Monday, July 23, 2018

UVI Announces Employee of the Year 2018 Winners











Monifa Potter and Debbie Joseph are the employee of the year 2018 winners on the St Thomas Campus and Albert A. Sheen Campus on St. Croix respectively. Potter and Joseph received their awards alongside 80 other UVI employees, 28 on the Albert A. Sheen Campus and 52 on the St. Thomas Campus, who were recognized for their years of service to the university at the 44th Annual Service Awards.

The event took place on the Albert A. Sheen Campus, April 17 and on St. Thomas Campus on April 19. Employees who worked for five, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, or 35 years as well as those who are retired were also honored at the event.
This year’s events were held under the theme: “We’ve Risen and We’re Gaining Steam — Service Awards 2018.”

“I am not doing this for the recognition, but from my heart,” said Potter, winner of this year’s award and Registrar at the university.



“I have worked hard for the University for over 10 years and I took on an enormous position at the University a few years ago,” she said.  “The leadership and dedication of the staff exemplifies great teamwork and provides a sense of accomplishment at the end of the year to see students graduate with the degree they have worked hard to earn.”
Joseph, winner of this year’s award on the Albert A. Sheen Campus has only been with the university for almost three years. When asked how she felt about receiving the award, Joseph responded by saying she was very surprised.
“That was the last thing I expected, it really caught me off guard,” she said.
Joseph prides herself for the work that she does and believes that the key to customer service is that the customer should always leave feeling better than when they first came to you.



“I try to put my best foot forward at all times. I always try to help as best as possible,” Joseph said. “I believe a little goes a long way, if I see something that needs to be done I don’t wait to be asked I take initiative and get it done.”
Joseph advises all employees at UVI to always put customer service at the forefront.
“We are here to serve people, we are here to help, we should always try to provide a listening ear to our customers,” Joseph said.

Debbie Joseph works as an administrative assistant to the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences on the Albert A. Sheen Campus.
Dr. David Hall, president of the university said that this year’s program is of great significance because of what each recipient and employee endured during the academic year 2017-2018.


“I continue to be impressed with the enthusiasm and service with which I see so many of our employees provide to the university through the work that they do and the extent to which they so often go above and beyond the scope of the job responsibilities,” Dr. Hall said.

The employee of the year program and annual service awards is organized by the university’s Human Resources Department and aims to recognize employees who have demonstrated and contributed to the improvement of the quality and performance of the University of the Virgin Islands.

There were a total of six employee of the year nominations for the 2018 award, four on the St Thomas Campus and two on the Albert A. Sheen Campus.
Employee of the year winners receive a $200 check, an engraved plaque, bouquet of flowers and a basket of fruits.

To be eligible for the award the recipient must be a full-time employee and have at least one year of continuous employment with the university. Employees are selected based on three of the criteria areas including professionalism, customer focus, quality, teamwork, and innovation.