Employee Recognition Programs

Office of People & CultureRecognizing Employee Contributions
Developed and maintained in cooperation with the JU Employee Recognition Committee.
- Chair: Laurie Philpot, People & Culture Business Partner
- Members: Katelyn Fischer, DaVina Hamilton, Andrew Lee, Amber Mount, Wendy Parrish, Nicole Watts, Leslie Redd, and Dean Winter
- The 91Ïã½¶ÊÓÆµ Employee Recognition program was created to recognize excellence in the areas of quality service, process improvement, teamwork and to acknowledge longstanding commitment to the University.
Programs include: Employee of the Month, Service Awards & Ideas Program.
EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH
| View Nomination Criteria |
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| View Past Winning Dolphins |
Ideas Program
| Submit an idea |
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OPC Home
| Back to OPC Home Page |
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Latest NominationEmployee of the Month
April 2026
Asha Simpson
Associate Director of Residential Life
About Our Dolphin
Congratulations to the 91Ïã½¶ÊÓÆµ April 2026 Employee of the Month, Asha Simpson. In her role as Associate Director of Residential Life, she has had a positive impact on both students and colleagues.
A "Double Dolphin," Asha has experienced JU from multiple perspectives: as an undergraduate student, a graduate student, and now a professional staff member. Over the past five years, working professionally with JU, Asha has consistently demonstrated deep commitment, investing countless hours and genuine passion into her role, both in and out of the office.
Recently, Asha led our ResLife hiring process, managing over 100 applicants and delivering JU's smoothest hiring cycle to date. She supervises over 50 student staff members and four professionals, yet still prioritizes meaningful and intentional relationships with everyone she works with. She is tactful, responsive, and driven, and her work is consistently efficient and effective.
Beyond her primary duties, Asha serves in campus-wide roles such as on-call support, conduct officer, and member of scholarship committees. She maintains strong relationships with key campus partners, including enrollment, security, and facilities, and is widely respected.Despite her many commitments, Asha is also pursuing her PhD, demonstrating an extraordinary level of dedication and balance. She is, in every sense, an outstanding and well-rounded professional.
The Reward
Asha was presented with a certificate signed by President Cost, a $50 cash award, and an extra day off for her outstanding contributions and positive impact on Jacksonville University.
Phintastic Job, Asha!
1. Nomination
A nominee for the award must meet the following criteria:
- Must be a full-time or part-time employee
- Must be employed for at least one (1) year
- Has not been selected as Employee of the Month within the past twelve (12) months
- Must not have any documented corrective action within the past twelve (12) months
2. Review & Appointment
- The Employee of the Month committee will review nominations and select a winner based on the above criteria. If a committee member is nominated, they will be excused from voting that month.
- The Office of People & Culture shall make the initial appointment of the necessary number of committee members.
3. Nomination Prize
Award recipients shall receive:
- A certificate signed by President Cost
- A $50.00 cash award
- An additional personal day off
- Campus-wide recognition
Past Winning Dolphins
Employee of the Month March 2026
Stephanie Ison

Accounting Associate, Controller’s Office
Employee of the Month February 2026
Kaylee Bloom

Director, Career Design and Exploration
Employee of the Month January 2026
Sgt. Danny Dividu

Campus Security
Employee of the Month November 2025
Adriana Samra

University Webmaster
Employee of the Month October 2025
Geoff Davis

Simulation Operation Specialist/IT Tech
Employee of the Month March 2025
Les Wright

Director of Fields & Facilities
Employee of the Month February 2025
Misty Pippin

Assistant Director of Student Financial Services
Employee of the Month November 2024
Janiqua Morris

Office Assistant, School of Social Sciences and Education
Employee of the Month October 2024
Leanna Morgan-Ash

Accounting Associate, Controller's Office.
Employee of the Month September 2024
Andrew Lee

Manager of Technical Service, Information Technology Department
Employee of the Month August 2024
John Galloway

Lacrosse Head Coach
Employee of the Month July 2024
Colleen Skinner

Assistant Professor of Law & Director Law Library, College of Law
Employee of the Month June 2024
Bambi Brundage

Executive Director, Student Wellness & Engagement
Employee of the Month May 2024
Wendy Parrish

Executive Assistant to the Dean, College of Arts & Sciences.
Employee of the Month April 2024
Melba Wagstaff

Human Resources Assistant, NROTC
Employee of the Month March 2024
Julia Wiesner Lawless

Director of Undergraduate Recruitment, Admissions
Employee of the Month February 2024
Gladys Gabriel

Accountant, Controller's Office
Employee of the Month January 2024
Alexandra Robinson

Executive Director of Strategic Events & Campus Experience, University Marketing and Communications
Employee of the Month October 2023
Mike Mitchell

Director of Military & Veterans Resource Center, Student Affairs
Employee of the Month September 2023
Japhetia Blackwell

Simulationist, Healthcare Simulation Center (HSC)
Employee of the Month August 2023
Lauren Brucker

Director, Residential Ops, Residential Life
Employee of the Month July 2023
Karteye Hill

Imaging Technician, Post Office
Employee of the Month May 2023
Kalilah Jamall

Assistant Director of Engagement, Alumni, & Family, Advancement
Employee of the Month April 2023
Roger Palmer

Accounting Manager of Disbursements, Controller's Office
Employee of the Month March 2023
Michael Lane

Director of Rowing
Employee of the Month February 2023
Amber Korn

Executive Administrative & Staff Coordinator
Other Programs
Service Awards
All full and part-time staff/administrative employees will receive recognition for continuous service to the University at five-year increments. Individuals can select award material from a service award vendor which has a variety of awards from which to select. The value of the award increases with the years of completed service. These individuals will receive recognition in JU Today, as well as at the University-wide cookout.
Ideas Program
Receive recognition from the President's office. Full-time staff/administrative employees who submit a significant suggestion, which is adopted, to the President’s Ideas Program will receive recognition.
Office of People & CultureNominate an Employee of the Month
CONTACT USOffice of People & Culture
91Ïã½¶ÊÓÆµ is committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all who interact in our community and strives to attract students, faculty and staff from a variety of cultures, backgrounds and life experiences.
Contact Information Office of People & Culture
Howard Administration Building
91Ïã½¶ÊÓÆµ
2800 University Blvd N
Jacksonville, FL 32211
Phone: (904) 256-7025