Governor's Award nominee Steve Buchner known for his service to others
Steve Buchner lives the university motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve) every day, in his service to the students, faculty, and staff at Virginia Tech, as well as the thousands of prospective students and their families who visit Squires Student Center each year.
As the union operations coordinator for Student Centers and Activities, Buchner is responsible for managing the daily operations of one of the university's largest service facilities. The center houses two ballrooms, a 510-seat theater, a food court and multiple dining areas, various activity rooms and meeting rooms, an art gallery, lounges, music and theater production spaces, offices and practice rooms for the music department, and offices for student publications and Student Centers and Activities.
His incredible outlook has consistently helped the department improve spaces, services, and functionality to better serve the university, according to Justin Camputaro, director of Student Centers and Activities.
"He takes extreme care with all of his actions; he fulfills his responsibilities with a kind heart as his focal point," said Camputaro. "He looks to ensure our guests are taken care of first, regardless of what else may be on his radar. I have seen him drop what he is doing to answer questions for parents, walk a student to their classroom when they’re lost, support our housekeeping team with spills, and just sit and listen to a student who needed a comforting ear. This is a role Steve was meant to have."
Buchner also administers the center’s community service program, which affords him the opportunity to work with dozens of young adults each semester. The students who come through the program are often embarrassed. Buchner makes it a priority to put the students at ease and make them feel comfortable in knowing that no one is judging them and that he's happy to have them on his team. He talks with them about focusing on what their task is moving forward – being a Hokie and giving back to the community in the spirit of Ut Prosim (That I May Serve).
Buchner is also known as the first person to lend a helping hand to his colleagues.
"Steve has a warmth and genuineness that is inviting, collegial, and informed" said Scott Reed, associate director of Student Centers and Activities. "He often goes above and beyond the surface level service need to serve students, his peers, and the university community."
He's been recognized as a nominee for the 2014 state-wide Governor's Award program in the customer service category for consistently solving problems, communicating effectively, and treating others with dignity and respect.
In 2008 Buchner received the Student Centers and Activities Core Value Award for Service. In 2009 and again in 2013 he received the Student Center Awards Douglas S. Yates Award for Selfless Service.
Buchner came to Virginia Tech in 2004 having previously worked as a retail manager in downtown Blacksburg, Virginia. He has a bachelor's degree in history from Virginia Tech.
Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech takes a hands-on, engaging approach to education, preparing scholars to be leaders in their fields and communities. As the commonwealth’s most comprehensive university and its leading research institution, Virginia Tech offers 240 undergraduate and graduate degree programs to more than 31,000 students and manages a research portfolio of $513 million. The university fulfills its land-grant mission of transforming knowledge to practice through technological leadership and by fueling economic growth and job creation locally, regionally, and across Virginia.
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