Please join us in celebrating colleagues who received an Osprey Ovation in August. These recognitions are submitted by employees who want to acknowledge a coworker for excellence and for living out RCC’s core values:
- Courage frees the institution and individuals to creatively pursue best practices supporting student success.
- Integrity drives us as an institution and individuals to demonstrate clear communication, transparency, ethics and accountability.
- Collaboration promotes a communicative, agile, responsive culture that fosters vibrant, productive partnerships to benefit our students and strengthen our communities.
- Diversity, Equity and Inclusion create an accessible, welcoming, respectful and safe environment which engages all individuals, beliefs and ideas fairly.
- Sustainability guides us to be responsible and thoughtful stewards of our human, economic, environmental and cultural resources.
Join us in recognizing August recipients!
Name: Michael Lawrence
Core Values: Integrity, Collaboration, Courage
Reason: We would like to recognize Mike L., Tier 3 Network Administrator, with an Ossie Ovation for the exceptional skill, dedication, and sense of urgency he brings to his work every day. Mike consistently goes above and beyond. He’s been described as someone who gets two and a half days’ worth of work done in a single day, not just once in a while, but day after day. Even with that incredible pace, he never compromises on quality or attention to detail. One of the things we appreciate most about Mike is that he truly owns the work he does. When an issue comes up, he understands its importance, jumps in to help, and stays with it until it’s fully resolved. He communicates clearly, catches details others might miss, and makes sure everyone affected knows what’s happening along the way. Mike embodies RCC’s values of Integrity, Collaboration, and Courage in everything he does. His technical expertise, reliability, and outstanding work ethic help keep the College running smoothly and make a positive impact on colleagues across campus. We are incredibly grateful for everything Mike does and are fortunate to have him as part of the RCC team.
Name: Dillon Ayers
Core Values: Integrity, Collaboration, Courage
Reason: Thank you, Dillon, for ensuring College Now teachers have access to RCC resources quickly and efficiently. Your quick help with a Blackboard shell made all the difference to the teacher! We appreciate you!
Name: Eric Hennings
Core Values: Integrity, Collaboration, Sustainability, Courage
Reason: Thank you, Eric, for your openness and follow-through with high school teachers interested in offering college credit. Your contact with them and willingness to listen and problem-solve barriers is awesome! We appreciate you!
Name: Elizabeth Butler, Sara Bristol, Ryanne Mitchell, Dennis Underwood and helpers
Core Values: Integrity; Collaboration; Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Sustainability; Courage
Reason: I would like to recognize the Marketing Team for their outstanding work that led to the successful launch of RCC’s newly redesigned website. This project represented months of planning, collaboration, content development, stakeholder engagement, user testing, and change management, all aimed at creating a more accessible, student-centered digital experience for our community. The result is a modern, intuitive website that makes it easier for students and community members to find information, explore programs, and connect with RCC. Throughout the project, the Marketing Team demonstrated RCC’s core values in action. Their commitment to collaboration brought together feedback from employees, students, and community stakeholders to ensure the website reflected the needs of its users. Their integrity and attention to detail helped maintain consistency, accuracy, and quality across a complex, college-wide initiative. Their focus on equity and accessibility supported RCC’s goal of making information easier to find, understand, and use for all visitors. Finally, their courage and innovation were evident in leading a transformative change that modernized RCC’s digital front door and aligned it with the college’s evolving brand and mission. The team also demonstrated remarkable professionalism and resilience by remaining committed to established project goals, standards, and processes, even when faced with resistance from those uncomfortable with change. They listened thoughtfully to concerns, stayed focused on the long-term vision of the project, and navigated challenges with resilience and an unwavering commitment to delivering the best outcome for RCC. The successful launch of the new website is a significant achievement that will benefit prospective students, current students, employees, and our community for years to come. Thank you, Marketing Team, for your excellence, dedication, and leadership in helping make “Opportunity Starts Here” a reality.
Name: Makiko Berry (Counseling) and Nadine Roper (TRIO)
Core Values: Collaboration, Courage
Reason: I would like to nominate Nadine Roper and Makiko Berry for an Osprey Ovation in recognition of their outstanding collaboration and commitment to student success. Nadine and Makiko joined me for a Zoom meeting with a student who was experiencing significant challenges in one of my online classes. From the moment the meeting began, they helped create a safe, supportive, and nonjudgmental space where the student felt heard, respected, and empowered to share their concerns. Their expertise, compassion, and willingness to collaborate were invaluable. Together, we were able to connect the student with multiple RCC resources, address barriers to success, and develop a clear path forward. By working across departments, we demonstrated the strength of RCC’s commitment to meeting students where they are and surrounding them with the support they need to succeed. This experience is a wonderful example of what can happen when colleagues come together with a shared purpose. Nadine and Makiko exemplified the spirit of teamwork, care, and service that makes RCC such a special place. I am deeply grateful for their partnership and believe they are truly deserving of an Osprey Ovation award.
Name: Marty Christensen, Kevin Partier, Dannie Burkes, Jon Lauer and our IT team
Core Values: Integrity, Collaboration, Sustainability, Courage
Reason: Marty Christensen, Kevin Partier, Dannie Burkes, Jon Lauer and our IT team consistently demonstrate what outstanding service and teamwork look like. There are honestly too many individual examples to list. Whether you need their help once or ten times in the same day, they show up, ready to listen, troubleshoot, and find a way to get the job done. What I appreciate most about this team is their solution-focused approach. They understand that the systems and technology they support are essential to nearly everything we do, from teaching and supporting students to carrying out our everyday work and college processes. When something isn’t working, they don’t just see a technology problem; they recognize the impact it can have on students, faculty, and staff and work to find a solution. Their responsiveness, patience, reliability, and willingness to help make IT a true lifeline for the college. They are there when we need them, they follow through, and they make difficult or frustrating situations easier simply by being willing to help. I genuinely appreciate the IT team and everything they do behind the scenes, and often right alongside us, to keep the college moving forward and our students succeeding.
Name: Procurement Team
Core Values: Integrity, Collaboration, Courage
Reason: This team has been taking on a lot; there have been a lot of changes and needs from EVERYWHERE in the college. I see the hard work they have been putting in, the constant changing of priorities, and keeping up with the business needs. They are able to keep the regular flow going as well as helping put out fires as they arise. Thank you, Procurement Team; you are doing a wonderful job.
Name: KateLyn Borman
Core Values: Collaboration
Reason: KateLyn is always so helpful with Registrar-related questions and tasks. She goes out of her way to help both students and coworkers, and she’s quick to respond when someone needs assistance. Her willingness to jump in, answer questions, and make sure students get the support they need makes a real difference.
Name: Riley Smith
Core Values: Sustainability
Reason: Riley is such an invaluable member of our team. He’s incredibly good at problem-solving and often finds issues you didn’t even realize existed, then comes up with solutions to fix them. His work improving the First Term Advising sign-up process has made a huge difference, making things more efficient for both students and staff. Riley is always willing to listen, help troubleshoot challenges, and find long-term solutions that make everyone’s job easier. We’re lucky to have someone so proactive and committed to improving our processes.
Name: Matt Moser
Core Values: Integrity, Collaboration
Reason: Matt is the kind of coworker everyone hopes to have on their team. He’s always supportive, encouraging, and willing to help however he can. He consistently puts students first and is willing to adapt to meet their needs. Matt is also great about sharing information and knowledge with the team, helping all of us do our jobs better and provide the best support possible for students. No matter how busy things get, Matt is always willing to step in, answer questions, and offer support. He creates a positive and collaborative environment where everyone feels comfortable reaching out for help. His commitment to teamwork, student success, and helping his team grow makes him an invaluable part of our team. We are all better at what we do because of his willingness to share what he learns and support those around him.
Name: Angel Woods
Core Values: Courage
Reason: Angel has really stepped up to support First Term Advising, taking on additional responsibilities to help a coworker avoid having to drive across the county each week. She jumped in without hesitation and has been a huge help to both the team and our students. On top of taking on extra work, Angel is always thinking about how things can be improved and regularly shares thoughtful suggestions that make our processes better. Her willingness to take initiative, adapt to changing needs, and look for ways to improve services demonstrates a strong commitment to student success.
Name: Christina Wooten
Core Values: Integrity; Collaboration; Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Courage
Reason: Christina recognized and proactively worked to assist a few of her students to complete her courses with creative solutions when the students weren’t thriving. She worked alongside TRIO-SSS and Counseling teammates to discover ways for her students to complete their courses during summer term successfully. She is a wonderful model of good communication, kindness, and collaboration.
Name: Jodi Simons
Core Values: Integrity; Collaboration; Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Courage
Reason: Jodi is a master of goodwill and kindness to all she meets. She models excellence and thoughtful behaviors for her staff and students. She is a mindful leader and genuinely wants the best for those she works with and for. RCC is blessed to have her as one of their directors/guides.
Name: Facilities
Core Values: Integrity, Collaboration
Reason: Recently I lost my AirPod. The Apple device told me it was on the back deck of our building. Immediately, Jared came over, got down in the bushes, and looked under the deck to help find it. Next day, Rob got under the deck, jumped in the bushes, cobwebs and all, first thing in the morning, and couldn’t find it. The next several days, some of the needed projects of fixing the deck and cleaning up some weeds and brush on the side of the building were done in efforts to also maybe find the silly AirPod. Several more staff members and student workers worked together to help me and in the meantime, got some much-needed projects done. I am so thankful for the human spirit, dedication, and caring ways all of you showed me. It doesn’t go unnoticed. You all are amazing humans and I appreciate you all. Turns out that little AirPod was in my car all along. Oops. Grateful to work with such amazing people. You all do such amazing things around here but the caring and dedication you all had just took it to another level. And hey, the back deck and the side of the ramp has never looked better. Thanks again. YOU ARE THE BEST! 🙂
Name: Nikki Koenig & Rachel Ostroskie
Core Values: Integrity, Collaboration
Reason: I would also like to give a shoutout to Nikki and Rachel for jumping in the bushes to find my AirPod. I do not like spiders, bees, or really any type of bugs. The dedication and caring of these two and the sacrifice of their own skin due to the thorny bushes did not go unnoticed. Thank you for being so caring and dedicated to finding my AirPod! 🙂 Working with caring people is why I continue to work here. You two rock. 🙂