Gorlok Greats Award Winners Recognized for Spring 2021

The Gorlok Greats Award recognizes staff members whose achievements, whether an individual act or sustained effort of exemplary service, relate to Webster University strategies and support the University's values and mission.

This spring the Gorlok Greats Committee received nearly 50 nominations for this distinguished award. A total of eight awardees were named and a dedicated committee selected exceptional employees from across the Webster Network. The Webster Staff Alliance and Gorlok Greats Committee would like to thank all who participated in this semester’s Gorlok Greats nomination process. 

Check out the Gorlok Greats website to find out more about the program and next nomination period.

Please join us in congratulating the Spring 2021 Gorlok Greats award winners, and read a few comments from their nominators:

Cristina Echeverry

Director, Jacksonville, FL Campus

Nominated for: consistently providing high quality, reliable and critical work that, if undone, would halt highly visible operations

“Three years ago when Florida lost its Regional Director, Dr. Cristina Echeverry, stepped up and took on two major tasks that used to belong to that position. First, graduation was quickly approaching, so she offered to coordinate the ceremony and all the surrounding activities for the seven Florida campuses, and she has been doing a wonderful job ever since including the postponement and rescheduling of the ceremony during the pandemic. It involves negotiating with the Convention Center, finding a speaker, coordinating volunteers, organizing the data for the printing of the program, and so much more. While we all support her, she definitely is responsible for a smooth ceremony to celebrate our graduates. Second, and more importantly, the Commission for Independent Education (CIE) handles our accreditation and approvals with the State of Florida. This is another task she volunteered to coordinate for the Florida campuses. Working with any government body is difficult, but I can tell you that when we moved to our new campus, CIE misplaced our paperwork for the move eleven times, and it had to be resubmitted each time. They also don’t respond to her emails but expect quick responses to their emails when they want something. There are annual forms that she has to submit for us, as well as special forms for new programs, or moves, or any other changes. Without doing this and in a timely fashion, we wouldn’t be able to operate. Tina does these critical tasks on top of being the Director for both the Jacksonville and Naval campuses, and she does it all with a positive attitude. She’s also the first one to volunteer to help someone else with one of their projects. She is a great teammate, and she is definitely a Gorlok Great!”

Rick Kaeser

Interlibrary Loan Officer, Webster Groves Campus

Nominated for: demonstrating a steady willingness to improve work operations and doing so without prompting or fanfare

“Rick manages interlibrary loan operations at the library. He locates needed articles and books from other libraries and delivers them promptly to our students and faculty. Many times he is able to provide a student or faculty member with *the* article they need to finish their research. Rick stays current with trends and best practices in interlibrary loan.The library world is taking a long overdue look at outdated guidelines for assessing copyright fees for interlibrary lending, and Rick has analyzed new recommendations and provided expert advice on how our library might adopt them. His work ensures that the library can provide this critical service as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible.”

“Rick has been with the Library/University a long time, and in 2018 he assumed responsibility for one of the library's critical services - interlibrary loan. He has made a number of small changes that improve the experience for our students and faculty. He has also questioned some long-standing practices the library has had. These questions have led to updating our processes and finding less-costly ways to provide great service. Rick's thoughtful consideration of how we have always done things and his ability to look outside the box and bring well-researched suggestions and questions to library management make him an excellent example of the important contributions of staff to university processes and the student experience. Rick is truly a Gorlok Great.”

“Rick Kaeser has been instrumental in setting up new technology for the Library’s InterLibrary Loan (ILL) process that increases efficiency for patrons. He also leads a dedicated team of staff and students who fill requests from users at all campuses, worldwide, while watching costs. In 2014, the Library’s ILL staff identified, lobbied for, and implemented a new online system to provide more transparent ILL processing for user requests. This system is embedded in library databases and, if the library doesn’t own or have access to a resource, the system generates an auto-filled form that allows users to easily request the item. Then, the Library’s team determines other libraries that own the item and request it for the patron. Most items are received as PDFs that are uploaded to the user’s account and an email is sent to them, usually within 2 or 3 days. As a reciprocal agreement, the Library also receives ILL requests from other libraries. Rick’s team scans or retrieves the item and readies it for delivery – either electronically or via mail (books). During the pandemic, when most libraries closed, the ILL team transitioned to filling ILL requests from online databases, while working from home, and meaning little disruption in the supply chain. In February 2021, Rick’s team processed the 100,000th ILL transaction since the system went live in 2015. That transaction was a Webster patron request and was filled 89 minutes after the form was submitted. As one might imagine, ILLs, while ‘free’ for our patrons, are not ‘free’ for the library. Rick has taken the lead and has identified several significant ways to lower borrowing costs for the library. For helping the library to both “a lender and a borrower be” I nominate Rick for a Gorlok Great award.”

Nikritsha Karnjiradet

Receptionist, Administration, Bangkok, Thailand Campus

Nominated for: Consistently providing high quality, reliable, and critical work that, if undone, would halt visible operations

“Ms. Niki has maintained a consistently high work ethic ever since she started with Webster University Thailand. She is actively involved in the day-to-day running of essential administrative operations at the Bangkok center. This means daily communications with students, faculty and staff, which she manages cordially and effectively. Her duties include dealing with visas and work permits. During the Corona crisis, this was even more tricky than usually, yet she never failed and was never late with paperwork. In addition to her duties, when time permitted, she took part of student activities, even co-organizing them. Everyone at Bangkok center recognizes her skills and commitment.”

“She is a very hardworking staff who has helped almost everyone with all the inquiries and problems. She has contributed excessively to both students and faculties. She has also participated and helped with a lot of activities around the campus without being asked. Thus, I strongly believe that her great effort and dedications made her a competitive nominee for this award.”

John Brennan

Maintenance Technician, Facilities, Webster Groves Campus

Nominated for: Consistently providing high quality, reliable and critical work that, if undone, would halt highly visible operations

“It is difficult to address everything John is to our department and the University. John has been with us over 7 years and has not missed a single day of work. Johns attitude and commitment to Websters core values is a reflection of himself. John has complimented himself as our Master locksmith, but it does not confine him to his vast abilities in our department. John has trained several of his colleagues and taken many courses to increase his abilities for the University. John has spent countless hours outside of the normal work shift to make sure everyone on campus is comfortable and secure. John is called on by many department heads by name directly to have problems taken care of and because of Johns pleasant and professional approach to their needs. John is not only admired in our department put across many departments throughout the home campus, the Arcade and Faust Park. Several on this committee I am sure, have dealt with John and can appreciate what I have said to be spot on. Thank you for your time and allowing me to nominate John for this prestigious award. John is certainly deserving of consideration for the Honor of being called a Gorlok Great.”

“John should be nominated for award because he is very Webster University goals-minded. Plus, he always contributes to helping others with his knowledge and works the best with everyone in shop. He is always helping with everyone on campus with all their file cabinets and all other door locks. There is no one on campus that puts more time in and works harder keeping all campus wide (handicap) doors working and operating right. John is a person everyone should try to be like on campus and off.”

Kisha DuBuclet

Representative/School Certifying Official, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling D.C. Campus, National Capital Region

Nominated for: contributing to University mission, values, and goals and consistently providing high quality, reliable and critical work that, if undone, would halt highly visible operations

“It's unfortunate we cannot select more than one option in the criteria section because Kisha literally "checks all the boxes." Kisha works tirelessly to ensure our student's education benefits are processed on time and without any issues before each term begins; she ensures all coding is accurate to ensure the students avoid any frustrations caused by system errors; she spends an insane amount of time on the phone speaking with the VA in the event of any issue with a student's account (and there always seems to be some issue that arises due to the VA's processes). Essentially, she keeps the NCR running smoothly from an administrative and operational standpoint. Because of the thorough nature of Kisha and her work ethic, our students receive unparalleled service and perspective. Moreover, Kisha is a great teammate, a positive collaborator, an enthusiastic coach and cheerleader for our staff and students; and she is the one person in the NCR besides me who loves to use technology to help improve and make our processes efficient. You cannot find anyone across any Webster campus who cares more about the well-being and success of our students more than Kisha. And if that wasn't enough, she is now a Webster alum, having completed her graduate degree and beginning another. She makes all of this looks effortless while supporting her home as her husband, who is also in the military, has stints when he has to be away serving the country. Kisha is the essence of the Webster community and the embodiment of all the promises to the students when they are recruited to Webster. She is not only a great person, she IS a Gorlok Great. She should be recognized as one and bestowed with that distinction.”

“I always find it difficult to select only one category to nominate Kisha DuBuclet under because she encompasses so many of the virtues of each criteria. However, since I must select one I am nominating her under the criteria: Consistently provide high quality, reliable and critical work that, if undone, would halt highly visible operations. As the VA School Certifying Official (SCO) for the National Capital Region Kisha is responsible for certifying all VA students at the five locations. In addition she must send in reports to each state approving agency for the VA that is three in our region: District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. Then each state may have some additional rules and regulations specific to their state. Needless to say this can be challenging at times make sure each region’s nuisances are adhered to. Additionally, each state has different Education Liaison Representatives (ELRs) that Kisha engages with, here again three different standards to contend with to perform in the best interest of the Webster students who are using their VA benefits. Kisha manages all this with the upmost professionalism and an extreme grace. With her abilities to tackle all these different fields the students are the ones who benefit. If she was not as proficient in her abilities the students would lose out on their benefits, which in turn would cause them to become frustrated and potentially leave the university. With her abilities Kisha has become a mentor to other SCOs at Webster and for that we all benefit. Finally, Kisha has worked from home for close to a year still flawlessly fulling her job responsibilities. I know our students and NCR sites have benefited from her stellar work ethic. For these reasons I nominate Kisha DuBuclet for a Gorlok Great award.”

“Kisha is an extremely reliable, knowledgeable, and caring School Certifying Official/Representative in the National Capital Region. Her work is crucial to our success because the vast majority of our students use their VA benefits. But it is no secret that she processes VA certifications efficiently and accurately. So, I would like to briefly mention her excellent communication skills! When a disgruntled VA student calls our office regarding a debt letter they received, we normally refer them to the Bursar’s or Collections office, but sometimes they demand speaking to a VA certifier. Kisha is always student oriented and has an ability to explain their account issues so I am comfortable with involving Kisha in the conversation, even though the context is sometimes beyond Kisha’s job description. I believe her communication skills are commendable and I know our VA students feel that they’re fully taken care of and they always have a good experience interacting with her. It was a pleasure working with her at Webster!”

Justin Barton

Director, First Year Experience and Undergraduate Persistence, Webster Groves Campus

Nominated for: Consistently provide high quality, reliable and critical work that, if undone, would halt highly visible operations 

“Justin Barton has done a tremendous job facilitating new Freshmen and Transferred students into the Gorlok family. He has done this during a pandemic crisis of biblical proportions. His online Orientation has provided solace to students and their parents. The wonderful interaction with the online Orientation helps students navigate "learning the new ropes". I believe this online Orientation has contributed to decreasing student anxiety. His ongoing leadership with the Community Leaders (CL's) program has also contributed to new Freshmen connecting with upper class students who over guidance, support, and encouragement. His statistical information about enrollment, and suggestion to colleagues to reach out to students who have not re-enrolled, contributes to Webster's financial stability.”

Jennifer Millar

Admissions Officer, Webster Vienna Campus

Nominated for: Achieving a desired outcome despite adversity

“Passionate, open, and determined are three words that I would use to describe Jennifer and her student recruitment approach. Her student recruitment skills are evident – as a team member with experience in developing and delivering various recruitment-related outputs, the results are flourishing recruitment numbers! She is equally focused on results and guidance in technical and organizational support in the student recruitment process. Equal parts self-motivated and hardworking, friendly, and adaptive, she quickly adjusted to the fast pace of the COVID-19 time and environment, working gracefully under stress and the pressure of deadlines. Truthfully, I am blessed to work with Jennifer, and I am looking forward to achieving outstanding results.”

Ron Branstetter

Public Safety Officer, Community Music School-Strauss Center at Faust Park

Nominated for: Consistently provide high quality, reliable and critical work that, if undone, would halt highly visible operations and contributing to University mission, values, and goals 

“Ron goes above and beyond in his duties as Public Safety officer for the Faust Park location of Webster CMS. He is beloved by all staff and all of the families who come to Faust for music lessons and is an integral part in the daily function and success of CMS. Ron is kind, thoughtful, and welcoming to all who enter the building. He goes above and beyond!”

“Ron Branstetter is a kind and reliable person who excels at his job. If he was not at the Strauss Center, physical operations and the safety of our campus would be in jeopardy. He is an asset to the Community Music School at the Strauss Center in Faust Park. His job often goes unsung so I think it only appropriate to highly recommend Ron Branstetter for the Gorlok Great Award.”

“Ron has demonstrated professionalism at all times. He is also very kind and resourceful when faculty requires his assistance to keep our Faust location safe. He has given great advice when we discuss about possible scenarios, and assisted to provide a safe environment. He has been working at our Faust location for 13 years! He deserves some recognition for all these years.”

“Ron Branstetter does an outstanding job maintaining security at the CMS Strauss Center. Having worked with him for 13 years, he’s become a trusted colleague and someone I genuinely enjoy seeing and talking with on a daily basis. Countless parents and faculty have shared with me how much they appreciate Ron’s efforts and presence here. Plus, as everyone knows, he’s truly a good, decent, kind human being. We are fortunate to have someone of his caliber and caring nature watching over this branch. Not only does he serve to keep eyes on the premises and around the building to maintain safety for all our patrons and visitors, but Officer Ron also exudes a constant positive attitude and caring demeanor. He carefully watches out for all those coming and going from the building, knowing many students, parents, and teachers by name. In rare cases of emergencies like tornado warnings, Ron is always swift to act and to lead the way toward shelter. Over the years, he has added other additional duties to his role, though likely not included in the original job description. A few examples: plunging toilets, fixing light timers, shoveling snow, changing light bulbs, ridding studios of stink bugs, posting signs, helping faculty carry music bags, and checking on the building during breaks to make sure the building is safely intact. He goes above and beyond more than any other colleague I have known, and his incredible work ethic has certainly been noticed and praised by his supervisors. All who know Ron are grateful for his steady, reliable, kind presence at the Strauss Center. His sociable persona creates a sense of calm and pleasant peace, allowing students and faculty who come for lessons to fully engage in what they are here to do. Throughout these many months of the Covid-19 pandemic, shifting from remote operations in the spring and summer and then returning to limited in-person lessons last fall, Officer Ron has been a stalwart champion in keeping this facility safe. Our CMS staff, students, families, and faculty are all deeply grateful for Ron’s countless contributions in his work, and on a relational level, for exuding his signature positivity and caring attitude to help build community here in such authentic, long-lasting ways. This nomination is truly well-deserved. Please consider this my highest possible recommendation for this remarkable Webster Public Safety Officer!”

“Ron Branstetter, Public Safety Officer for the Community Music School's Leon Strauss Center in Chesterfield (Faust Park) is an exceptional Webster University employee. Not only is he extraordinarily reliable and friendly to all, he creates a welcoming and secure environment for CMS parents, students and faculty. He goes above and beyond security including many "extra" jobs to keep our beautiful and storied building and grounds in shape. And, he's a genuinely nice person - easy and fun to talk to and always willing to lend a hand. He truly is a solid and generous representative of the Webster University community.”

Nominees

It's clear that Webster University has an abundance of incredible employees. While there were only eight Gorlok Greats Award winners this semester, Webster would like to recognize all of the extraordinary nominees. These individuals help push Webster to the next level.

Nominees included: Ann Brophy, Aziz Nishanov, Beth Price, Carolyn Brown, Cherie Wyatt, David Stephens, DeShawn Loggins-Condra, Emily Miller, Erica Ellard, Erika Rogers, Greg Edwards, Jean Huber, Jessica Welch, Joshua Ray, Judy Pitt, Kate Sprague, Laura McMaster, Maureen Weil, Robbie O’Toole, Shantuana Drake, Tasha Scola & Cindy Yamnitz, and Ulugbek Shukurillaev.