Gathering to focus on the community in college, the annual Employee Recognition & Retirement Dinner brought together hundreds of years of service and excellence for one special evening.
Held in early-May on the Castlegar Campus, the event recognized individuals who have hit milestones of 35, 30, 25, 20 and 10 years of employment at Selkirk College. Those who have retired from the college were honored for their commitment to students and colleagues. And the three 2023 NISOD (National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development) Excellence Award recipients were cheered for their accomplishments inside the classroom and out.
“The fact that all of you have dedicated so many years to Selkirk College speaks volumes about your keenness and commitment for supporting education and students,” said Selkirk College President Maggie Matear. “You have been, and are, the backbone of this institution. The source of institutional knowledge that keeps alive our culture; and the seasoned leaders who orient new team members to the Selkirk College way of doing things.”
The NISOD Excellence Awards were established in 1991 to provide NISOD member colleges with an opportunity to recognize individuals doing extraordinary work on their campuses. This year’s trio of recipients include: Mallory Attorp (instructor in the School of Hospitality & Tourism), Donna Drover (director of Facilities & Business Service) and Elizabeth Ferguson (instructor in the School of University Arts & Sciences).
Years of service pins were handed out to 35 college employees, representing 540 years of service. The list includes:
35 Years of Service: Melanie Perepolkin
30 Years of Service: Jennifer Cliff-Marks, Linda Harwood and Paula Vaananen
25 Years of Service: Nadya Sofonoff, Colin Makeiv, Leanne Reitan, Jason Taylor and Tracy Punchard
20 Years of Service: Pablo Pastor, James Wallin, Rebecca Elias and Valerie Escher
10 Years of Service: Jason Nickel, Paul Makortoff, Brennan Drew, Karen Shoniker, Bob Kalmakoff, Lauren Rethoret, Crystal Leblanc, Rick Tatangelo, Colleen Matchett, Lawrence Perepolkin, Christine Carlson, Ashley Engel, Sargent Hayden, Marco Biermann, Kim Martin, Bob Hall, Maggie Keczan, Kate Tait, Andrea Gounden, Julia Langham and Ellen Strelaeff
The presentation of retirees included individual tributes to those in attendance. In total, the 18 people who have retired from their positions at the college in the last year represent an incredible 443 years of service to post-secondary education in the region.
Shirley Hadikin, who retired earlier this year from her most recent position as administrative assistant for the School of Environment & Geomatics and School of Health & Human Services, worked an amazing 42 years at the college. The other retirees on the list include:
Sally Glock – Instructor, School of University Arts & Sciences (35 years)
Rhys Andrews – VP Education (31 years)
Carol Chernenkoff – Duplicating Centre Operator (30 years)
Angus Graeme – President & CEO (30 years)
Jennifer Cliff-Marks – Instructor, School Academic Upgrading & Development (29 years)
Tyanna Popoff – Administrative Assistant (29 years)
Caroline Barabonow – Administrative Assistant, School of Business/UAS (29 years)
Susan White – Cook, Silver King Campus (26 years)
Robert Macrae – Instructor, School of Environment & Geomatics (26 years)
Erna McCall – Instructor, School of Health & Human Services (24 years)
Linda Gomez – Instructor, School of Health & Human Services (24 years)
Rhonda Schmitz – Director, Student Development (19 years)
Elizabeth Lund – Instructor, School of University Arts & Sciences (17 years)
Wright Simmonds – Faculty Assistant, School of the Arts (15 years)
Gary Thompson – Instructor, School of Hospitality & Tourism (14 years)
Arleen Gallo – Director, Human Resources (12 years)
Denise Lenardon – Bookstore Support Clerk (11 years)
Congratulations to all recipients and retirees! The Selkirk College community is stronger for your service.