2023 Classified Employee Nominees

Jason Galbraith

Kassandra Pontilo

Laura Ragsdale

Marcela Soto

Manuela Sanchez

Nathan Baumgart

Riaan Bredenkamp

Samuel Nez

Susan Trimmer

Terrill Reed

Thomas Rohlman

Tim Tramutt

Amy Hoppes

Amy is an integral team player, taking notice of the Residence Life teams’ needs as well as assisting others when they reach out for help.  She is the first to volunteer and goes above what others would do to serve.  Amy is always looking for ways to make things better, more streamlined, and easier for our students and community partners.  Amy creates new pathways to get results and to solve issues.  Amy is a strong advocate for students from low SES backgrounds and especially our international students at Mines Park.  She helps them navigate the housing process/paying bills, and directs students in need to resources.  Amy’s heart is huge and she is a role model to all. 

Amy Rose

Amy is an exceptional performer in all of our core criteria. She is exceptionally accountable, keeps her areas at a high standard, and is great at balancing her personal schedule with the needs of the team.  Amy’s top priority is maintaining a clean and sanitary environment for faculty, staff, and students. She has top-notch customer service skills and is prompt in responding to customer needs. Amy respects diversity and always displays an openness to the ideas of others. She supports a diverse and inclusive workspace and supports the LBGTQ community, along with other organizations that work toward building an inclusive community.  

Anne Steputis

We have asked Anne to do many tasks which she has done with determination, professionalism, and kindness.  On-boarding staff, recreating reports that disappeared, or untangling inherited financial accounts – these are a challenge to be solved.  She incorporated SQL reporting for SIF instrument usage to provide simpler, more robust querying and reporting.  Anne recognized that the CK250 Materials & Manufacturing Lab did not have the necessary administrative support to properly operate as an auxiliary fund, so she stepped in to temporarily fill that role. Ask any staff what they think of Anne, and you will get an enthusiastically positive response.  

April Ellison

April is committed to providing employees with excellent customer service experience.  She worked closely with Benefits to roll out Open Enrollment in Workday and we couldn’t have done it without her!  April is dedicated to improving the way we communicate and share data on a virtual platform.  She believes in creating information that is easy to navigate for the end user, whether staff or the Mines community.  Her love of data and trends helps with the growth and improvement of Mines.  April is the first person to jump in with a challenge and loves to problem solve and provide resources.   

Caroline Fuller

Caroline is a phenomenal colleague and exemplary worker. Her talents and dedication are appreciated by the Student Life Team.  Caroline is considerate, friendly, hardworking and efficient. She gets the job done well. Her ability to coordinate complex tasks and her positive attitude make her stand out. Caroline continuously strives to support Mines, its mission and its goals, by supporting our students, staff, and management team. Her kindness, willingness to help, and her institutional knowledge make her an asset. Among other qualities, Caroline is the definition of collaboration, compassion and efficiency. 

Carrie Artman

Carrie has been an amazing factor in making our department office an inviting and welcoming space. She goes above and beyond to make people feel welcome. She is extremely well liked and respected among staff on campus, and she is all around amazing.  Carrie makes everything run smoothly, she brings joy and happiness to the office and makes it a welcoming place.  Carrie respect, diversity and compassion. She is kind of like the department ‘mom’ and makes sure that the students are all ok. When students come to visit and she is not available, they are very disappointed.   

Cherie Dardano

Cherie’s longevity at Mines is a testament to her exceptional work ethic and leadership and she has made a profound impact on the Mines community.  She consistently demonstrates understanding of Mines’ objectives, ensuring smooth program operations and contributing to a vibrant learning environment.  Cherie engages with colleagues with empathy, actively listening to diverse perspectives. Her commitment to collaboration is evident through seamless teamwork, always offering support to achieve Procurement’s goals. Cherie consistently seeks creative solutions to challenges and contributing fresh ideas.   

Cheryl Medford

Cheryl Medford is the engine and heart of GGE. The scope of her work is vast—she does it all!   Cheryl helps our undergraduate and graduate students move smoothly from their first year to graduation. She is an infinite source of knowledge, patience, and is always supportive.  Cheryl’s compassion flows with students and staff needing help at the very, very last minute.  Chery did an awe-inspiring job August through October when she filled a large work gap after our DM left. With her signature positive attitude, Cheryl helped us stay the course. Her work ethic and attitude are remarkable.   

Clinton Dattel

Global education works with Clinton and the Edgar Mine on a regular basis. We have increasingly relied on Clinton to support the delegation visits. Clinton goes above and beyond expectations by providing every tour of the mine with the same excitement and energy, supporting a diverse array of students, including undergraduates, graduates, men, women, international students, and any degree program. Clinton’s commitment to safety and accessibility at the mine necessitates close collaboration across various campus departments. His enthusiasm for teamwork is infectious, making collaboration with Clinton a true pleasure.  

Daniel Wilson

Dan is the most helpful person.  He goes the extra mile to figure out where a package should go or to help someone find their package. He is the first person to help our customers or the FM crew that comes to pick up heavier items.  Whenever someone discovers a problem, Dan offers solution-focused ideas or the actual physical labor. Dan is calm even when something has gone terribly awry. In order for the school to continue to achieve greatness, essential materials need to be in the right place when they are required, and Dan is committed to achieving this goal.  He often suggests ways things can be done as a team, more efficiently and safely. 

Debi Pretz

Debi is the heart of Residence Life and Student Life, and she is the best of what Mines values…she is a solution-focused, positive, innovative learner and leader.  Debi has a strong work ethic and has been an asset to Mines for 18 years.  She is a positive influence on the student staff she recruits, trains and supervises. Debi shows respect to every staff, student, and parent that contacts Residence Life. She maintains a SUPER positive attitude all day, every day. Debi is a stranger to no-one, finding connection wherever she goes. She cares deeply about Mines, her colleagues, the students and who we are as a community.  

Dinae Baker

The coffee shop is a tremendous success due in large part to Dinae’s management. She coordinates employment of over 50 part-time student workers. Dinae is professional and pleasant with the customers. Dinae’s cafe has also invested over $30K last year into the professional development of other employees – providing essential skills and service to the campus, like information literacy and data science/research.  Most notable this last year was President Johnson stating that he wants the new cafe in Labriola to be just like the Book & Brew therefore, Dinae has been part of the team to launch the new “Build & Brew” in Labriola.   

Helen Cooley Feiner

Helen is dedicated to her job and continuously strives to support the mission through her support to students, fellow staff members, directors, and executives. She embraces innovation and learning, and adapts quickly to change. Helen is the epitome of collaboration, dedication, and support in all she does. These great qualities make her an outstanding colleague. 

Jason Galbraith

Since Jason took over the supervision of the truck shop, the whole environment there has changed. Under his supervision things seem to run smoothly, efficiently, and harmoniously. He and his team are truly interested in the work you need done; they stay on top of repairs, are incredibly on top of upcoming and needed work, are organized, and deal pleasantly and professionally with everyone.  

Kassandra Pontilo

Kassandra joined our University Honors & Scholars department almost a year ago. During that time, she has added such value to our department and become an integral part of our team. As a department with seven diverse programs, there are many daily tasks and long-term projects to complete and keep track of. Kassandra has jumped in with innovative ideas for the department and our individual programs. She readily tackles any task put before her and helps the entire department. She always has a great attitude. 

Laura Ragsdale

Laura is a very approachable and easy–to–work–with person – for this, I think the best word to describe her is openness. She is always eager to help. She works through challenges – she has encountered a lot of challenges in her job and is happy to try to help with the correct work–arounds or suggest changes in order to streamline processes. She is very collaborative. She works with a number of different groups on campus (faculty, grad students, undergrad students, staff) and she is able to move between them seamlessly.  

Marcela Soto

Marcela is always willing to lend a helping hand if you’re unsure about how to do something you’ve not done before. She’s friendly, easy to talk to, and is a compassionate listener – you can go to her with work-related problems or even if you’re just not having a good day. She is always willing to give you training or to show you how to do the task the right way. She respects her coworkers and others. 

Manuela Sanchez

Manuela is a very dedicated, caring, and hard–working employee; she’s been with Mines for 9 years. She always does a very thorough and detailed job in a timely manner. She always makes sure that her area is very clean for the students and also helps her fellow custodians when they need it. Manuela is also a very happy person. 

Nathan Baumgart

Nathan is a team player. He sees his coworkers and those from other departments as all part of one team with a common cause. When he saw that a crew from a different department was busy, Nathan took the initiative to complete a job that his department does not usually do. He is compassionate and collaborates with everyone.  

Riaan Bredenkamp

Riaan used his insight and experience to design and build snow chutes for the stadium. This was a massive help with efficiency by minimizing work injuries by keeping time and labor hours down. The snow chutes were so impressive that it even made an appearance on ESPN! He’s always looking for ways to help and support the team and Mines by taking on more challenging projects and responsibilities. 

Samuel Nez

In his nearly 5 years as a Program Assistant in the Chemistry Department, Samuel has consistently demonstrated exceptional organizational skills, fostering positive relationships with students, and providing unwavering support to faculty. No matter who he interacts with, he creates an inclusive atmosphere that promotes open communication and mutual understanding. Samuel also consistently demonstrates innovative problem-solving skills. When tackling administrative challenges, his creative approaches contribute to the continuous improvement and efficiency of our departmental processes. His ability to think outside the box certainly aligns with Mines’ value of innovation. 

Susan Trimmer

Susan works tirelessly to improve the lives of every current and prospective student and employee. It is very rare to find an employee so positive and so dedicated to the success of a department. Respect, compassion, and collaboration are all values that Susan exemplifies at work. She deeply respects all people. From disgruntled members of the public, upset students, and angry former employees, Susan sees the human person first, and helps them to feel heard, included, and cared about. 

Terrill Reed

Terrill’s dedication to ensuring smooth IT operations has been outstanding, consistently going above and beyond the call of duty. He is incredibly friendly and demonstrates an impressive technical acumen, swiftly resolving complex issues and providing valuable customer service to campus.  He displays a positive attitude, strong work ethic, and a commitment to excellence. His commitment to staying updated with the latest technologies helps Mines stay at the forefront of innovation. Beyond technical support, Terrill plays a vital role in creating a positive and friendly work environment. 

Thomas Rohlman

Thomas has had to manage very difficult employees. He encourages his employees to take additional classes that pertain to their trade in order for them to better themselves and to keep up to date. He helps with diversity by hiring employees from a variety of backgrounds. 

Tim Tramutt

Tim takes great care of the office of Disability Support Services and Student Outreach and Support. He brings up the energy of the office in the mornings by being cheerful, having a positive attitude, and sometimes even singing! He takes his job seriously, paying attention to the little details and being thorough. He’s also very careful to avoid disruption to other people. Thank you, Tim, for all you do!