The newest members of the inaugural Danforth Staff Council (DSC) at Washington University in St. Louis have been selected from a pool of more than 70 applicants who submitted applications late last year.
The 10 members will join the 15 founding members of the council to form the inaugural cohort. The 25-member council met for the first time this week.
When Henry S. Webber, executive vice chancellor for administration, announced last November that a staff advisory council was being created, he said it would provide a platform for ongoing and consistent communication between Danforth staff and the senior administration.
“With more than 70 staff members applying for the 10 open slots on the council, we heard loud and clear that there is a great interest among the Danforth staff to broaden and strengthen lines of communication between staff and the administration,” Webber said. “I’m excited to begin working with this engaged and committed group from throughout our diverse Danforth staff.”
The council members will meet eight times a year and work most closely with Webber, who will bring in other university leaders to give presentations or hear feedback from the staff representatives at its regular meetings.
The 15 founding members comprised a working group that helped bring the proposal for an advisory council to the administration and, subsequently, helped establish the bylaws for the council last year.
Led by chair Empress M. Sanders, student coordinator and adviser in the Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures in Arts & Sciences, and co-chair Trevor Bilhorn, registrar in the School of Engineering & Applied Science, the working group members were placed on the inaugural council.
“My greatest hope for this first staff council is that we help make the chancellor’s message of ‘Leading Together’ a reality in the minds of all staff,” Sanders said. “To do that, the staff must see the council working diligently on their behalf and collaborating with the senior administration and Human Resources by providing input on decisions that directly impact staff.
“I strongly believe this is how we will gain their trust. As their representatives, we want to ensure their voices, concerns and ideas are not just being heard, but are also followed up with action plans.
“We have much work ahead of us, but we believe it will be well worth it,” Sanders added.
The first of two annual open meetings to hear feedback and input from Danforth staff members at large is being scheduled, likely for sometime this spring.
Below is a list of the Danforth Staff Council members. The members who were selected through an application process are in bold.
- Cris A. Baldwin, assistant dean and registrar, Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts;
- Trevor M. Bilhorn, registrar, School of Engineering & Applied Science;
- Gail A. Boker, program coordinator, Diversity & Initiatives, vice provost office;
- Amy M. Gassel, assistant director of Graduate School Financial Services and coordinator of Diversity Programs, Graduate School of Arts & Sciences;
- Jennifer K. Gibbs, executive assistant to the dean of Arts & Sciences;
- Ashley L. Gilkey, diversity in retention coordinator, Cornerstone: The Center for Advanced Learning;
- Luke E. Gregory, assistant director, special facilities and programs, Residential Life;
- Marissa B. Hardwrict, PhD Program manager, Brown School;
- Karen Heise, manager, employer relations and alumni initiatives, Olin Business School, Weston Career Center;
- Jeff Herman, associate director, Student Financial Services;
- Beth J. Hertzig, director, St. Louis major gifts, Alumni & Development;
- Cynthia S. Kahn, assistant to the chair, Performing Arts Department in Arts & Sciences;
- Sandi K. LaManna, manager, Resident Services, off-campus housing (Quadrangle Housing);
- Jackie Lorrainne, manager, human resources and payroll, Olin Library;
- Joseph P. Marentette, senior network systems engineer, WashU IT-Network Planning & Services;
- Andrew J. McCready, manager, Projects and Code Compliance, Facilities Planning & Management;
- Tanya P. Montgomery, coordinator, University Relations, Office of Public Affairs;
- Kelly Nappier, manager, Bureau of Operational Support, Police Department;
- Huyen (Gwen) Nguyen, administrative coordinator, Department of Biomedical Engineering;
- Michelle D. Repice, assistant director, Teaching Center;
- Empress M. Sanders, student coordinator and adviser, Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures in Arts & Sciences;
- Angela Smith, director, Employer Diversity and Recruitment Programs, School of Law;
- Debora I. Spraggins, business officer, Olin Library;
- Emily S. Stenberg, digital publishing and digital preservation librarian, Olin Library; and
- Phil G. Valko, assistant vice chancellor for sustainability.
Comments and respectful dialogue are encouraged, but content will be moderated. Please, no personal attacks, obscenity or profanity, selling of commercial products, or endorsements of political candidates or positions. We reserve the right to remove any inappropriate comments. We also cannot address individual medical concerns or provide medical advice in this forum.