Paula Eyerman
- Tammi Hall
- Bo Heinemann
- Mary Jeffries
- Will Kopp
- Carolyn Lammert
- Catherine Langton
- Richard Morman
- Melissa Nelson ’96
One Year of Service
- Holly Birk
- Candace Bowman
- Kathleen Boyd
- Michael Brockfield ’03
- LeeAnn Celapino ’18
- Roisin Dougherty
- Brian Emerick
- Landon Erb ’15
- Jessica Ettell Irvine
- Khristina Gardner ’15
- Andrew Hampshire
- Quinton Harley
- Jill Hayes
- Allison Hill
- Stephen Hughes
- Michelle Kinney
- Doug Koyle
- Elizabeth Lang
- Lori Lucas
- Mitchell Mackiw
- Alison Mayer
- Kevin McDonough
- Stefanie Niles
- Emily Paetz
- Andrea Ryan
- Michele Serena
- Bethany Shaffer
- Deanna Shine
- Rodney Tapp
- Michael Taylor
- Misty Teter
Congratulations and thank you, Laurie, and everyone honored!
