Bartels recognize Cornell's outstanding custodians
By Nancy Doolittle
More than 400 Building Care staff members gathered in Bartels Hall Dec. 3 to recognize the six recipients of this year's Bartels Award for Custodial Service Excellence and the six recipients of the Bartels Scholarship for employees and their children.
Maria Cimilluca, senior director of facilities management, opened the event by thanking the Building Care staff members for their hard work, leadership and volunteer efforts in the local community. She also recognized several who became U.S. citizens this year -- Dhia Waheed, Nikolay Kozak, Vy Merritt, Khin Khin Paw, Aye Lahpo Paw, Poe Htoo and his wife, Paw -- and those who retired from the university this past year -- Barb Atkins, Elaine Cole, Jim Evener, Sharon Griffin, Al Hand, Janet Hoag and Bill Anderson.
Cimilluca also thanked Phil Bartels '71 and his wife Susan. "They cherish Cornell University, they cherish the work that you do," she said to the Building Care staff, "and that is clearly demonstrated through the awards and scholarship programs that are available to all of you."
KyuJung Whang, vice president for facilities services, also extended his thanks to the Bartels family for their "tremendous generosity." "Our employees look forward to this event every year," he said.
The Bartels had offered to establish an award for custodial service excellence after custodian Craig Beaver had given words of encouragement to -- and shared a plate of cookies with -- their daughter, Katie Bartels '06, and her classmates, who were all studying for exams, more than six years ago.
The award was first given in February 2008; the Bartels endowed it in 2009. Also in 2009, the Bartels established and endowed the scholarship programs to encourage custodians and their children to take classes and further their education.
Each of this year's custodial and housekeeping awardees -- Donna McLaughlin, Charlene Finch, Patrick Sherry, Kim Cornell, Ted Fellows and Gloria Grady -- received a framed certificate, a cash award of $500 and congratulations from their colleagues, the Bartels and Building Care administrators.
The Building Care Bartels Scholarship awardees for 2012 were announced by program administrator Julie Parsons, who noted that since the scholarships were established, $75,000 in scholarship funds have been awarded. This year, Jason David and Joyce Ward each received a $1,500 Bartels Scholarship for Employees. In addition, four children of Building Care staff members each received a Bartels Children's Scholarship of $5,000: Melinda Allen (father, Doug Allen); Yuriy Bindas (father, Slavik Bindas); Orlay Santa (father, Hector Santa) and Emma Sherry (father, Pat Sherry).
Phil Bartels recalled Reunion 2011, when he and his wife arrived at West Campus tired and late. They were immediately greeted by several Building Care employees, who helped them get checked in and settled. "You are a backbone department of the university," he said.
Supervisors and colleagues provided the following reflections about Bartels Award for Custodial Service Excellence recipients:
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