Staff recognized for professional commitment, outstanding service

Photos by Neil Brake

The 2001 Commodore Award winners are (clockwise from top left) Betty Lee, Debbie Hill, Edwyna Griscom and Jerry Westbrook.

by Whitney Weeks

The 2001 Service Awards were held Oct. 2-3, recognizing Vanderbilt staff members who have completed milestones in their careers. Staff were honored for their service of more than 10 years, and increased by increments of five years. More than 750 staff members were honored at the two-day awards ceremony. Three staff members began their Vanderbilt career in 1951. The 50-year honorees received a personalized plaque with a message from Chancellor Gordon Gee.

50-year Honorees

Margurite L. Douglas is a medical technician with the Pulmonary Function Department at the Medical Center. She has worked in the same department her entire career, during which time she has earned a reputation of being dependable and willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done. She has always called the pulmonary department home, and once lived in a house that was located where the pulmonary department now stands.

August Johnson is a custodian with Building Services. He is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of Benson Hall, which houses the English and history departments. He began his career at Vanderbilt with a part-time job when he was a 16-year-old student at Cohn High School. He continued working on a part-time basis at Vanderbilt over the years -- while a student at Tennessee State University and while a baseball player with America's Negro League in the days before desegregation. He has worked full time at Vanderbilt ever since, and is known for his diligence and his concern for the safety of others.

William H. Ross is a mail clerk with Mail Services. He is known as a friendly, hard-working member of the Vanderbilt family. He is responsible for opening Station B post office. His level of dedication was shown several years ago when he called Brenda Gilmore, director of mail services, to inform her that his house had burned to the ground. He managed to open the post office on time and asked Gilmore for permission to return home afterward.

2001 Commodore Award Recipients

The Service Awards ceremony also honored four Commodore Award winners. The Commodore Awards recognize and reward significant staff achievements in Vanderbilt's pursuit of excellence in education, health care, research and community service. Winners received a check for $500 and a crystal bowl.

Edwyna Griscom has spent 14 years at Vanderbilt as an administrative assistant for the Athletic Department. She creates playbooks from 10 coaches and delivers them to more than 100 athletes. Griscom is responsible for keeping scouting reports up-to-date, outlining what the opponent's strategy is for offense, defense and special teams. She creates rooming lists for hotels, comes up with the seating charts for buses and airplanes, and makes itineraries whenever travel takes place.

She was diagnosed with cancer early this summer and underwent a successful surgery in late June. In July during the busiest and most demanding month of the year for her department she came off medical leave early and began working half days. She explained her decision by saying that she knew the coaches could not go into August practice without her, and was working full days less than a month later.

Debbie Hill is the assistant to the dean of the School of Nursing. Her colleagues said she goes the "extra mile" for Vanderbilt and the individuals she works with. She often works on her days off and encourages the staff to look for creative ways to save money. Should an employee fall short, Hill does not condemn, but rather points out how the desired goals might be achieved in the future.

She believes in engaging in professional development as often as possible and believes those who feel fulfilled in their professions will be an asset to the immediate group and to the institution as a whole. Her trademark phrase is "We are Vanderbilt." Last year, Hill spearheaded the School of Nursing recruitment efforts to find volunteers to help build a Habitat for Humanity House.

Betty Lee has worked at the University for 26 years as Peabody's registrar. Described by co-workers as the person "that holds it all together," she works magic on weeping students, demanding parents and irate faculty. She has served on the University Staff Council, on the College Curriculum Committee and in the mentorship program for freshman football players. In 1991, she won an Affirmative Action Award for her efforts assisting students with disabilities on Peabody's campus.

Lee recently helped Peabody College redesign the administrative staff in order to meet more efficiently the needs of students and faculty. Off campus, she has invited students who, for whatever reason, did not go home for Thanksgiving to spend the holiday at her home. In addition to helping students, she has been a student herself. She successfully pursued a master's degree at Vanderbilt in higher education administration.

Jerry Westbrook is a patient service coordinator for obstetrics and gynecology. Co-workers describe Westbrook as demonstrating professionalism and efficiency while being calm and pleasant. He handles numerous calls from five phone lines with patience.

Westbrook's department deals primarily with female patients, which could potentially present a problem since some patients might be hesitant to discuss the rather personal nature of their calls with a male patient service coordinator. His professional and sensitive demeanor, however, helps all callers feel welcome and safe during their conversations with him.

Jessica Howard contributed to this story.

50-year Honorees

Margurite Douglas

August Johnson

William Ross

45-year Honorees

Beulah Davis

Anne Dement

Billie Durham

Edward Price

40-year Honorees

Donald Adair

Kathy Billingsley

Christine Blackburn

Lillian Brewer

Joe Nathan Cole

Willie Frazier

Horace Mason

Thelma Smith

Patricia Strobel

35-year Honorees

Judith Ashenhurst

Paul Bean

Wesley Bess

Vera Bogus

Mary Cartwright

Bobby Dangerfield

Josephine Davis

Sue Hollingsworth

Betty Huffine

Columbus Jones

Joseph Lagan

Carolyn Love

Reba Moore

James Petznick

Bernice Reed

Josephine Settles

Nicholas Sieveking

Linda Sparks

Marshall Stack

Clara Sublett

Roger Taylor

Helen Thomas

Jane Tugurian

Willie Vanderpool

Charles Woods

30-year Honorees

Lonnie Anderson

Carolyn Biggs

Pamela Burton

Stephen Caldwell

Nancy Doyle

Patricia Duchac

Sundra Dunlap

Linda Dupre

Peggy Earheart

Loretta Felts

Victoria Finney

Anne Hill

Clementine Horne

Diana Johns

William Karas

Edward Mitchel Jr.

Barbara Mitchell

Rosita Mosley

Jae Park

Penelope Peirce

James Shelton

Carolyn Small

William Storey

Sharon Tollefson

Elisa Upadhyaya

Edith Vaughn

Rosemary Verrall

25-year Honorees

Betty Akers

Maureen Arbuckle

Jacqueline Barnhart

Sharon Baskette

Jerrold Batte

Lynne Black

John Bobbitt

Grace Brennan

Donald Brown

Gloria Burris

Betty Cain

Janet Cole

Andrew Doyle

Marilyn Dubree

Linda Dudley

Susan Elliot

Ronnie Fie

Romie Fields

Betty Goodman

Ellen Gregory

Lydia Helms

Kristy Henderson

Reta Higgins

Stephen Huffines

Linda Jones

Patricia Jones

Donald Key

Sue King

Armer Long

Carol MacLachlan

Dianne Maitland

James McCulley Sr.

Katherine McGugin

Patricia Millwood

Lorene Morgan

Joanne Nairon

Louise Newsom

Linda Nicholson

Linda Pennington

Karen Pillow

Nancy Pittman

Mary Miles Prince

Nancy Proctor

Jennifer Rawlings

Deborah Reynolds-Barnes

Jean Rice

Norma Riddick

Debbie Scales

Lorenza Short

Daniel Sneed

Patricia Soule

Beverly Steele

Rochelle Stratton

Julia Strickland

Angela Sullivan

Mary Thomas

Deborah Thompson

Kristina Thomsen

James Toplon

Rhonda Tully

Kenneth White

John Wilkerson

Donna Wilson

Lora Yando

Paul Young

20-year Honorees

Gazi Ali

Bessie Batts

Elizabeth Berger

Lenys Biga

Elizabeth Bond

Mary Bower

Raye Brooks

Albert Brown

Millie Brown

Judith Burger

Michael Burridge

Carolyn Cannady

Veronica Cannon

Barbara Clinton

Marquita Cole

Melisa Conyer

Joyce Cosby

George Cotton

Roger Crawford

Shirley Crook-Johnson

Barry Culbertson

Patrick Cunningham

Darlene Davidson

Wayford Demonbreum

Charisse Dillree

Peggy Downing

Thomas Ebers

Mary Echols

Valerie Ewing

Linda Fellwock

Linda Fenoglio

Theresa Fields

Charles Floyd

Latanya Garrison

Robert Gibson

David Gill

Lori Graves

Larentina Gray

Jane Griffin

Carolyn Hall

Melissa Halliburton

Robert Halliburton

Linda Hamer

Nancy Hanna

Shirley Hardin

Cathy Harris

Gail Harrison

Kevin Hayes

Jane Holladay

William Hook

Lillian Jackson

Deborah Job

George Johnson Jr.

Joe Johnson

Kimberly Johnson

Mary Johnson

Patricia Johnson

Angela Jones

Hazel Jordan

Hariett Keyes

Betty Kirby

Kenneth Kirby

Elizabeth Kopp

Barbara Krispin

Sherrie Lane

Peter Lefferts

Dolores Lester

Mary Long

Donna Longuevan

Marvine Longwood

Sandra Mabry

Brenda Mangrum

Kimberly Mangrum

Sheryl Mangrum

Mary Marler

Charles Marshall Jr.

Melodee Martin

Joyce Matthews

Cherril McAlmont

Angela McBride

Barbara McCall

Ernest McDonald

Patricia McGraw

Malelia Miller

Sally Miller

Glenda Moreland

Ruth Morrow

Marcia Mullins

Sara Nash

Mary Northern

Belinda Perkins

Patrick Perry

Racy Peters

Walton Plummer Jr.

Brenda Plunkett

Stanley Poole

Karen Prater

Donna Putnam

Esther Rainey

Sharon Reeder

John Rice

Charlotte Rogers

Carla Ross

Edith Sanella

Sandra Shelton

Deborah Shields

Steven Smartt

Linda Smothers

Sandra Stahl

Joyce Stallworth

Sarah Stamps

Louise Stolp

Rebecca Stowe

Melissa Sullivan

Julia Summerlin

Margaret Turner

Christa Vago

Carolyne Walls

Judy Warren

Joann Webster

Lyndell Weeks

Penny Welch

Sara Wilhoit

Samuel Wilkerson

Kathy Woehler

Gerald Wood

Debra Woods

Martha Young

Ramona Young

Sandra Young

Brenda Zarth

15-year Honorees

Susan Amberg

Norma Antillon

Deborah Audley

Lindsley Baird

Lita Baldwin

Warner Ballard

Mary Bates

Martha Bennett

Ellen Bergstorm

Patrick Binkley

Vicky Boils

Carol Bonner

Carol Bowling

Brigitta Brannon

Pearlene Bransford

Vicki Brinsko

Cynthia Broadhurst

Kurt Brobeck

Beverly Brown

Barbara Bruce

Jennifer Bryant

Cornelia Buchanan

Rowena Buchanan

Deanna Cagley

Ginnette Cambronero

Nancy Cardwell

Linda Carter

Rosanna Cassidy

Darrell Chapman

John Childress

Sandra Childress

Donald Clark

Beverley Coccia

Mary Collett

Kelly Collins

Leslie Collins

Nancy Colowick

Peggy Connolly

Sara Corbitt

Dale Corter

Dorothy Crews

Brian Daugherty

Linda Davis

David Dipersio

Elizabeth Dishman

Maria Donofrio

James Doran

Kimberly Dorris

Annette Ehrhart

Kristi Elkins

Herman Ensley

Ann Ercelawn

Joe Evans

Thomas Fitzgerald

Arthur Flatt

Sue Floyd

Janet Frazier

Rhonda Gibson

Timothy Gilfen

Donna Gooch

Jesse Gough

Leslie Graham

Lisa Green

Terri Hagan

Carolyn Hall

William Hance

George Harris

Donald Hayes

Samuel Hayes

Tamara Hilbert

Timothy Hillhouse

Lu Hoekstra

Mary Holland

Deborah Hollis

Roberta Holman

Mark Holmes

Barbara Holton

Molly Hopkins

Evertt Hudson

Donna Irwin

Sharon Jackson

Randall James

Bonita Jefferson

Audrey Jenkins

Denise Johnson

Diane Johnson

Julia Johnson

Deborah Jones

Ella Jones

Renata Jones

Dixie Joslyn

Brendie Keane

Barbara Kelly

Stephen Kelly

Susan Kelton

Geraldine Kendrick

Melanie Kilpatrick

Anthony Kimbro

Dorothy Kuchinski

Lyle Lankford

Carolyn Levinson

Patricia Ligon

Carolyn Lovelace

Patricia Lovin

Angela Lynn

Susie Lyons

Rita Majors

Rebecca Manes

Lori Martin

Gail Mayo

Karen McCarty

Paul McCreight

Horace McDowell, Jr.

Jackie McMath

Gwendolyn Merrimon

Glen Miller

John Miller Jr.

Marc Miller Sr.

Barbara Morris

Audrey Morrow

Mary Niland

Cathey Norton

Janice Odom

Cynthia Orr

Priscilla Owens

Stacy Owens

Manik Paul

Manisha Paul

Jerita Payne

Kathy Pesak

Anita Phillips

Donna Pinkelton

Joyce Poe

Bharathi Polavarapu

Sharon Pomeroy

Laura Power

Penny Powers

Betty Price

Christine Price

Georgeanne Raines

Sherri Robbins

Teresa Roberts

Lucy Robinson

Cheryl Robinson-Benion

George Rocco

Donna Sabash

Dwayne Sagen

Monica Sanchez

Patricia Sanders

Emelda Sawyer

Stephen Selby

Michael Shapiro

Kelly Sims

Jerrelyn Smith

John Sparks

Janet Staley

Pamela Steele

Jennifer Steinhaue

James Swinea

Anthony Trimble

Laurel Tyler

Karen Ubelhor

Theresa Vanzant

Phillip Vermeulen

Dawanna Wagoner

Willola Walden

Brenda Wallace

Amy Walters

Robert Watkins

Mark Watson

Beverly Webb

Todd Wemer

Joe West

Evelyn Whitehead

Lisa Wiggs

Belinda Williams

Lane Williams

Linda Willingham

Jackie Wilson

Perry Wilson

Barbara Woodard

Darrey Woods

Rodney York

Marilyn Young

Laura Zarisa

10-year Honorees

Bruce Abram

Rachel Adams

Vicky Adams

Mary Adgent

Corliss Alexander

Michael Allen

Linda Amos

Euneese Anderson

Rosie Anderson

Debra Andrews

Gary Argo

David Arnold

Debra Arnow

Carolyn Aronson

Shelley Atkinson

Robert Atwood

Jammie Baber

Lanita Baker

Joanne Ball

Teresa Barnes

James Barnett

Susan Barone

Mary Pat Barrett-Teague

Carolyn Bartkus

Arlene Bates

Gayle Bell

Alice Bernstein

John Black

Deborah Blunt

Carol Bonds

Jennifer Boniol

Paul Boniol

Christy Botts

Joan Bowden

Rosalie Boyd

Kenneth Bradbury

Clarence Brewington

Jane Brissie

Francis Brooks

Denise Brown

Nola Brown

Emma Brumm

Henry Buckner

Nicola Burnett

Zelda Buttrey

Melanie Byers

Maxine Cail

Jon Caldwell

Debra Camp

Veronica Campbell

Elizabeth Canfie

Lisbedth Cardona

Susan Caro

Monica Carothers

Kathy Carter

Frances Cary

Linda Chaffin

Renita Chandler

Nimalan Chinniah

Donna Choate

Kimberly Christmon

Janet Clabough

Susan Clanton

Pamela Clark

Dorothy Cobb

Shirley Coffee

Mary Cole

Virginia Collier

Benita Collins

Darrell Collins

Patricia Commers

Mary Conners

Donna Consacro

Christopher Contos

Mary Copeland

Roberta Cornell

Connie Crawford-Koonce

Cathy Cunningham

Gary Cunningham

Marty Curle

Floremil Dacpano

Dianne Davidson

Dewain Davis

Timothy Dempsey

Daxa Desai

Lingmei Ding

Mandy Dodge

Zannette Dodson

Faye Dorman

Lisa Downs

Dominic Doyle

Elizabeth Earls

Walter Edwards

Ann Eischeid

Cynthia Elder-Goglin

Sarah Emison

Bethany English

Sharon Etter

Christopher Eutsler

Elissa Evans

Norma Fair

Wendy Felts

Connie Fielder

Linda Flowers

James Foster

Patrice Foster

Greta Fowinkle

Jackie Friend

Dorothy Gager

Barbara Galicki

Denise Gamary

Linola Garceau-Luis

Hiriam Gates

Maribeth Geracioti

Willie Gilyard

Deranda Gold

Kimberly Gray

Malinda Greer

Lisa Grunwald

Jessica Guenther

Diane Gupton

Elizabeth Haddox

Rena Hailey

Bobby Hall

Clinton Hall

David Harris

Susan Harris

Cindy Harrison

Mark Hawkins

Elena Hearn

Kathleen Hendrix-Crommel

Barbara Henson

Joni Hix

Susan Hogan

Dorothy Holland

Deborah Holton

Patricia Hooper

James Hopkins

Linda Horton

Lise Hoy

Chrys Hulbert

Cynthia Hull

Ann Hurley

Dahl Irvin

Beverly Jacobs

Jackie Jacobson

Kathaleen Jantz

Alexandra Jaris

Andrea Jefferson

Tamena Jenkins

Carol Johnson

Lisa Johnson

Mitchell Johnson

Carrie Jones

Pamela Jones

Patricia Jones

Yolanda Jones

Lou Kaelin

Barbara Kaeser

Zafer Karabulut

Shozo Kawaguchi

Jennifer Keen

Carole Kelley

Laura Kelley

Peggy Kelly

Van Kelley

Alexis Kennedy

Valerie Kibler

Karen King

Stanley Kinnard

Margaret Koontz

Usha Kurre

Brenda Lane

Tamara Lasakow

Ibtisam Latif

Carolyn Layne

Anita Lewis

Liying Li

Stella Liles

Sandra Longaberger

Margaret Lovett

Mary Lucus

Lenore Lukasik

Karen Lumpkin

Pamela Lynn

Ian MacDonald

Mark Maguire

Gary Malgin

April Mallory

Mary Malone

Janet Mandeville

Bonita Mangrum

Melissa Martin

Sandra Martin

Yolanda Mathers

Stacey Maxcy

Leslie McCathern

James McCullough

Cheryl McCure

Loretta McGowan

Kim Meadows

Tina Meredith

Susan Mezger

Diana Miller

Susan Mills

David Mohning

Patricia Moore

Dorothy Morelli

Geraldine Morrow

Patricia Morrow

Susan Moseley

Wesley Murks

Barbara Nash

Mark Nash

Diane Neighbors

Diane Nelson

Kelly Newman

The Nguyen

Janet Nicotara

Linda Norfleet

Mary Lou Oldfield

Shirley Otey

Tanya Palmer

Angela Panvini

Christina Paris

Karen Pattison

Angela Pernell

Dorothy Perry

Rosalyn Perry

Judith Phillips

Kim Pinkerton

Connie Pollard

Natalie Poole

Constance Pope

Cynthia Porter

Martha Raney

Tonda Rice

Charles Risley

Erin Roberts

Karen Robinson

Elizabeth Roof

Johnetta Roper

Mary Rorick

Stephanie Rushing

Kristie Russell

Darin Rutledge

John Ryder

Tahir Sadullah

Barbara Sammons

Thu Schofield

Helen Scott

Patsy Shepard

Debora Shiflett

Clara Shoemake

Donna Sika

Susan Slay

Amy Smith

Cabrini Smith

Carolyn Smith

Donnie Smith

Dorothy Smith

Rosaline Smith

Donna Staines

Carolyn Stalcup

Michael Stanfill

Grace Steger

Connie Stenquist

Christine Sterling

Mary Stevens

Judith Stewart

Linda Stewart

Lucinda Stewart

Sharon Sulkin

Diane Summer

Margaret Surrant

Phillip Sweeney

Charles Tallant

Mary Taylor

Leonard Thicklin

Angela Thomas

Sherry Thomas

Roy Tinsley

La-Sean Trotter

Pamela Twyman

Lorie Tywater

Marilyn Wade-Jordan

Sharon Wagoner

Nancy Walden

Sherri Walker

Betty Ward

Sharon Ward

Kimberly Warden

Eunice Warren

Connie Weaver

Linda Webb

Henrietta White

Randee White

Tracy White

Parie Whitely

Pauline Wiggins

Glenda Wilder

Darrell Williams

Deborah Williams

F. Clark Williams jJr.

Katherine Wilson

Peggy Wilson

Teresa Wilson

Alan Wiseman