Classified staff awards announced

Rita Mayfield wins praise from coworkers for keeping a cool head and a warm smile even while serving up hundreds of meals to students at Gordon Commons on the southeast end of campus. Photo: Jeff Miller

This year’s recipients of Classified Employee Recognition Awards strive to go above and beyond their assigned duties.

Five employees will be recognized by Chancellor David Ward during the sixth annual awards ceremony, which honors the very best of UW–Madison’s approximately 4,800 classified employees.

The awards are administered by the Classified Personnel Office. Candidates are nominated by supervisors or colleagues.

Madelyn Alt, program assistant for the North Central Regional Association of Agricultural Experiment Station Directors, is a UW–Madison employee, but her work supports many university agricultural research programs. In fact, six deans and directors from other Midwestern universities wrote to support her nomination for this award.

Alt helps coordinate federally funded research for 12 states. In her job, she applies excellent communication skills and juggles many administrative tasks. Her office manages more than 100 research projects annually. She is responsible for assuring that each project follows a rigid set of reporting guidelines.

“Madelyn is a self-starter, hard worker, detail person and perfectionist when it comes to the final product,” says Richard Lower, executive director of the association who is based here at UW–Madison.

“Madelyn has been innovative in revising report procedures, streamlining documents that are required by the federal partner, and using electronic communication when and wherever possible,” Lower says.

She pursues community volunteerism with the same vigor, volunteering in Dane County’s “Meals on Wheels” and “Friends of Kids” programs. She has taught religious education and raised money for St. Dennis Catholic Church in Madison.

Debbie Bakke, a financial specialist in the College of Letters and Science, really had two jobs in one for many years, handling not only financial matters for the political science department, but also all tasks needed to support the department chair.

From 1992-99, she handled most matters involving purchasing and expense accounts, faculty recruitment, tenure, awards, an alumni newsletter, departmental meetings and other responsibilities. Recently, the department was able to hire a new assistant to the chair, freeing her to focus more on financial matters.

Bakke’s efficiency, courtesy and attention to detail have become legend among department faculty. When word got out early this year that department chair Dennis Dresang wanted examples of Bakke’s exceptional work to help prepare her nomination for this award, he quickly received more than 20 responses in a day’s time, including e-mail from faculty on leave in Sweden and Finland.

Bakke also looks for ways to help others. Twenty years ago, she tutored a woman from Chile in English; a few years ago, she helped the woman’s daughter settle into graduate school here. Almost two years ago, she opened her home to a university student struck by a debilitating nerve disease; the student still lives there.

“Debbie has never turned down any requests and has always been willing to share her time and knowledge with anyone who asks,” Dresang says.

Judie Berard, accounts receivable manager at the Wausau Family Practice Center, is committed to good business and good health. Her dedication, enthusiasm and can-do attitude ensure that clinic accounts remain sound and that the clinic promotes patient health.

She has also worked with patients to develop innovative payment plans. “This flexibility promotes the health and well-being of the patient by providing an environment of respect and acceptance,” says Cynthia Moser, the Wausau clinic’s manager. “Judie shows sensitivity and understanding when developing reasonable payment plans for their health care bills.”

Berard is active in a professional association, teaches classes for patients, instructs new employees and volunteers in clinic activities. She also gives her time and talents to the community as a 10-year chairperson of the Greater Wausau Area Girl Scouts cookie drive. Berard also has helped promote music festivals, including a drum-and-bugle corps competition.

Dawn Karner, environmental toxicologist for the State Laboratory of Hygiene, has worked hard to excel in her field, but colleagues also regard her as a team player who regularly goes the extra mile to help.

“Dawn is the definition of a hard worker, team player and class act,” says Karen Schappe, a microbiologist at the lab.

After Karner took a phycology class to broaden the lab’s expertise in the field, she then took the initiative to apply that knowledge by starting an algae identification program for the Department of Natural Resources. The work has put the lab on the cutting edge of using algae as an environmental health indicator.

“The program was an enormous undertaking,” Schappe says. “It required long hours of research, preparation and conversations with our customers as well as other people interested in this field of study.”

In addition to being deeply involved in projects, she has had papers published and has made numerous presentations to share her work with others. This is important work, but she pitches in to make sure routine tasks get done. “She even volunteered to be the voice on our voice mail, which no one else was too thrilled about doing,” Schappe recalls.

Karner has been accepted as a graduate student, but in fact, she’ll be training two other grad students as she continues working full time in the lab. She has recently secured grants for two projects that will keep her busy.

Rita Mayfield, food service worker for University Housing, has a smile and “listening ear” that make her well-liked by customers and colleagues at Pops Club in Gordon Commons.

“All the kids know her by name,” says former coworker Sandra Fowler, now a program assistant in forest ecology and management. “Students come back to see her after they are long gone from housing. Rita, in some way, has touched each and every one of those students.”

She is a model for other employees, younger and older, Fowler says. “Serving a meal to 2,000-plus kids in less than one hour gets very stressful at times,” Fowler explains. “She keeps her cool even when those around her are fading away.”

Mayfield fosters a sense of community as well. She organized some assistance for a coworker who was injured and unable to work, and she is usually the person who circulates birthday cards for signing by employees.

“She sets an example of how an employee should work and act on the job,” Fowler says. “Her example should be seen by all.”