Years of Service Reception Honors 152 Employees
Chancellor
Penney Reflects on Twelve Years At UMass Boston
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Boston First Celebrates Early Victory
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of Service Reception Honors 152 Employees
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H.Penney Endowed Professorship in Leadership
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Wallace Named Outstanding Faculty Member
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Receives Accreditation
by Anne-Marie Kent
On
November 20, University of Massachusetts Boston held its fourth annual
Years of Service Reception, honoring a total of 152 employees from throughout
the university. Twenty-six were honored for ten years of service; fifty-two
for fifteen years; thirty-seven for twenty years; thirteen for twenty-five
years; eighteen for thirty years; and six for thirty-five years with
the university. Gifts reflecting these different milestones ranged from
golf umbrellas to pen and pencil sets to rosewood table clocks.
Director of Human Resources Beth Marshall said, “Four
years ago, the Chancellor inaugurated the Years of Service event as
a means of celebrating the service milestones of UMass Boston faculty
and staff. This event, which has grown steadily in participation since
its inception, provides a means for the Chancellor to publicly convey
the institution’s gratitude for the service of faculty and staff
to the organization.”
Applauding the contributions of all university employees,
the Chancellor said, “As UMass Boston has changed—as we have
added new programs, made plans for expansion, developed more opportunities
for our students, and reached new levels of distinction as an urban
university—one thing has not changed and that is the quality of
the people who work here.” She added, “Each and every one
of you is an important part of UMass Boston and as Chancellor, I thank
you for your hard work.”
Chancellor Penney also thanked members of the Years of
Service committee who put together the reception: Denise McNair, and
Clare Poirier from Human Resources; Cathy Hennessey from Procurement;
and Donna Dunn from Grant and Contract Administration.
Following her remarks, Chancellor Penney gave special
recognition to those who marked thirty-five years of service: Jean-Pierre
Anselme from Chemistry, Martin Coyne from Facilities, Alyce Curran from
the Healey Library, Lawrence Foster from Philosophy, and Lee Grove and
Shaun O’Connell from English, all of whom received rosewood table
clocks.
Reflecting on her thirty-five years at UMass Boston, Alyce
Curran said, “I think the most exciting thing to happen during
these years has been to see how far we’ve come from those fabulous—and
they were fabulous—days in Park Square to the present. It’s
always exciting to see something develop and grow. To be a small part
of that is a great feeling.”
The event, which has followed essentially the same format
since its inception, did include one surprise: a special gift to a particularly
esteemed university employee, Chancellor Penney herself. She was presented
with a clock inscribed with the words “Vision, Competence, Energy,
Intelligence, Dedication” and her years of service: 1988-2000.
Marshall said, “This year’s event was particularly poignant
as we honored the Chancellor for her years of service.”
Also, one particularly beloved employee who served UMass Boston for more than twenty years as the Administrative Assistant for the Graduate Program in English, was notably absent from the Years of Service reception. In October, Mary Bonner left not only the university but the country, moving from Dorchester to start a new life in Donegal, Ireland. At a bittersweet October 17th reception at the University Club, Bonner was honored by over sixty well-wishers, including English Department Chair Louise Smith, who presented her with an official UMass Boston chair in recognition of her years of outstanding service to the department.