Staff News November/December 2020

Noted with Regret

Tiewan "Tie" Benston, plumber in Housing Facilities, died on November 14. He was a cornerstone of FM Housing Maintenance and a great friend who volunteered in the community and had an infectious positive attitude that brightened up any room he was in, and he will be deeply missed. Tie worked for Facilities Management for 15 years and was a 2009 graduate of the UVA Apprenticeship Program.
Missy Wernstrom, finance associate in Finance, died on November 16. Missy was such a happy and positive individual who was always willing to assist with any task and had a desire to go above and beyond on everything she did. She would always come into the office with a smile on her face and ask you how you were doing despite how she was feeling. She will be missed by many.

Educational & Professional Accomplishments

Sarita Herman, historic preservation project manager with Capital Construction & Renovations, was recognized by the UVA Office of Engagement as one of five outstanding faculty and staff members who delivered in-person or virtual programming for alumni, parents and friends. In the summer heat, Herman led tours of the Memorial to Enslaved Laborers to help community members understand and embrace this important work.
Sathish Anabathula, associate director of Power & Light, was recently reappointed by Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam to serve on the Board for Waste Management Facility Operators through June 2023. The board establishes training criteria, approves training providers and licenses qualified individuals who manage waste facilities in the Commonwealth.

Compliments from Customers

Lois Crenshaw and Eugene Chambers: I feel I have to tell you about the splendid job Lois Crenshaw and Eugene Chambers are doing to keep New Cabell Hall clean during this difficult time of the pandemic. I cannot imagine two more dedicated and more accommodating people. They are model employees — always with a mask, always at the job, always helpful, and always ready to be of assistance. I have been at the University 46 years, and I have never seen NCH in better condition than it is right now — halls and rest rooms in spic-and-span condition. It is a pleasure to have a work area like ours, and we owe it to people like Lois and Gene. We too often, I think, take our custodial and maintenance staff for granted. We expect our surroundings and work areas to be clean and in working order, and we forget the effort and hard work it takes on the part of colleagues like Lois, Gene, and others to achieve this goal. I therefore like to let it be known, from time to time, how much we appreciate them, especially in difficult situations like the present one. We could not do our work if they did not first do theirs. We are so fortunate to have such people on our team. — Mark J. Elson, Professor of Slavic Languages and Literatures
Housing Custodial team: I just wanted to share that the students made more thank you cards for the housekeepers serving UVA residence halls. I’m overwhelmed with the generosity and the thoughtfulness from the students. Even though the fight is scary, I’m glad to be part of this team. — Tanyia Moore, Housekeeping Zone Manager
User Experience & Engagement team: During the last few months, E&G Custodial Services launched several initiatives that have benefitted from the technical expertise of your team. Sandra Smith, Ryan Gumlock and I would like to acknowledge this team for their good work and responsiveness. They are always there when we need them, and we offer our genuine thanks. — Vibha Buckingham, Associate Director of E&G Custodial Services

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