Rodriguez honored as President’s Employee of the Year
System Staff Council last week honored Adam Rodriguez, procurement solutions architect in the Procurement Service Center, as winner of the President’s Employee of the Year Award for 2025.
Rodriguez, who was unable to attend but appeared via Zoom, received a plaque and $1,000 award, which is presented by System Staff Council, during a ceremony Oct. 2 at 1800 Grant St. The recognition honors a staff member who goes above and beyond in their dedication and service to the university.
Last week’s event also included recognition for 10 other nominees for President’s Employee of the Year, and for many system administration employees who reached milestone years of service to CU during the 2024 fiscal year.
Leadership attending the ceremony included President Todd Saliman; Leonard Dinegar, senior vice president for internal operations and chief of staff; and Felicity O’Herron, vice president and chief human resources officer.
Comments from nominators and supporters of Rodriguez included:
- “The solutions that Adam tested and proposed were so innovative that even the consultants, the experts of the platform, didn’t know they were possible. Without Adam’s knowledge of our processes and systems, his diligence in testing and the trust he has earned, we would not have been able to move forward with major parts of the project.”
- “Adam exemplifies the true spirit of teamwork. He approaches every challenge with an open mind and a can-do attitude, consistently stepping up to support initiatives of all sizes. It is rare for a conversation within the PSC regarding customer-impacting changes not to mention Adam, either as a key contributor or as a trusted source of insight.”
- “Adam embodies professionalism in every sense. He arrives at each interaction fully prepared, listens attentively and tackles every challenge with a proactive, solution-focused mindset.”
Also nominated for the President’s Employee of the Year Award were:
Taylor Craven, Employee Services. “Taylor is the epitome of a leader. She listens to feedback of her team and works tirelessly to make improvements to our processes. She is regularly implementing new ways to ensure that the team is engaged and happy in their work. Taylor is the hardest-working person I’ve met in my eight years with CU. She is respected by everyone who knows her and gives so much of herself to her work.”
Ashley Eschler, Employee Services. “Ashley approaches all aspects of her job with an upbeat attitude, which helps in even the most difficult situations. When Ashley is working with me on an issue, I feel a palpable sense of relief and confidence in the guidance she provides.”
Angelique Foster, Office of the President. “It’s how Angelique does her work that makes her so special. Her performance in each of the aforementioned tasks is outstanding and she works exceptionally well as a member of the many teams she serves on. She’s service-oriented and keeps everyone else on task until the job is done. She makes working with her fun and rewarding. Angelique has become the go-to person for many of us in the president’s office. We know she gets things done and she has the respect of everyone that she works with.”
Elisha Garza, University Counsel. “Whether preparing for trial, or just in the day-to-day processing of our cases, Elisha is always mindful that we are a team and we work as one. Without a question, she is always supportive and ready to step in if our department is short-handed or if someone is out. She checks in with everyone often to see if they need help with anything or have any questions.”
Cindy Kraft, University Information Services. “Cindy is well-versed in UIS staff and appears to have a great working relationship with everyone. She never hesitates to step in and help out or cover for people. Cindy is who I strive to become when I ‘grow up.’”
Kevin McCarty, University Information Services. “Kevin exemplifies teamwork through his work on continuously improving or rolling out IT service management processes. His level of customer service is welcoming, represented by how many in UIS pull Kevin in now to various team and individual work efforts, his consult and expertise on best service management efforts. His customer service delivery has built trust, which is priceless.”
Amber McDonnell, Board of Regents Office. “Amber is one of the most meticulous employees at the system office and manages to balance the variety of demands from her job, professional development and her service to the CU system. I truly do not know how Amber balances the priorities of the Board of Regents so smoothly, but I am so glad that we at system have her in that role.”
Jennifer Mortensen, University Information Services. “She always approaches problems with a solution-oriented mindset. Jen prioritized building a unique relationship with each team member through open and transparent communication, leaving everyone feeling respected, valued and empowered. Her approachability creates a culture of innovation as she encourages new ideas and welcomes feedback.”
Kevin Sarsen, University Information Services. Kevin “has found the right mix of emerging technologies and technical standardization to create a service in ODIN that is stable, remains running while other UIS services are down for maintenance, and is increasingly relied on by our campus partners as their source of truth for data.”
Audra Strang, Employee Services. “Since her arrival, she has successfully overhauled the department by addressing complex historical issues, implementing advanced data automation and fostering a collaborative culture. Her leadership and problem-solving skills have not only enhanced efficiency and accuracy but have also strengthened relationships across multiple departments. Audra’s dedication to her team’s growth and her initiative in organizing successful employee events demonstrate her commitment to excellence and her invaluable contribution to the university.”
Employees recognized with Years of Service Awards were:
30 Years
Leonard Dinegar
Michael Lightner
25 Years
Yuki Busch
Carolyn Donadio
Betty Heimansohn
Brad Judy
Catherine McCoy
Normandy Roden
20 Years
Cordelia Angel
Christine Bauder
Alicia Dandeneau
Gena Escobar-Trujillo
Karyn Hardy
Cheryl Kisling
David Pierce
Heather Retzko
Jennifer Willits
Kendra Zafiratos
15 Years
Larissa Armand
Frances Chapman
Bob Hasenhundl
Nicole Leonhard
Jaime Mendez
Samantha Moreno
Alisha Palas
Pravija Prabhakaran
Christopher Rose
Todd Saliman
Milap Sharma
Heather Tasca
Kris Truesdale
10 Years
Adam Alberti-Powell
Annie Baccary
Ritu Basnyat
Joshua Brumley
Jennifer Casanova
Joseph Ciecior
Miranda Clark
Tanya Cohen
Nicole Combs
Darlene Crow
Anthony DeCrosta
Karen Dreiling
Joanna Hall
Jaimie Henthorn
Joshua Husman
Ming-Juan Jung
Brett Kellum
Aaron Mansfield
Thomas Martinez
Chad Marturano
Kristina Mendez
Mayank Mittal
Laurie Reagan
Kelly Richter
Adam Rodriguez
Laura Siedzick
Julie Steeler
Om Tandukar
Kathryn Wilson
Christen Woodburn
Jennifer Wunsch
Five Years
Effie Ameen
Jeanne Baak
Bijan Bewley
Janet Bravo
Minna Briscoe
Jillian Callaghan
Budy Chandra
Megan Clark
Jen D’Angelo Dekker
Shirley Eaves
Roxann Elliott
Lyndsey Fabis
Brianna Fuller
Michael Gaisbauer
Eric Gary
Zoe Geraghty
Praveen Ghimire
Stacy Gomez
Kirby Harris
Deirdre Keating
Charles Kirkwood
Aislinn Lederman
Van Lepage
Robert Linseisen-Kerley
Amelia Loving
Ryan Mannix
Beth Marcotte
Dallas Martin
Carrie McVay
Mike Monroe
Virginia Nystrom
Kendyl Polson
Erich Pomrening
Jordan Ross
Kaleb Schumaker
Elizabeth Shattuck
Kim Shaw McGregor
Elizabeth Snow-Trenkle
Ryan Snyder
Fallou Thiobane
Ashley Tillman
Daniella Torres
Sarah Tuttle
Vaughn Wennerstrom
Geoffrey Zabka