Stories

Nancy Keil Service Excellence Award
In recognition of staff having established a well-deserved reputation for sustained excellence and initiative in providing technical or administrative support service, and for consistently approaching one’s responsibilities with a professionalism that demonstrates dedication to the welfare of students and others and that leads by example.

In her nearly seven years as the production manager for SCU Presents, Carolyn Guggemos has made a tremendous impact. Her accomplishments include expanding student employment programs to mentor more students in the art of managing production, integrating a new online system into the production workflow, implementing an outdoor jazz program, selecting new software to ensure better tracking for the rental program, and creating a workflow capable of handling an ever-increasing number of university and third-party events. This is no small feat for a program that has seen the number of events nearly double in the last four years. 

However, perhaps Carolyn’s greatest contribution is her generous and indefatigable spirit. During the shelter-in-place period, Carolyn volunteered to manage both the Music and Dance building as well as the Mayer Theater complex. She stepped in at the Mayer complex because she knew help was needed—a long-serving staff member had recently retired. Carolyn embraced the challenge and worked closely with University Operations, departments in the building, and the dean’s office to ensure instructors and students could interact safely. Her steadfast leadership helped assuage anxiety during a difficult period and allow faculty and students to focus their attention on how to make the best of a difficult situation. These efforts, of course, were beyond the scope of her position. For this selfless spirit of service and setting an example of dedication to the greater good, Carolyn is most deserving of the Nancy Keil award.