Gary L. Belleville
Student Employee Appreciation Week
Supervisor of the Year, 2010/11
Carolyn Noack
Employing Department: Facilities Management
Supervisor: Cathi Walter, Executive Assistant
Nominated by: Student staff, Danielle Carlson, Aneisha Furgason and Samuel Tembreull
Job Title: Manager Recycling/Waste Reduction
Name of Nominator: Danielle Carlson
Nomination:
Being "green" has become very popular over the last couple of years, and many people have been doing their part around campus to "go green", but my boss, Carolyn Noack, has been working to make Western a green campus for over 20 years. Long before the Sustainability Office or Ecomugs, Carolyn was pushing the school for more recycling efforts on campus and stayed positive when her job was made part-time and back to full again; through everything she has always remained dedicated to her job and students.
She is more than just a dedicated worker though; she is also my friend. There are few people who can say that their boss is like a second mom to them, but that's exactly how I would describe Carolyn. She has always been there for her students, knows when something is wrong, or when they need a little push to get things done. She knows the students can have a tough job with the recycling (bins of paper weighing over 100 lbs, freezing temperatures in the winter and melting heat in the summertime, not to mention some very icky thrown in the recycling bins), but her motto has always been that she will never ask a student to do something she wouldn't do herself. For example, during the dorm move-ins, you wouldn't have been able to find Carolyn her office, because she was right alongside her students, sorting the recycling from the trash in the giant dumpsters. That's just one example of how Carolyn always goes the extra mile to get the job done; I mean, how many other supervisors would jump into a dumpster in 85 degree weather just to make Western a greener place?
With Carolyn though, it's not just about leading us at work, she also takes the time to guide us in life. When a coworker of mine decided she would be leaving Western, she was worried about telling Carolyn that she had to quit because she felt awful that Carolyn would have to hire a new person. However, once she told Carolyn she was leaving, Carolyn wasn't worried about filling the job, but that my coworker would be dropping out of school; she's always told us that school comes first. In my own experience, I had to leave school for a semester in my first year at Western because my mom was diagnosed with kidney cancer and my parents needed help with my younger siblings while my mom received treatment. Carolyn not only rehired me when I returned six months later, but sent letters checking in on my family while I was away. It's easy to understand why her student workers are so loyal to her and why they work so hard to give the recycling department a positive image.
The only thing I regret about working for Carolyn over the last four years is that I did not know about the Supervisor of the Year Award until now, because she is way overdue for the honor.
Name of Nominator: Aneisha Furgason
Nomination:
For the past three years she has been a great supervisor who provides stability, reward, and diciplin when needed. Unlike other supervisors that I have worked with and for she creates an environment that feels more like a family, instead of an everyday job. Hopefully when I leave her employment at the end of my education at Western Michigan I would be as lucky to find another supervisor like her again.
Name of Nominator: Samuel Tembreull
Nomination:
Carolyn is a great supervisor for several reasons. First of all, she helps, and allows students to find a schedule that works well with their classes so that they will be able to both work and go to class without feeling rushed or stressed for time. She is also a very understanding person, if something happiness in the life if one of her employees she is not only there as a boss, but she wants to help make sure that their schooling doesn't fall behind either, and does a great job and helping find a solution that leads to both our jobs being done well and our schooling not suffering. Lastly, Carolyn is a personable person, which most everybody is comfortable talking with and being able to have a good lasting impression. From my understanding she has been at western for over 20 years now and is more than deserving of this nomination