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Housing & Conference Services

Living At McMaster

Maroon & Gold – Previous Winners

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Adam Moniz - Integrity Award March 2020

Adam consistently shares feedback with a goal of improvement both on process and experience for our staff and students. He is always pushing us to think of new or different ways to approach projects or large scale initiatives. If I am looking for another opinion, I often look to Adam to get feedback because I know that it’ll come from a place of improvement and looking for solutions for the future versus focusing on the past.

Emma He - Learning Award March 2020

Love the initiative she takes to develop herself and her team. She works to support others by educating herself to be our on-staff expert. Emma is the example for each of us, we are so lucky to have her on our team.

Nicole Arsenault - Teamwork and Respect Award March 2020

Nicole is such a great person to work with. She is kind, supportive and helps you when you need an extra set f hands. She’s very caring and kind, and she respects people. We all come from different backgrounds and experiences and Nicole treats everyone with respect. When I needed extra help, Nicole was the first to offer and she already had her own work. She is always upbeat and has a smile and a laugh. We enjoy working with her each and everyday.

Cameron Denham- Service Award March 2019

Cameron is always working to provide the highest quality of service to the students and staff with whom he works with. He deals sensitively and compassionately with the students he supports and frequently goes above and beyond to ensure their well being. Along with providing top quality service and support to students, he is always willing to go the extra mile for his coworkers. It is a pleasure working with Cameron.

Ishmael "Cutter'' Skerritt- Teamwork Award March 2019

Henry Ford described Teamwork as – coming together is the beginning, keeping together is progress and working together is success. Cutter is ready to lend a hand. He treats others with respect and support. He doesn’t hesitate when asked to entertain both HCS and Facility departments with his skills on the steel drums at special events and gatherings, bringing together those gathered through his love of music. He’s there to assist both staff and students in repairs and cleanups along with the rest of the project team. Cutter is cool under pressure and works to get the job at hand done, yet he still makes time for others. Thank you Cutter for being a part of the HCS RFT team.

Karen Bigeye- Service Award March 2019

From the moment Karen was approached to help in the launch and management of a brand new housing-type service endeavour, she happily jumped on board to assess the needs in terms of inventory for all the comforts of home, and a servicing plan to meet and exceed guest expectations!

Giving of her own time, weekends included, to ensure everything was in place, including finishing touches from toilet paper holders to welcome gifts, and pulling together, training and leading a small team of students to shine and polish, even seeking feedback from our first overnight guests – Karen has been hands on every step of the way to deliver a memorable experience for all who have come through the doors at 96N. And she does it all with a smile. Karen, thank you for your constant quest to ‘find the yes’ to please our guests!

Ann Richards - Service Award December 2018

From the very beginning, Ann’s dedication to her job in Wallingford was evident. As a community advisor on the floor, she was very kind and excited. Over the semester, she made an effort to strike conversations with the students which was much appreciated, encouraging others in their academic pursuits and to care for themselves. Overall Ann has been a refreshing presence in residence and deserves recognition for her hard work.

Katherine Taylor - Service Award December 2018

Katherine’s kindness and dedication towards supporting students has not gone unnoticed. Recently, Katherine helped a student who was dealing with bed bugs in her room. Katherine was incredibly kind and supportive of the student, providing her with not only all of the essential information she needed to work through her problem, but also taking extra time to try to minimize the student’s discomfort and making sure she did not feel embarrassed or ashamed. Knowing that our HAs are often the first and most frequent point of contact between HCS and students, it’s reassuring to know that the students are being cared for. 

Admir Azari - Excellence Award December 2018

There was a fire in the Commons building in the new construction area on the first floor. From reports by both RM Cameron Denham and SC Martin Schobert, “Due to the observation and quick response of HCS employee, Admir, Security and Hamilton Fire Department were able to respond promptly and contain the fire to a small area.”

Admir spotted the fire before the building alarms were activated and notified Security without hesitation. Security was able to respond before the fire was able to spread. Admir remained calm and provided the security team with crucial details. He stayed with security and assisted where he could before Hamilton Fire arrived on scene.

Admir has proven himself to be a team player, in this instance, he knew where to take action and when to step back and let the professionals take over. He remains calm and level headed in an ever changing and sometimes hectic environment.

Devon Van Der Mark - Excellence Award December 2018

He made a very important set of videos that make students more comfortable in their living space with heating and cooling. Myself, I found less heating and cooling calls which allowed more time for me to do other repairs in Residence.

Nancy Marcos - Service Award December 2018

Nancy Marcos always provides top quality service. Within her role in the Conference and Event services office, Nancy provides excellent service to her clients. In addition to this, Nancy’s service to the department in the coordinating of the Employee Engagement Committee and all of their events and activities shows just how much she cares about HCS.

Marica Velaja - Recipient of the Teamwork Award October 2018

“I find her (Marica) to be an exceptional colleague who has continuously gone above and beyond to aid her fellow co-workers. I have personally experienced her generosity and help over the years too numerous to count. She consistently proves that good colleagues are those who know that ‘we are more powerful than me’. This philosophy has been her mantra that she lives by every day.”

Frank Blaguski - Recipient of the Service Award October 2018

“During Saturday’s move-in day Frank was stationed in Lot H, helping to check in McKay Hall students. There were points in the day when his line had no cars waiting and lines dedicated to other buildings were starting to become backed up.

When a car indicated that they were upset about the line, he spent extra time talking to them, answering their questions and trying to improve the situation (ie. noticing a grandparent in the car struggling with the heat and bringing them a bottle of water). Despite the rain, long lines and heat Frank had a consistently positive attitude and was a pleasure to work with.”

Bob Law – Recipient of the Teamwork Award June 2018

“Bob illustrates his strong morals in all aspects of his character and you can trust Bob to go out of his way to assist his co-workers.

Case in point, he showed caring and creativity by fashioning a door stop that could be removed without bending after witnessing a custodian suffering from back problems and having trouble bending to retrieve a door stopper.”

Erin Otterspoor – Recipient of the Teamwork Award June 2018

“She is always the first one willing to step in and provide assistance no matter if its part of her responsibilities or not.

Her incredible work ethic and her ability to communicate so strongly and efficiently with so many different areas and teams makes her an integral team member. Her ability to not only lead a team with patience and grace but to be an effective team player makes her an exceptional human to work with.”

Snezana Markovic-Stojanovic – Recipient of the Teamwork Award June 2018

“Seeing Snezana almost every morning was the best way to start a day. She seemed to radiate positivity, especially in times where her work would get hard and tiresome. Her mantra was always ‘life is a blessing – no matter what happens’, and it served as a refreshing reminder, especially when we were stressed or caught up in all the little things that don’t really matter in the end.

She was a second mother to all of us, and showed her affections by checking in with us academically and personally. She would always say, just take it easy, do your best, and don’t forget to enjoy your life right here and right now”. These words and phrases stuck with the community throughout the year.”

Tracie Large – Recipient of All Awards June 2018

“Tracie is always thinking about the people around her and goes above and beyond to acknowledge them in her own unique way. Additionally, Tracie has been incredibly inclusive of all members of the RFT, including night and weekend staff.

Whenever there is an event going on or EE initiative, Tracie always makes sure to notify her fellow team members who work irregular shifts. Tracie is the heart of the EE committee and it has been a pleasure getting to know her these past few months.”