People's Choice Award
This is an award based on nominations from any of the volunteers.
Purpose of the Award: to recognize wonderful accomplishments by individuals whose efforts created a
successful CFD campaign. Some examples of nominations could be:
Someone who was particularly creative in their approach
Someone who demonstrated tenacity beyond the call of duty
Someone who went the extra mile to reach colleagues
Criteria for the Award: strong commitment to succeed in the role of reaching others regarding the
University’s CFD. This award does not necessarily look at dollars raised, but at efforts that make us
proud to be part of the CFD campaign.
People's Choice Winners for 2009
Chris Schanus
Work Unit: OHR Communications
Out of the eight members on our CFD committee Chris Schanus really stood out as someone who was
always willing to go above and beyond! Whether it was making sure that all of our "Chocolates for
Charities” went out to 30+ staff members or helping to coordinator our online auction which raised
$574.00, Chris truly demonstrated a commitment to the Community Fund Drive. He was always quick to
respond and give feedback or information regarding events and he went out of his way to be helpful on
numerous occasions. He was really great to have as a committee member and we couldn't have done it
without him!
Karen Kotval
Work Unit: CFANS
We went through months of communications and work to create the Challenge from CFANS to CLA
regarding participation percentage rates.
After it was accepted, Karen (assistant to CFANS Dean) had to follow through on the details and
decisions related to "the deal."
These “negotiations” were on top of being one of the Leads to CFANS which included working on an allbuilding Chili Cook Off, Candy Grams, and other fundraisers...
Thank you Karen - for following through on this fun Challenge and being a hard worker on all of our
ideas.
Bonnie Marten
Work Unit: OHR, HRMS/Payroll
I’d like to clarify, here, that the CFD organizing and training committees do not nominate other
members of the committee. Bonnie was nominated by someone in her building who said, “Because of
her hard work with the Community Drive - I have tried to volunteer more at the U (and not just with the
Community Fund).” I was happy, but not surprised, to see someone nominate Bonnie. It gives me a
chance to express to you and to her how much we all appreciate the work that she does for the
Community Fund Drive. It is not an exaggeration to say that she is a driving force in making the CFD
events happen. Her dedication, enthusiasm and cheerful attitude are an inspiration to us all. Thank
you, Bonnie, for all your hard work and creative motivation before, during and after the campaign.
Ross Stafford
Work Unit: University of Minnesota Extension
Position: outreach specialist, nutrition education programs
I think Ross Stafford should receive this award because he went beyond the call of duty as well as added
a very creative incentive for pledging called "free bread on Fridays."
Here is how it worked:
1) He invited his contact group to make a pledge to the CFD. For each person who pledged in his unit,
he put their names in a hat and each Friday he drew out a name.
2) The winner got a free loaf of bread, made by Ross.
Challah: Traditional Jewish egg bread with or without seeds
Cibatta: Rustic and light with a crispy crust
Sour Dough French: Classic flavor with a slight tang. About 30% whole grains
Sour Dough Miche: A rendition of the bread eaten by early European settlers in Canada 80%
whole grain
Bialys: Bakers dozen of the traditional little roll with just a whisper of onion and charnuska.
Potato foccacia: From northern Italy ½ potato and ½ flour. A lovely way to hold olive oil.
I think this effort demonstrated a strong commitment to succeed in the role of reaching others as well
as demonstrating a type of tenacity that made me proud to be part of the CFD campaign.
Jo Hendricks
Work Unit: Law School
Jo was instrumental in making the Law School efforts successful and she’s worked very hard to make it
one of the top participant units in the CFD. Her enthusiasm was infectious.
Doug Robertson
Work Unit: CEHD’s Postsecondary Teaching and Learning Department
I have seen and experienced Doug in the lead volunteer role which he has masterfully and very
effectively encouraged contributions from colleagues in our college. He will frequently send out email
reminders to our college employees about the importance of donations to the charitable organizations.
He is very encouraging to our grassroots volunteer team as he gently reminds us and supports us with
strategies to help motivate financial contributions from our faculty and staff.
Sarah Morean
Work Unit: University Libraries
Sarah took the initiative to think outside of the box when the Libraries were considering a logo to
replace the local CFD thermometer to visualize current progress by the Libraries. Sarah proposed a few
ideas to the CFD Lead Volunteers including a light bulb that gets brighter with every % increase or a tree
that grows with every donation. The group decided in the later, and Sarah produced a wonderful tree
that sprouts a new leaf with every % increase, and at large increments an icon is added to the tree, such
as bluebirds or a kite. This new design has been well received by library staff and it is perking everyone’s
interest as we are approaching 20% contribution. We would like to recognize Sarah for her creativity
and ability to integrate our green theme throughout the CFD.
Harry Hartigan
Work Unit: Capital Planning and Project Management (CPPM)
On the very first day of the campaign, Harry attended the department staff meeting and made a pitch
for the fund drive and then personally spoke to each person. In the very first week, CPPM had giving
totals of over 50% and I think this is directly related to Harry's dedication to this cause. Harry also spent
his own money to decorate areas of both my unit and his unit in order to draw attention to the fund
drive. Harry has inspired and motivated me to do much more than I would have done on my own for
the campaign
Other members of Harry’s team also recognized were:
Kathleen Krueger
Work Unit: University Services, HR
Diane Kleinman,
Work Unit: University Services, IT
As a team they established and worked a plan. They each agreed to the tasks that they would handle
for the team and everyone completed their tasks accordingly. They maintained great communication
with each other and the folks in their units.
The plan was to have a Football Theme with a Pep Rally, football related prizes and speakers. They set
up very colorful information stations to highlight the Community Fund Drive and pressed for
management to support the drive. Their results will reflect our success. Great job, team!