Five Star Awards Program

NOTE: Nominations are closed for the 2018 All Star Award.

The Five Star Awards program provides an opportunity to recognize employees of the Finance Department, the Service Center of Excellence staff, the Assistant Provost for Finance Office and Finance and Operations executive support staff for outstanding demonstrations of the five guiding principles set forth by the office of the senior associate vice chancellor for finance and operations and chief financial officer.

Service excellence means delivering quality services that add significant value. Beyond what is delivered, service excellence includes how we think and act. It goes beyond just answering a question and includes:

  • Identifying and solving the underlying problem
  • Providing prompt and courteous responses
  • Communicating clearly and consistently
  • Acting with integrity
  • Disseminating quality information
  • Providing exceptional training and support
  • Following through on promises
  • Focusing on providing superior customer service and building partnership, trust and collaboration with each and every interaction.

Innovation and continuous improvement means thinking outside the box and bringing new ideas to life. We must continually challenge ourselves to question current assumptions and look for new ways to add value and enable the success of University faculty, students and staff through effective, efficient, intelligent and innovative operations.

Carolina is fortunate to be comprised of individuals with exceptional talent. Together there is nothing we cannot achieve. We will work in collaboration and partnership with colleagues throughout our campus and the local community to embrace and achieve our individual and collective goals. We will do so with kindness, respect, appreciation and integrity.

To support a healthy, high-performing culture, we will:

  • Attract, develop and retain exceptional employees by creating a positive, psychologically safe work environment in which people from all backgrounds, perspectives and experiences contribute, are valued and enjoy working
  • Invest in training and development
  • Provide an egalitarian culture in which formal status distinctions are downplayed
  • Recognize and value contributions
  • Delegate decision making responsibility to enable skilled employees to use their abilities to make real decisions
  • Celebrate successes
  • Learn from failures
  • Share a commitment to each other as well as to the institution.

We will act with integrity to properly steward the University’s resources and adhere to all applicable laws and regulations. We take this responsibility extremely seriously and are committed to exceptional management and leadership.

Gold Star Notes can be given by an eligible employee to any other eligible employee in appreciation of behavior that demonstrates one or more of our five guiding principles.

To give a note:

  1. Pick up a notecard and gold star(s)from one of the four ballot box locations.
    • SASB North: Cashier’s Office, contact is Brooke O’Neal
    • AOB, contact is Carolyn Butler
      • 2nd Floor: Purchasing reception area next to the bid room (room 2501)
      • 3rd Floor, suite 3100: Round table next to Carolyn Butler’s desk
    • SCE: Front lobby, contact is Mary Marzbanian
    • South Building: 2nd Floor, contact is Karen Stone
  2. Add a star next to the applicable guiding principle(s) you wish to recognize.
  3. Write your note of appreciation, making sure the full name of both the recipient and sender is easy to read.
  4. Put the card in the ballot box for delivery by a member of the leadership.

Coming in December 2018.

At the end of each year, five employees from the eligible teams – Finance, the SCE, the Assistant Provost for Finance Office and the Finance and Operations executive support staff – will be selected to receive the All Star Award. This award is given to employees who have broadly demonstrated the five guiding principles throughout the year.

Nominate an All Star!

In your interactions with eligible employees, is there an employee who you think best exemplifies the Guiding Principles? If so, then nominate them for an All Star Award when nominations open in fall 2019.

Eligibility

Any permanent employee in the eligible teams – Finance, the SCE, the Assistant Provost for Finance Office and the Finance and Operations executive support staff – who works 20 or more hours per week is eligible for the award, with the following exceptions:

  • Members of the selection committee
  • Employees who received an All Star Award in the previous year
  • Nominated employees with an active disciplinary action or “Below Good” or “Unsatisfactory” overall performance rating on their most recent WPPR
Nomination Process

All UNC-Chapel Hill permanent employees may nominate an eligible employee for recognition (with the exception of selection committee members).
To nominate an employee:

  • Complete an online nomination form
  • Nominator can notify the person they have nominated if they so choose

Regardless of the number of nominations, each nomination will be given the same consideration.

Selection Committee

The selection committee consists of the leadership teams from the units involved. Rules governing the selection of the five All Stars are:

  • Discussions by the committee are confidential
  • Neither the nominator nor the nominee will be contacted for additional information
  • Changes will not be made to the nomination forms
  • Only five winners are selected per year

Five Star Award Recipients

  • Toni Horton
    SCE accounting manager
  • Miranda Brownlow
    finance accountant
  • Patrick Grogan
    finance applications analyst
  • Peter Dobs
    SCE technology support analyst
  • Jena Kiser
    SCE business services coordinator.

2017 Employee Recognition and Holiday Luncheon

Past EMAP Recipients

Fiscal Year 2015-16 Recipients

  • Mark Sillman
    Associate Director, Purchasing Services
  • Brandon Brooks
    EPA Lead, Payroll Services
  • Cathi James
    Accountant, Accounting Services
  • Bharti (BJ) Javalkar
    Accountant, Accounting Services
  • Sheri Olson
    Business Systems Analyst, Finance Business System Analysis

Fiscal Year 2014-15 Recipients

  • John Medlin
    Senior Purchasing Agent, Purchasing Services
  • Karen Sipe
    Business Analyst
  • Ammar Yameen
    Disbursement Accountant, Disbursement Services
  • Ken Thurheimer
    Purchase Order Vouchering Clerk, Purchasing Services
  • Ethel Rodriguez
    Travel Advance Technician, Travel Services

Fiscal Year 2013-14 Recipients

  • Andrea Cox
    Administrative Support Specialist, Payroll Services
  • Sally Lakomiak
    Payroll Applications Analyst, Payroll Services
  • Nancy Brock
    Assistant Director, Financial Reporting and Management Services
  • Justin Hanford
    PO Vouchering Team Leader, Procurement Services
  • Keith Harris
    Financial Standards Accountant, Financial Reporting and Management Services

Fiscal Year 2012-13 Recipients

  • Alicia Rogers
    Accountant, Cash Management
  • Tammy Jorgensen
    Payment Expediter, Disbursement Services
  • Diana Malinsky
    Accountant, Student Accounts and University Receivables
  • Yiwen Wang
    Special Funds Accountant, Investment Accounting
  • Al Jeter (not shown)
    Surplus Property Officer, Logistics

Fiscal Year 2011-12 Recipients

  • Meena Govindarajan
    Central Audit Team Leader, Disbursement Services
  • Ricky Pitts
    Vouchering Clerk, Disbursement Services
  • Kathi Wimmer
    Financial Accountant, Accounting Services
  • Elena Eliseeva
    Accounting Technician, Accounting Services
  • Angie Davis
    Assistant Director of Accounting Services, Student Accounts & University Receivables

Fiscal Year 2010-11 Recipients

  • Melaina B. Hall
    Departmental Services Manager, Procurement Services
  • Y. Fahir Zulfikar
    Director, Systems & Operations, Procurement Services
  • Norma Newton (not shown)
    Program Specialist, University Controller
  • Linda C. Proctor
    SPA Position Control, Budget Office
  • Flora L. Compton
    Accountant, Accounting Services

Fiscal Year 2009-10 Recipients

  • Shawn Johnson
    Student Accounts and University Receivables
  • Scott Dwyer
    Treasury and Risk Management Services
  • Ned Norland
    Procurement Services
  • Emily Coble
    Accounting Services
  • Henry Price
    Budget Office

Fiscal Year 2008-09 Recipients

  • Amy Zachary
    Budget Office
  • Mark Sillman
    Contract Services & Stores
  • Stan Koziol
    Financial Systems & Controls
  • Yolanda Torain
    Payroll Services
  • Carol Freedman
    Disbursement Services

Fiscal Year 2007-08 Recipients

  • Christina Neely
    Student Accounts & University Receivables
  • John Carlson
    Accounting Services
  • Nicole Long
    Office of the AVC for Finance
  • Henry Price
    Budget Office
  • Stephen Vance
    Disbursement Services

  • Al Jeter
    Asset Management
  • Amy Hart
    Financial Planning and Budgets
  • Tammy Jorgenson
    Disbursement Services
  • Janet Hoernke
    Risk Management Services
  • Stephanie Lloyd
    Financial Services

  • McGregor Bell
    Financial Planning and Budgets
  • Cynthia Gunn
    Payroll Services
  • Roxanne Krotozynski
    Accounting Services
  • Madge Langley
    Payroll Services
  • Gayla Scott
    Contract Services and Stores

  • Lori Lewter
    Purchasing Services
  • Alice Moore
    Accounting Services
  • Rosa Nolen
    Controller’s Office
  • Linda Proctor
    Financial Planning & Budgets
  • Jane Tornow
    Purchasing Services

What About Team Awards?

Teamwork and cooperation are critical to the success of every organization. This employee recognition program has been developed to reward individual efforts, whether those efforts are accomplished alone or while working on a team.