JoAnn Kroll, Career Services director, is congratulated by President Sidney Ribeau upon being named the 2004 Michael R. Ferrari Award recipient.

JoAnn Kroll named winner of Michael R. Ferrari Award

An administrative staff member whose talent, expertise and most of all dedication have enhanced the entire University community has been chosen the 2004 Michael R. Ferrari Award winner.

JoAnn Kroll, director of the Career Center, was honored by her colleagues at the annual Administrative Staff Fall Reception Sept. 21.

The award recognizes attentiveness to the growth and development of the University, exceptional performance, an open, caring attitude and genuine sensitivity to others. The most prestigious of administrative staff honors, it comes with a $1,000 cash prize, a designated parking space for a year and a commemorative plaque displayed in the Bowen-Thompson Student Union.

In accepting the award, a visibly moved Kroll said, “I’m thrilled to be recognized with this award. It’s always an honor to be recognized by one’s peers. And after seeing the video retrospective of the past winners and all their accomplishments, I’m awed to be in their company.”

She added that over the years she has worked at Bowling Green, the University has come to seem like family, and it is a “rare and special treat to be honored by your family.” Administrative staff has a long history of engagement, she said, and as anyone who has been so engaged knows, “you get more back than you give. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to get so much back.”

Kroll’s contributions to Bowling Green have touched students and staff alike, her nominators wrote. Tirelessly seeking to improve services and campus life, she anticipates needs before they are articulated and is willing to find a way to make things happen. For example, she obtained the necessary funding and software to enable students to apply for jobs online, keeping BGSU “ahead of the curve,” a nominator wrote.

In her role as director, she has “shepherded the Career Center through a series of enhancements that are a direct reflection of the changing student population at BGSU,” one nominator wrote. “She is a well-published professional who ensures that the BGSU Career Center remains on the cutting edge with the in-person and technological resources it provides.”

Her service on behalf of students is noteworthy. She was one of the first Springboard coaches, mentoring students to help them be successful in college, and has been an instructor in a section of UNIV 131, Career Exploration, for Honors Program students. “As a teacher, she has been insightful and responsive to student needs, instilling her own sense of adventure” into the freshmen, wrote a fellow teacher. She also works with graduate students, particularly those in College Student Personnel and Higher Education Administration programs, and has developed assistantship opportunities in Career Services for both master’s and doctoral students. “Students consistently rave about their experience in the Career Center and speak very highly of JoAnn’s mentoring and role modeling,” another nominator wrote.

Kroll also takes the time to sit down with students to discuss “bigger picture” topics, always in a spirit of respect, adding to their overall educational experience. She has created specialized programs for various areas, and created and publishes Career Search Guide, provided free of charge to students through the corporate support she obtained.

She has been a featured speaker at several Office of Admissions off-campus recruitment events, sharing her enthusiasm for BGSU with prospective students and their parents around the state.

She has provided leadership in a number of ways, stepping forward to successfully lead the campus United Way campaign one year, and becoming the adviser to Hillel, the Jewish student organization. She has served on and led a number of University committees, from the University Planning Council to the Student Affairs Assessment Committee.

Kroll was chosen the winner from a field of six other finalists, all of whom are outstanding members of the University community. President Sidney Ribeau introduced the nominees at the ceremony Tuesday and presented a short summary of their many contributions to BGSU. They are Bryan Benner, associate vice president for administration; Camille Consolvo, assistant vice president for student affairs; Sandy DiCarlo, coordinator of student and campus activities at BGSU Firelands; Robin Euler, grant development specialist in Sponsored Programs and Research; Deborah Fleitz, director of public events in the College of Musical Arts, and Myron Skulas, Language Learning Center coordinator.