Posing with their Zuni owl awards are B.G. Best winners (left to right) Paul Lopez, Lee Floro-Thompson, Tim Koder and Cindy Colvin. The four were honored March 29 at the annual spring reception hosted by Administrative Staff Council.

Administrative staff honors ‘B.G. Best’

Last Tuesday (March 29), on the first truly springlike day of the season, administrative staff joined President Sidney Ribeau in celebrating the B.G. Best—those people who, through their commitment to the University, their colleagues and students, help Bowling Green be its best.

All four winners were introduced by one of their nominators, including Diana Carpenter, assistant director of advising services in the College of Arts and Sciences, who praised B.G. Best recipient Cindy Colvin.“It’s such a joy when the sun is shining like it is today. [Colvin] is like that: It’s such a joy to work with her.”

Colvin, who began her career at BGSU nearly 20 years ago as a residence hall adviser, continues to put students first, Carpenter said. “She has a heart for students. She goes that extra mile.” She combines vast knowledge of the University with strong “people” skills and equally outstanding technical skills, her nominators wrote.

Among her many responsibilities as associate director of student services for Arts and Sciences, Colvin coordinates the college’s summer orientation and registration program and its scholarship endeavors as well as encoding its degree audit reports—all very detailed tasks that she performs with finesse. She is also a generous volunteer, helping with many University efforts such as Preview Day.

Award winner Lee Floro-Thompson’s handiwork can be seen throughout the University, though her name never appears on it. A graphic artist with Instructional Media Services, Thompson designs innumerable fliers, posters and PowerPoint presentations for faculty, staff and students, including the president’s opening-day and State of the University presentations and, currently, many undergraduate research presentations for an upcoming symposium.

“She exemplifies the kind of people who make sure the University functions on a daily basis and does it so well,” nominator Steven Kendall, multimedia production manager, told the gathering. “Her commitment to customer service is unmatched,” he added in his letter of nomination. “Lee responds with the highest quality work no matter how close the deadline or short the lead time.”

Her ability to “save the day” for students is just part of her typical day, he said. “Lee’s commitment to BGSU’s core values is demonstrated every day. No matter how simple or complex, large or small, organized or disorganized the materials given her, Lee treats each request with the same degree of professionalism.”

Honoree Tim Koder, director of major gifts in the Office of Development, was nominated by Brent Nicholson, legal studies and director of Entrepreneurship Academic Programs in the College of Business Administration. Fueled by his belief in and excitement about the potential of entrepreneurship education, Koder was responsible for securing a $3 million pledge from Bill Dallas and Scott Hamilton to found the program, Nicholson said. He was also integral to the development office’s raising another $2 million for entrepreneurship.

“He’s a ground-floor organizer and a doer, and he’s done a fabulous job of raising money for the program. . . But I’ve also been impressed by how much he does beyond raising money,” Nicholson said. “He’s a tireless advocate for the program. It’s no exaggeration to say the entrepreneurship program at BGSU would not exist without Tim Koder. But he’s so self-effacing that he says he’s ‘just doing my job.’”

Koder commented, “I would never consider something I truly enjoy and have so much fun at as work. This has been exciting and invigorating, and such an exciting program to be involved with.”

Award winner Paul Lopez, production manager at WBGU-PBS, “has consistently demonstrated his commitment to the University’s core mission of training, mentoring and empowering students,” his co-workers wrote. As an example, said Ron Gargasz, director of programming for the station, Lopez proposed and implemented a system of merit pay raises for students who perform well in their jobs so they might move beyond the minimum pay scale, and has developed methods of recognizing student achievement to enhance retention. A caring person, he also organizes field trips for students and staff so they may spend time together outside of work, including jaunts to the Toledo Zoo to see the Lights Before Christmas. “He even saves food coupons for students because he worries about their well-being,” Gargasz said.

Lopez has an equal commitment to his co-workers. A longtime member of Administrative Staff Council and former chair, in 1999-2000, he volunteers his time for University events and programs, such as Springboard.

Lopez thanked the committee for the award but refused personal credit, saying everyone in the room was equally committed to students and BGSU, “or else you wouldn’t be here today.”