Housing Services staff members receive awards for exemplary service
Two Virginia Tech Housing Services employees have been awarded for their efforts to serve students and the university housing community.
The Virginia Association of College and University Housing Officers (VACUHO) presented Assignments Manager Erin Foote with the VACUHO Outstanding Professional Award and Database Coordinator Christian Herr with the VACUHO Service Award.
The VACUHO Outstanding Professional Award is given to an individual who has worked for five or more years in housing or residence life and has been nominated by a colleague for his or her supervision/mentoring, creativity, involvement, teaching and/or research in the field. The winner for this award is voted on by the VACUHO Executive Board of the Governing Council and is awarded to one individual across the state.
“Erin has excelled in the customer service role by using her skill set to diffuse emotionally charged parent/student situations,” said Ken Belcher, associate director for housing occupancy management and VACUHO governing board member, who nominated Foote.
Herr is one of 12 individuals across Virginia receiving the VACUHO Service Award. He was nominated for the award for his cross-departmental work in collaboration with Housing Services, Residence Life, and non-university vendors on database software for various applications used by students and staff members at Virginia Tech, including a new maintenance request system for the campus residence halls. The award for Virginia Tech is selected jointly by the directors of Residence Life and the director of Housing and Dining Services.
The VACUHO added three Virginia Tech staff members to its governing board including Leon McClinton, director of Residence Life, as chief housing officer representative to the Governing Council; and Kelly Woods, assistant director of the Drillfield community; and Donald Walker, complex director of Slusher Tower and Slusher Wing as members at large.
The Virginia Association of College and University Housing Officers is a professional organization dedicated to the education and professional development of housing and residence life staff at institutions of higher education in Virginia.
Written by Melanie Harris of Hampton, Va., a senior majoring in communication in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences.
