CWU Alumna Named 2004 Employee Of The Year

May 3, 2005

Contact: Lisa Stowe (509-963-2811/fax 509-963-1050/e-mail: stowel@cwu.edu)

ELLENSBURG, Wash. - Barbara Demory, secretary senior in the Central Washington University law and justice department, has been honored as the university's 2004 "employee of the year." She was announced as the winner today (Tuesday, May 3) at the annual CWU service award program.

Recognized through the "Civil Service Employee Recognition Program," Demory will receive a plaque and a $1,500 check from the CWU Foundation at the university's spring honors convocation Friday, June 10. The award was created so that employees who go "above and beyond the call of duty," who offer unique contributions to their work unit and/or the university as a whole, who have a significant positive impact on those they work with or come in contact with, and who consistently perform for the betterment of CWU could be recognized for their work.

Demory received her bachelor's degree in law and justice from Central in 1984. She has more than 14 years of law-related experience as a paralegal and two years in law enforcement and now supports a department of more than 500 majors, 10 full-time faculty members and over 20 adjuncts on campus and at four university centers.

The employee of the year program was established in 1997 to recognize the accomplishments of one civil service employee annually from among 12 monthly winners. A selection committee bases its decision on original employee of the month nomination materials, comments from individuals in the same and different departments as the nominee and comments collected from a "call for comments from the campus community."

Those supporting Demory noted, in particular, her work with a student who returned injured from Iraq and was recovering at Fort Lewis in Tacoma. She was able to work with that student in getting a combination of law and justice courses at CWU-Pierce County and online work so the student could continue his education during his recovery. Off campus, Demory is a past president of the Kittitas Valley Junior Soccer Association.

Demory, the university's June employee of the month, was selected from among the 12 monthly winners during calendar year 2004, who also included:

• January: Larry Bergman, information technology services;
• February: Sandra Bach, continuing education;
• March: Eileen Stokes, human resources;
• April: Alex Mandujano. biological sciences;
• May: Noella Wyatt, career services;
• July: Brian Melton, public safety and police services;
• August: Cynthia Kuhlken, chemistry;
• September: Jan Roan, purchasing;
• October: Connie Bliss, admissions;
• November: Gayle Mothershead, facilities management; and
• December: Linda Mahaney, academic facilities and planning.

University students, faculty and staff, as well as community members, are eligible to make nominations for the monthly employee of the month award.

Nomination forms are available from the CWU human resources office, employee council representatives and on line at www.cwu.edu/~hr/ec/index.html. For more information about the program call (509) 963-1202, or (for the hearing impaired) TDD (509) 963-2143.