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President Joan Hinde Stewart presented Tobin Awards to Rich Alexander, Patty Gogola and Jim Burns at the 2016 employee service recognition luncheon on May 16.
President Joan Hinde Stewart presented Tobin Awards to Rich Alexander, Patty Gogola and Jim Burns at the 2016 employee service recognition luncheon on May 16.

President Joan Stewart opened Hamilton’s 32nd employee service recognition luncheon on May 16 in Commons Dining Hall with a word of thanks to all employees. “It’s you who make this Hamilton…I can’t thank you enough.” Later during the luncheon, Dean of Faculty Patrick Reynolds recognized Stewart for her 13 years of service as she approaches her retirement at the end of June.

The luncheon serves primarily as an opportunity to announce the winners of the Beverly S. and Eugene M. Tobin Employee Awards and to recognize employees celebrating milestone service anniversaries.

President Joan Hinde Stewart presented the Tobin awards to Jim Burns, custodian in the maintenance and operations group; Rich Alexander, mail center supervisor, who received the honor in the administrator category; and Patty Gogola, financial aid specialist, who was recognized in the staff category. Employees who had achieved 10, 20, 30 40 and 50 years of service to the College were also recognized.

Numbers seemed to be the theme of the luncheon.

  • Abigail Morton, the senior acquisitions assistant, estimated that she had ordered at least half of the library’s more than 600,000 items in the current collection during her half century at the college.
  • President Joan Stewart observed that under the 30-year tenure of Lora Schilder, director of admission, more than half of all living alumni had applied to Hamilton and more than 131,000 applications had passed through the admissions office.
  • Director of the Fitness Center and Campus Wellness Dave Thompson said that Head Athletic Trainer Scott Siddon, celebrating 20 years of service,  had labored in a facility slightly more than 300 square feet during his first decade with the college. He then moved into a more than 3,000 square foot facility, which he was helpful in designing, for the second decade.
  • Director of the Help Desk and Communications Debbora Quayle, recognized for 20 years of service, was the co-founder of the Hamilton Management Roundtable program in which more than 80 administrators have now engaged.

James Melvin, master maintenance mechanic foreperson, was recognized for 40 years of service. Additional employees recognized for 30 years of service included: 

  • David Annatone, master maintenance mechanic;
  • Kenneth Bart, director of the microscopy and imaging facility;
  •  James Dickan, locksmith;
  • Pearl Gapp, laboratory coordinator;
  • Kevin Holleran, master maintenance mechanic;
  •  Barbara Swetman, acquisitions and serials librarian; and
  •  Nancy Thompson, vice president and dean of students.
  • Additional employees recognized for 20 years included:
  • Linda Lacelle, systems analyst/administrator; and
  • Amy Palmieri, senior assistant – major gifts.

The Tobin Employee Awards were instituted in 2006 to annually recognize one representative from each of the College’s three non-faculty groups of employees: administrators, staff members and maintenance and operations workers. Monetary awards are made each year from an employee-generated fund established in 2003 to honor Gene Tobin, Hamilton College’s 18th president, and his wife Beverly. The fund recognizes the couple’s 23 years of service to the Hamilton community.

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