Outstanding Staff Awards

Service to FGCU and the Community

The Staff Advisory Council (SAC) Outstanding Staff Award (OSA) was established in 1998 to honor Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) staff who have contributed outstanding and meritorious service to their department, the University and the community. In 2023 the awards were expanded to three OSA and one Gabor Staff Champion Award to recognize staff leaders in our community.

Each year one Administrative & Professional (A&P), one Support Personnel (SP), one Other Professional Services (OPS) employee will be chosen as awardees. One Gabor Staff Champion awardee will be chosen each year from staff at the Assistant Director-level and above. The awards are funded by the Gabor Agency, Inc. Additional support, when necessary, is provided by FGCU and SAC.

OSA Eligibility Requirements

Any member of the FGCU community may submit a nomination for the Outstanding Staff Awards, including staff (Executive Service, Administrative & Professional (A&P), Support Personnel (SP), and OPS), Faculty (full-time or Adjunct), and students.

  • Nominee must be a current Support Personnel (SP), Other Professional Services (OPS), or Administrative & Professional (A&P) staff member employed at FGCU, and within their current role, for more than one consecutive year.
  • Employees in the Executive Service classification are not eligible for this award.
  • Employees in Visiting, Temporary, or Emergency Appointments are not eligible for this award.
  • Eligible candidates cannot have received this award within the past five (5) years.
  • Nominees must have been employed by the University for a minimum of one year prior to the end of the deadline for nomination. For employees who work less than 12 months, one full year would be equivalent to the academic year or a minimum of 2 semesters.
  • Nominees must have satisfactory performance and no disciplinary action during the one year prior to the end of the deadline for nomination.
  • Outstanding Staff Award Selection Committee members are ineligible to receive the award. Committee members will be notified of all nomination(s), however, ineligible individuals will not be considered.
  • Outstanding Staff Award Selection Committee members are not permitted to submit nominations.
  • Self-nominations are not accepted.
  • Nominations must be approved by the nominee’s supervisor prior to consideration by the Outstanding Staff Award Selection Committee
If you have questions regarding the eligibility of an employee or their position classification prior to the nomination deadline, please contact the Human Resources Department at hr@fgcu.edu.

OSA Nomination Procedure

 Any member of the FGCU community may submit a nomination for the Outstanding Staff Awards, including staff (Executive Service, Administrative & Professional (A&P), Support Personnel (SP), and OPS), Faculty (full-time or Adjunct), and students. To nominate a staff member (A&P or SP), please complete the electronic nomination form below. 

A nominator may nominate only one person per category (one A&P and one SP) each year. Nominators will receive an e-mail response confirming receipt of the nomination, which will include a printable copy of the submission. For more information on the rules and eligibility/nomination requirements, please view the official rules guide.

Nomination Deadline: Friday, March 28, 2025 @ 5pm. 

Nominate a staff member

Gabor Staff Champion Eligibility Requirements

SAC, with the support of our sponsor for these awards, is establishing a new award category for the Outstanding Staff Awards to recognize staff that exhibit both leadership and collaboration, and go above and beyond to value and lead other staff members at FGCU. 

This award is meant for staff that are at the Assistant Director-level and above (excluding Executive Service-classification and Faculty-positions). Nominations should be supported by at least two nominators on the Nomination Form.Any member of the FGCU community may submit a nomination.Nominated individuals must be a current staff member employed at FGCU for more than 1 consecutive year. The chosen Gabor Staff Champion will be recognized at the Celebration of Excellence alongside the Administrative and Professional (A&P) Employee and Support Personnel (SP)Employeeawardees. The Gabor Staff Champion will receive a trophy commemorating their outstanding leadership and service, as well as a paid parking spot! 

Nomination Deadline: Friday, March 28, 2025 @ 5pm.

Nominate a staff member

Congratulations 2023 - 2024 Awardees    

Our Outstanding Staff Awardees are Stormie Pruskauer (AP), Betsy Rodriguez (SP), & Rita Rubin (OPS), and the Gabor Staff Champion is Eric Balmer!

Past Award Recipients

YEAR A&P AWARD SP AWARD OPS Award
2023/2024 Stormie Pruskauer Betsy Rodriguez Rita Rubin
2022/2023 Jena Padilla Gretchen Maynard  
2021/2022 Natasha Ziegler Patty Krupp  
2020/2021 Marissa Ouverson Susan Lennertz  
2019/2020 Jeff Garner Brooke Niarchos  
2018/2019 Marty Hall Lana Mallow  
2017/2018 Nicky Khattapan Tracie Beck  
2016/2017 Ashton Hartley Diane Bova  
2015/2016 Zachery Holder Patty Krupp  
2014/2015 Carol DeLuccia Kathy McElroy  

2013/2014

Sally Berg Vanessa Cournoyer  

2012/2013

Priya Thomas Kendra Carboneau  
2011/2012 Tamera Baughman Emily Moretta  
2010/2011 Elspeth McCulloch C.J. McFarlane  
2009/2010 Tia Freiburger Sigrid Davidson  
2008/2009 Susan Thomas Robert Green  
2007/2008 Elaine Hozdik Kathleen Crawford  
2006/2007 Susan Evans Wanda Smith  
2005/2006 Michele Yovanovich Lynn O'Hare  
2004/2005 Deborah Dahlmanns April Lattanzi  
2003/2004 Ruth Rodrigues Sonia Casanova  
2002/2003 Dave Deiros Barbara Cornellier  
2001/2002 Vincent June John Wilson  
2000/2001 Rosemary Meza Jennifer Crabill  
1999/2000 Rick Shonak Barbara Gray  
1998/1999 Mary Banks Charlie Weaver