By JOY HART and LINDSAY RODZWICZ
Staff Council is well-known on campus for its annual awards, which are open to all staff. These include the Mentor Award, the Frisch Staff Professional Development Award, and the Staff Council Endowed Book Fund.
This year, Staff Council is celebrating something new for us — the first time we are presenting the Impact Awards in the University of Pittsburgh Staff Council. We drew inspiration from the annual Awards for Service in the University Senate and created these internal awards to recognize the heart, creativity, and dedication that so many Pitt staff volunteers bring to our organization. These also serve as an opportunity to highlight the contributions to shared governance, by both individuals and teams, that help us grow stronger as a community.
Our Individual Impact Award goes to Kelly Tatone, associate director for student success operations, Student Success Team, Office of the Provost. Kelly’s steady leadership, commitment to collaboration, service, and staff advocacy have made a difference. Kelly has helped to move the work of Staff Council forward in ways that inspire all of us.
Kelly was the inaugural Chair of our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee from 2021-2023 (following Karen Steffey as the inaugural working group coordinator). Kelly drove forward many notable initiatives, including a resolution on the recognition of Juneteenth, a resolution in support of indigenous peoples, a statement in support of reproductive rights, a resolution in support of a parental/lactation policy, and a statement in support of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Under Kelly’s leadership, we have hosted many professional development events, including Staff Council Spotlights on critical topics and our annual Spring Assembly, and participated in many University tabling opportunities to support our community. She has been a tireless communication channel amongst Staff Council. She has helped to promote efforts to ensure all staff and the broader University community feel welcome and bring their “whole self” to Pitt!
Next, our Team Impact Award goes to our amazing Staff Council Newsletter Team — core members Tiwanda Taylor (director of the Center for Academic Advising and Student Success, SHRS), Suzanne Lynch (business administration manager, University Center for Teaching and Learning), and EJ Milarski (budget and facilities manager, School of Education), along with a fantastic group of rotating volunteers who’ve stepped up to learn and use the Campaign Monitor platform.
This team has strengthened the culture, presence, and visibility of Staff Council through thoughtful collaboration every month and excellent execution. Their working group can serve as a model for other efforts or other Staff Council committees on how many hands bring light work. We’re so grateful for your creativity, flexibility and commitment.
Congratulations to Kelly Tatone and the Staff Council Newsletter Team. We appreciate their work supporting Staff Council and the broader University community. They truly embody what Staff Council is all about.
Staff Council serves as a center for input and dissemination of information, provides a means of communication between staff and other members of the Pitt community, and provides opportunities for professional development.
Staff Council has historically represented the interests of Pitt staff not covered under a collective bargaining agreement and continues to participate in shared governance on campus to advocate for the interests of staff members on issues not addressed by collective bargaining. Additionally, Staff Council continues its mission to advocate for unrepresented staff members.
Subscribe to the Staff Council newsletter: https://www.staffcouncil.pitt.edu/news/newsletter.
Joy Hart was the 2023-24 Staff Council vice president for public relations and is the manager of strategic initiatives in the University Center for Teaching and Learning.
Lindsay Rodzwicz is the Staff Council president and is the director of special projects and strategic initiatives in the Department of Bioengineering at the Swanson School of Engineering.