Annual Breakfast Recognizes Lander Employees and Award Winners

More than 200 Lander University employees were on hand May 21 for the school's 19th annual Staff Excellence Awards breakfast.

Created in 2001 to honor all staff members and to recognize those who have gone above and beyond their regular professional duty, the awards breakfast includes all non-faculty Lander staff departments, offices and special services employees.

"It's a wonderful opportunity to bring all of the staff together for fellowship, and to appreciate them for their service and dedication to Lander and its students," said Kurstin LaCoste, Human Resources Coordinator. "Award nominations are submitted by colleagues, and winners are selected by the President's Cabinet."

The five winners for 2019 were:

• Kathy Roberts, system programmer/developer manager, Information Technology Services;
• Brandon Felder, assistant registrar, Registrar's Office;
• Kurstin LaCoste, Human Resources coordinator;
• Jalysa Green, director of Student Conduct and Community Standards, Student Affairs; and
• Bonner Abercrombie, graphic designer with printing services.

"I'm now in my fifth year with Lander, and winning this award came as a complete surprise," Abercrombie said. "I'm still in shock, so I think I'll just enjoy it a while."

When the breakfast was over, Master of Ceremonies Eric Lawson, staff writer with University Relations, had the privilege of calling out the name of his co-worker Maria Scott, a 2018 winner who won a door prize for the second year in a row.

"The breakfast is a fantastic Lander tradition that keeps getting better each year," Lawson said. ""And it is an ideal way to recognize employees who continually go above and beyond."