A statement from President Peter Goodwin on UMCES’ commitment to diversity

UMCES Staff Council

UMCES Staff Appreciation Day 2019

What is Staff Council?

Revitalized in mid 2016, the UMCES Staff Council was formed to be the voice of staff members in the spirit of shared governance and a partnership between UMCES staff and the president and administration of UMCES. Each of the individual labs nominated and voted on members to serve on the UMCES Staff Council.

Interested in staff council or want to know more? Read our helpful FAQs or email us with a question!

2020 – 2021 Executive Board


April Lewis – Chair
Molly Pickel – Vice Chair
Rona Kobell - Secretary
Kurt Florez – Past Chair

2020-2021 Representatives: 

*Also serves on Council of University System Staff (CUSS)

Standing Committees:

Communications Committee: Kurt Florez (chair) The communications comittee maintains the Staff Council website, generates a newsletter on a regular basis, communicates information from the Council of University of System Staff (CUSS) to UMCES staff, posts meeting agendas and archives previous meeting agendas.

Staff Awards Committee: Michelle Prentice (chair) With the assistance of Ex-Officio members, Lisa Ross and Lori Stepp, this committee is charged with coordinating the submission process for both the UMCES Staff Excellence Award and the Board of Regents Award. The Staff Excellence Award, the first of its kind at UMCES, is presented to an individual Staff member who consistently demonstrates a high level of commitment and dedication to UMCES, has a positive impact on their work environment, is flexible and demonstrates cooperation and collaboration among their peers and supervisor while carrying out their job duties. They will present the winner with a plaque of recognition and a $500 stipend at the first Staff Appreciation Day in September 2018.

The Board of Regents USM Staff Awards represents the highest honor bestowed by the Board of Regents for achievements of Exempt and Nonexempt Staff employees from institutions within the University System of Maryland. The awards are presented to individual Staff employees who have demonstrated excellence.  Brian Duke was the first BOR Staff Award recipient for UMCES for the category Effectiveness and Efficiency.

For more information about staff awards, see our Staff Awards Webpage.

Staff Appreciation Day: Charged with planning and executing Staff Appreciation Day where all staff members from all units, who are able and willing to participate, can meet in an informal setting where members of the administration can show their appreciation for their efforts throughout the year. The event will be held at Centennial Park, a location central to all units, in September, and all staff members and administrators, including the President, Vice Presidents, and Directors, are encouraged to attend. 2020-2021 Chair: Molly Pickel.

Detailed reports of UMCES Staff Council committee activities for the 2017-2018 meeting year can be viewed in our Annual Report to the UMCES President.

Staff Council Policies and By-Laws

UMCES Staff Council is governed by a set of policies and by-laws, outlined by the UMCES administration and the staff council itself. Please see the appropriate webpages for information on policies and by-laws related to the Staff Council.

Staff Council Meeting Agendas

Downloadable copies of past staff council meetings are provided here:

Downloadable copies of Council of University System Staff (CUSS) newsletters:

Staff Related Websites

Staff Events and Resources

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