Elon employees honored during 2025 Staff Appreciation Day

Elon University celebrated the dedication, innovation and service of its staff during 2025 Staff Appreciation Day on Friday, May 30, honoring individuals and teams whose work exemplifies the university’s mission and values.

“Whether you directly support our students, contribute to our academic mission, care for our beautiful campus or ensure that our numerous services run smoothly, your exceptional efforts create an extraordinary environment for learning growth and success at Elon,” said Chief Human Resource Office Melissa Clodfelter during her opening remarks Friday.

Clodfelter joined Elon in spring 2025 as Chief Human Resources Officer. She thanked the attendees for a warm welcome to the university in her first months and set the tone for the ceremony.

“This is a day to celebrate the whole, to recognize that it takes all of us, the ones who open the doors in the mornings, who prepare meals and classrooms, who teach and tend, who organize and uplift, who listen, who build, who clean, who care,” said Rev. Kirstin Boswell, university chaplain and dean of multifaith engagement, during the event’s invocation.

Phoenix Awards

Four Phoenix Awards are presented each year to recognize outstanding innovation, collaboration and dedication to the university’s mission.

Phoenix Innovation Award

Lasse Palomaki was named the 2025 Phoenix Innovation Award winner. The award is presented to a member of the Elon staff who has displayed innovation by creating, designing, improving and implementing a new idea or a program that benefits the university or the community.

As associate director of career services for alumni, Palomaki has redefined professional development at Elon. From launching the Career Search Foundations course to leading the Elon in LA Bridges program, Palomaki’s work has expanded opportunities for alumni and aligned career services with the university’s strategic goals.

“In close collaboration with his supervisor and key campus partners, he has shaped the direction of alumni career services,” one nominator wrote.

Phoenix Rising Award

Gia Pineda was named the 2025 Phoenix Rising Award winner. The award is presented to one newer member of Elon’s staff who has consistently displayed excellence in pursuit of Elon’s mission with an engaged mind in inspired leadership and global citizenship.

As director of short-term programs in the Isabella Cannon Global Education Center, Pineda manages nearly 50 programs with clarity, compassion and creativity. From helping students secure funding to ensuring accessibility for students with disabilities, Pineda’s dedication is unwavering.

One nominator recalled her steady presence during a program disrupted by the Los Angeles fires: “She helped us navigate urgent and difficult decisions regarding student safety and program continuity, always centering the health, well-being and dignity of our students.”

Phoenix Collaboration Award

The Phoenix Collaboration award was presented to Nature RX, led by Kelly Harer, associate director of sustainability for education and outreach, and Tumi Shadreck, counselor/outreach coordinator. The team includes staff from Counseling Services, the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education and the Office of Sustainability. The award is presented to an Elon staff team or group that has fostered cooperation, collaboration and open communication across two or more departments/offices/centers on campus.

Since 2019, Nature RX has coordinated programming that promotes mental and physical well-being through outdoor experiences. During this time, more than 750 people have participated in programming, such as mental health heights, staff training, classroom presentations, event series, the signature stargazing of mental health events, and other partnerships with student organizations, residential neighborhoods and academic departments.

The group will make mental health benefits even more accessible with a new app funded by an Elon Innovation Grant, which will launch in 2026 and connect students, faculty and staff with green spaces and across campus more effectively.

“The collaborative nature of this project is what has enabled it to be effective,” one nominator wrote. “Nature Rx could not succeed if it was an individual staff member or department project.”

Blanche Garrison Memorial Award

The 2025 Blanche Garrison Memorial Award was presented to Susan Tripp, horticulturalist for Elon. The award was established in memory of the late Blanche Garrison, an Elon Medallion awardee, who served the university with distinction as a staff member at Maynard House. This award was created through the generosity of President Emeritus Leo Lambert and Laurie Lambert and recognizes a staff member who has contributed significantly to shaping the student experience at Elon University through their everyday commitments and actions to support, encourage, and mentor Elon students.

Tripp was recognized for her engagement with students in the Gender & LGBTQIA Center and the Phoenix Free Collegiate Recovery Program, meeting students for lunch and class projects, and for generally being a welcoming and friendly presence on campus.

“For young people that are discovering who they are and maybe who don’t always feel they have majority views … I just think it’s important to slow down and pay attention. And it’s what I do,” said Tripp after receiving the award.

Staff Member of the Year Awards

Three Staff Member of the Year Awards are presented annually to university non-teaching staff – one for each of the following categories: facilities management, professional hourly staff and administrative staff. Elon President Connie Ledoux Book, announced the award winners.

Staff Member of the Year – Professional Hourly

Elizabeth Bowen was honored as the professional hourly staff member of the year. She serves as the executive assistant to the vice president for enrollment and assistant vice president and dean of undergraduate admissions.

Described as the glue that holds her team together, Bowen brings foresight, flexibility and a spirit of service to every aspect of her work. In her role, Bowen manages a wide range of responsibilities—from coordinating travel and overseeing safety plans to operating technology during meetings and to fielding questions from prospective students. One nominator even said that without her, counselors wouldn’t have enough publications for travel, cars wouldn’t be properly checked out, office supplies would run out and the admissions email account would be bogged down with thousands of emails.

Bowen addressed the audience after receiving the nomination to express gratitude for the award recognizing “the little things that we do.”

“Elon is kind of like a ship – we are familiar with the captain and the wheel, but it’s what all the people in this room are, the little nuts and bolts, that you don’t see…without those, she ship would fall apart,” she said.

She ended the speech by saying, “from one nut to all the others, thank you!”

Staff Member of the Year – Administrative

Doug McIntyre was awarded the administrative staff member of the year. He serves as the ERP application architect.

Working at Elon for over 30 years, McIntyre was recognized for his historical institutional knowledge and profound understanding of university operations.

With more than three decades of service to Elon, McIntyre has become a cornerstone of the university’s technological infrastructure. His role extends far beyond his title. Colleagues describe him as a historian, mentor, data integrator, system expert and developer—someone whose deep institutional knowledge and collaborative spirit have shaped the university’s operations in profound ways.

Known for thriving under pressure and never settling for “good enough,” McIntyre approaches his work with a calm, thoughtful energy. He is often the first to respond to urgent system issues—sometimes before the rest of campus has even started the day.

“His sense of responsibility and care for the university’s operations never turns off,” one nominator noted.

Claudia Sparks, associate director of enterprise solutions, accepted the award on McIntyre’s behalf. She added a brief praise of her colleague, mentioning that he is dedicated, always figuring things out and generally a good person to work with.

Staff Member of the Year – Facilities Management

Dee Fuller won the 2025 Facilities Management Staff Member of the Year award. She serves as a custodian for Elon and is responsible for the care of Alamance Building.

Fuller was recognized for being accommodating for people in the building and for creating a welcoming atmosphere that uplifts students, faculty and staff who interact with her. She was praised for routinely going above and beyond the scope of her job description and ensuring every detail is attended to with the utmost care and precision.

“I was not expecting this, but I am truly honored, and I thank everyone who who’s involved in this , and I’m just grateful and thankful,” said Fuller after receiving the award.

Gratitude Expressed Towards the Service of Elon Retirees

Rebecca Kohn, provost and vice president for academic affairs, honored staff members who are retiring this year:

• Ann Flaherty, director of leadership & development
• Betty Garrison, business research librarian
• Marietta Herbin, custodian
• Annie Hester, program assistant for The Oaks
• Rene Sellers, student account specialist
• Cindy Sweeney, senior associate director of career services for the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business
• Rex Terrell, carpenter
• Karen Walter, senior associate director of financial aid and liaison to athletics