Some of the nearly 100 people at the Division of Human Resources’ annual holiday gathering on Dec. 12 were keeping a secret: Michelle Artibee, director of workforce well-being, was the 2025 recipient of the George Peter Award for Dedicated Service.

The party in the East Hill Office Building was nearing its end when a contingent of Employee Assembly representatives and well-wishers snuck into the room. Wendy Treat, chair of the Employee Assembly and program coordinator of professional student, clinical and international services in the College of Veterinary Medicine, took the mic to surprise Artibee with the award.

Credit: Sreang Hok/Cornell University

As Artibee stood, her wife Cheryl Jewell – who was among the crowd of unexpected guests – wrapped her in a big hug. 

“You really surprised the daylights out of me today, so I’m a little bit rattled,” Artibee said.

Artibee is the 197th recipient of this award, which the Employee Assembly presents to staff members who consistently demonstrate excellence in the performance of their duties and who prove their willingness to extend themselves to help others and go above and beyond the normal expectation of their job responsibilities.

The award originated in 1980 but was renamed in 1999 for the late George Peter, a longtime Cornell employee who advocated for staff members to have a say in university decision-making and for official recognition of employees’ achievements.

At the award presentation, Erin Sember-Chase, diversity, equity and inclusion learning consultant in the Department of Inclusion and Belonging, and one of Artibee’s nominators, said Artibee has worked tirelessly to increase access to affordable child care in the community, to transform how the university supports victims of domestic violence and to advance the Health Promoting Campus initiative. 

“Michelle is known for her compassion, flexibility, collaborative nature and calm leadership under pressure,” Sember-Chase said. “In everything she has done, big or small, whether in the public eye or quietly behind the scenes, Michelle has helped cultivate a campus culture of care, connection, access and well-being, especially for employees.” 

Artibee serves as Cornell’s representative to the Tompkins County Community Child Care Growth Initiative, a partnership with the Child Development Council that has created 150 new child care slots in the county, with more on the way. On Dec. 6, that initiative won a Cornell Town-Gown Award. 

Fellow nominator Linda Croll Howell, senior director of employee experience and Artibee’s supervisor, said Artibee is not only an innovative and compassionate person, she has put a team of people around her who share those values. 

“Her leadership skills have just grown in such a huge way to be able to get the things done for this community that are so important to making the experience and the well-being of this community much stronger,” she said.

Making remarks off the cuff to the gathered crowd, Artibee thanked her colleagues for their passion, care and insightfulness. 

“I wholeheartedly believe this is a caring community,” she said. “I try to embody that, and I’m grateful to work with so many people who do as well, even in the most difficult of times.”

The award presentation was the final official duty of Christine Lovely, vice president and chief human resources officer, who is leaving the university as of Dec. 15 and had delivered farewell remarks to the division earlier in the meeting. 

“What a wonderful final act to be able to leave on,” Lovely said, “to be able to present this award to this phenomenal woman that has had such an impact on not just this university, but each of us as individuals.”