Ana Valdez—February Employee of the Month, with President Michelle J. Anderson.
Employee of the Month: 2020
This award highlights employees who provide the college with exceptionally high-quality work and advance the mission of the college. They are our shining stars.
Awardees will have their photograph displayed on a "Wall of Fame" in the lower level of Boylan Hall and on the Human Resource Services webpage. They will receive a $100 check, a framed certificate, and an invitation to an end-of-the-year event.
If you would like to nominate a colleague for a future award, complete a nomination form, then e-mail the completed form.
Juan Fanarraga—April
Juan Fanarraga has been a Brooklyn College all-star for the past 14 years. In 2006, he was hired as a custodial assistant, quickly becoming an invaluable member of the college’s essential personnel.
During the past two months, while much of the campus community has been working remotely, Juan begins his workdays at the crack of dawn. As the college remains closed, he demonstrates a tremendous amount of fortitude, cleaning and sanitizing the classrooms and laboratories of Ingersoll Hall. Juan is fast, efficient, and thorough in the services he provides. What sets him apart is his strong work ethic. Despite his large workload, Juan is quick to lend a helping hand and routinely asks if he can be of assistance to the CLTs and faculty working in the laboratories. He is described by his nominator as “friendly, positive, and a pleasure to work alongside. Throughout this pandemic, he has never missed a shift and continues to work hard to ensure the cleanliness and safety of our campus.”
Vincent Lai—March
Vincent Lai has been a Brooklyn College all-star for the past four years. In 2016, he was hired as a CUNY office assistant in the Department of Finance, a role he was well prepared for after he earned a B.A. in Business Administration from Brooklyn College.
Vincent has single handedly raised the bar for customer service. A colleague stated, “students know him, trust him, and count on him.” By counseling each and every student on the department’s course waitlist, Vincent ensures that they are well informed about their academic standing and are on the fastest route to graduation. His dedication to our students is exemplary, as he volunteers to serve as the secretary of the honor society, Beta Gamma Sigma.
Susanna Firestone
Susanna Firestone—February
Susanna has been a Brooklyn College all-star since 2010, beginning her career as a college assistant in the Department of Psychology while pursuing a master’s degree in school counseling. In 2014, upon successful completion of her degree, she was appointed to the full-time title of academic senior advisor in the Psychology Department.
Susanna, better known as “Sue,” is a role model for professionalism. As an academic advisor for a department with 1,800 majors, Sue’s advising responsibilities exceed the standard. Undeterred by this challenge, she remains clear, understanding, and patient when advising distressed students, and creates innovative solutions to remove obstacles to student success. In collaboration with the Center for Academic Advisement and Student Success, she created four-year B.A. and B.S. degree maps for psychology majors. These maps have been instrumental in directing students on the path to graduation. Sue works with various offices to assist transfer students in their transition to Brooklyn College and brainstorms with professors on solutions for students facing graduation barriers. As an expert in the courses and their requirements, Sue has been able to discover and improve details of curricula. Her colleagues describe Sue as someone who will not “pass the buck” but will take initiative and work with students and departments until their issues are resolved.
Latoya Bowen
Latoya Bowen—January
Latoya Bowen has been a Brooklyn College all-star since 2010, when she began her career as a college assistant in the Office of Student Affairs. In 2015, she was appointed to the full-time title of health programs coordinator, where she organizes health and wellness events for the campus.
Latoya exemplifies the credo of Brooklyn College, "Nothing Without Great Effort." She is responsible for coordinating the Brooklyn College Annual Health Fair, which is attended by more than 1,000 members of the campus community and requires Latoya to collaborate with more than 40 social service providers to bring free health services, screenings, and information to the campus. Latoya's commitment to health and wellness extends to organizing blood drives, certified CPR trainings with BC-EMS, an annual holiday toy drive for local children, and a food drive for the BC Food Pantry as well as nonprofits such as Little Flower Children and Family Services of New York. These events are important for the health of our campus community and allow Brooklyn College to have a positive impact in the borough and across New York City.
