As a show of support for supportive colleagues, this past month Cal Poly Partners staff offered the most C.A.R.E. I.S recognitions to date, ranging from creating a welcoming and respectful environment to stepping up to help no matter how busy they may be.
Throughout the year Cal Poly Partner’s ongoing culture campaign, C.A.R.E. I.S., will continue to celebrate colleagues and staff who truly show and represent the organization’s core values with monthly recognitions.
During the month of May Cal Poly Partners staff were invited to recognize colleagues who demonstrate the months Cultural Descriptor: Supportive.
A supportive culture places value on the well-being and success of its members and acknowledges and supports individual needs. It creates an environment where people feel heard, valued, and empowered, leading to stronger social connections and increased resilience.
“As the director of a busy Center, Gerald’s (Holmes) calendar is often packed back-to-back with meetings. Despite having little extra time, Gerald consistently makes time for students and staff—whether it’s meeting about a senior project, helping edit a master’s thesis, or just offering encouragement. Gerald’s open-door approach is something his team feels every day.” – Alison Stevens
“Linda (Prier) has stepped up to support multiple functions of CPP that have not been part of her regular job duties, including Campus Dining A/R, Travel, and going above and beyond in her support of CAFES.” – Dan Banfield
“Ann (Ormonde) is very attentive and helpful when it comes to all things related to Cal Poly Partners travel and AR. She will take extra steps to ensure we have all we need to approve travel claims. Not only is she helpful with travel, she is also dependable and reliable for invoicing. She inputs AR invoice requests promptly making monthly invoicing more smoothly. Thanks, Ann, for all you do.” – Stephany Martin
“Kassidy (Church) is someone who always leads with a yes and possesses such a strong ability to be easy to work with. There have been many projects from a marketing and communication standpoint that I have needed her expertise with. Not only does she find ways to make the person she is working with feel heard, she also produces such amazing work and is always super supportive. Kassidy juggles a lot of work and always makes the person she is working with feel like they are her top priority. Thank you for always being supportive Kassidy! We greatly appreciate you.” – Russell Monteath
“Stephany (Martin) is very supportive whenever I need help with a project. If I ask her for help, she makes the time to show me. Thanks, Stephany for all you do and supporting me when I need it!” – Mylissa Weymer
“Nikki (Adams) creates a welcoming and respectful environment where I feel comfortable sharing ideas and asking for guidance. Her feedback is always constructive and thoughtful, helping me grow. Plus, I have never seen an academic advisor be more supportive of her students.” – Shira Greenbaum
“At the Strawberry Center, supporting one another is essential—but Collete (Smith) takes it to the next level. She plays a central role in strengthening every program, consistently stepping in with a collaborative spirit and a drive to move projects forward.” – Kyle Blauer
“Jill Connelly is a true professional and such an asset to CP Partners. Whether its questions about benefits, support services for employees, or even checking stock and supplies of vending machines at Mustang Business Park Jill is always supportive. She has an ability to make anyone working with her feel very comfortable, but also always over delivering on her work. Thank you Jill!” – Russell Monteath
“Rose (Avalos) is always supportive to everyone she works with, always going above and beyond to ensure they feel heard and understood. Whenever an employee raises a payroll concern, she responds promptly, thoughtfully analyzes the situation, and takes swift action – providing reassurance and clarity every step of the way. Thank you Rose, for your continued dedication to ensuring CPP staff are paid accurately and on time. Your openness to new ideas and your support in any situation do not go unnoticed. CPP is truly fortunate to have you, and I’m personally grateful for all that you do!” – Maria Lopez-Pacheco
“Ali (Stevens) is one of the most supportive people I’ve ever met, both in and out of the workplace. She checks in with me regularly to make sure I’m not feeling overwhelmed and is always quick to offer help or take something off my plate when she sees I need it. She’s created such a warm, welcoming environment that makes it easy to do my best work. I couldn’t ask for a better supervisor. We work closely together every day and it’s one of the main reasons I’m excited to come into work. Whether tackling a big project or handling day-to-day operations, her support and collaboration makes a huge difference. She leads with empathy and kindness. Ali doesn’t just support the work, but she supports me as a person. I find that to be rare in the workplace, and I feel incredibly lucky to work with her! Everyone needs an Ali in their lives!” – Collette Smith
“Ann (Ormonde) was extremely helpful when filling out my travel claim. It was my first time filling one out and I was a bit confused, so I emailed Ann for guidance. She was quick to respond and answered all my questions. She was very supportive, kind and made it easy to understand going forward. I know Ann has helped our team in the past, so we are all extremely grateful for her! Thank you, Ann, for your continued support! – Kassidy Church
“Vanissa (Salinas) supports CP Partners with her exceptional talent acquisition skills, helping to attract qualified candidates for our benefited positions. She listens carefully to department needs and ensures a seamless process for both hiring managers and candidates. We’re lucky to have her expertise enhancing our team! – Jill Connelly
“Kyle (Blauer) has an exceptional ability to recognize what needs to be done and never hesitates to roll up his sleeves and dive in. He consistently anticipates needs and, even when juggling a full workload, always steps up to ensure things get accomplished. His strong team spirit is not only inspiring but also plays a big role in creating a fun, collaborative and highly productive work environment.” – Gerald Holmes
“Thank you, Matt (Ryan), for your unwavering support and encouragement. I truly appreciate knowing I can always count on you—whether it’s navigating the Workday project, tackling Month End, or handling unexpected challenges. Your willingness to help, no matter the issue or question, makes me feel heard, supported, and valued.” – Maria Lopez-Pacheco
“Every time I have asked for assistance with a project I am working on, and I call to ask for help he (Russell Monteath) shows up and jumps in to assist in getting the project completed on-time. I have never been hesitant in asking him for support, as he will always be there for you when needed. I don’t think there is a more supportive, helpful and kind person that I have worked with on campus.” – Bryan Lloyd
“Cory Lund provides our department with support in so many ways it’s difficult to list. From oversight of the ESSC to processing check requests and invoices to chasing down mysteries ripe for solving. Recently, Cory has had to handhold a couple of important projects and the billing involved to ensure compliance and timely payments. These items would not have happened without her attention to detail and willingness to follow up when something isn’t happening the way it should. She does this all while supporting the rest of the HR team when and where they need it.” – Jennifer Luedtke
“Natalia (Draude), I can’t fully express how grateful I am for all your support and guidance with my Tax and GL questions. I’m especially thankful for your help during Tax Quarter return reconciliations—your patience and willingness to walk me through everything means so much. I’m truly grateful for you!” – Maria Lopez-Pacheco
“Megan (Stoneson) is the definition of supportive! She always says yes to helping out even when it is a last-minute crunch. She has saved my PowerPoints at least a dozen times from looking awful (and usually last-minute) and I can’t thank her enough for all her help. She is the only full-time designer on our team, so we lean on her a lot, but she never makes us feel like a bother. She is always excited and very willing to help where she can. I absolutely love working with Megan and I want to thank her for always being supportive! You rock Megan!!!” – Kassidy Church
“Sam (Simard) plays a critical role in supporting the operations of the Pathology Lab and leading field research projects. She excels at balancing these responsibilities, ensuring both programs run smoothly and continue to succeed.” – Kyle Blauer
“Stephany (Martin) is always such a wonderful supporter of our Upward Bound program. She is very knowledgeable about our grant, quick to help us find solutions when an obstacle arises, and she is very approachable when we have a question or concern. We are so glad to have her as a colleague!” – Melissa Zanzi
“I asked for assistance with my P-Card, and she (Chelsea Poodry) was very busy answering phones, talking with students and coworkers about dining services issues, but she still managed to continue to assist me, and all of the others and keep a very large smile on her face! She is always willing to assist whenever she is asked, thank you!” – Bryan Lloyd
“Alison (Stevens) is able to see the forest and the trees. She understands the big picture and how that is playing out at the individual level then works to support individuals such that the organization achieves its mission. This is a rare trait and one that is so critical to the smooth and effective functioning of an organization. How fortunate we are to have Alison on our team!” – Gerald Holmes
Congratulations to all the nominees, they will be entered into a raffle for a prize at the end of the academic year.
Next month – June – is the last of our ongoing culture campaign, C.A.R.E. I.S. Throughout June we want to celebrate all our colleagues who truly show and represent our core values Collaborative, Accountable, Respectful, Engaging, Innovative, and Supportive.
So, this month let’s end with the most recognitions of all.
Creating culture is an ongoing task that we all participate in and benefit from, and we look forward to you joining us as we foster a thriving, more engaged workplace.
There are plenty of other ways to recognize colleagues. Zoom backgrounds, flyers, posters and e-cards that can be easily sent to colleagues to share your appreciation for what they do are available on the Partners’ SharePoint. There is no reason to wait for the monthly recognitions, let your colleague know how you feel any day of the week.
