The team that completed work on the new UW Bothell Cascadia College Campus Master Plan has won a 2018 University of Washington Distinguished Staff Award, the highest staff honor at the University. It’s the first time in 15 years one of the awards has gone to UW Bothell staff.
While many worked on the Campus Master Plan, the core team included two staff from UW Bothell Planning and Administration: Kelly Snyder, assistant vice chancellor of government and community relations; and Amy Van Dyke, director of physical planning and space management. Two other members of the team were from the UW Seattle campus: Kristine Kenney, university landscape architect and director of campus design; and Julie Blakeslee, environmental and land use planner. The team also included Meagan Walker, Cascadia College’s vice president of college relations and advancement.
The Distinguished Staff Award is a University-wide honor established in 1997. Five UW staff — usually four individuals and one team — are recognized through the UW Office of Human Resources for outstanding accomplishments and extraordinary service. The last UW Bothell staff member to receive one of the five annual awards was Dave Snyder, information technologies manager, in 2003, said Denise Rollin, human resources director in the UW Bothell office of Organizational Excellence and Human Resources.
Chancellor Wolf Yeigh said he’s proud of the team’s recognition.
“These strong leaders were thoughtful, engaging and solutions-focused. They worked hard, and I’m so glad their work is being acknowledged in this way across the University.”
It was a once-in-a-career project, said Snyder.
“I’m delighted to have been able to work with these talented colleagues on this project. They truly have been leaders, experts and supporters. I look forward to the next steps and seeing the campus master plan become a reality so UW Bothell and Cascadia College can provide even more access and graduate more students to support our community.”
Van Dyke said, “I am grateful to be recognized with this dedicated team that worked so well together through this process. The results of the Campus Master Plan will guide our campus development and community relations for many years to come.”
The master plan to guide development of the campus for the next 20 years took effect in January after approval by Cascadia trustees, UW regents and the Bothell City Council.
“The Campus Master Plan core team worked extensively for 18 months with the neighbors and broader UW Bothell and Cascadia campus community to establish trust and credibility by outlining a clear vision, timeline and opportunities to shape the final outcomes,” said Ruth Johnston, vice chancellor of planning and administration.
“This careful, respectful work by the team with neighbors and the City of Bothell made the development of this plan and its approval by the City of Bothell possible,” said Sally Clark, director of the UW Office of Regional & Community Relations.
“The new Campus Master Plan establishes a development pattern which will lead to more efficient land use, better deployment of capital resources, and opportunities for partnerships, all of which will benefit the students, faculty, staff and citizens of Washington. Every member of the core team went well beyond the typical demands of their roles in order to make this happen,” said Michael McCormick, UW associate vice president for capital planning and development.
“I have worked with many individuals and teams over many years, and this team, without question, was one of the very best at solving problems and achieving its goal, all the while being a great pleasure to work with,” said Patrick J. Schneider, the special assistant city attorney serving as outside counsel to the team.
Two more staff members from UW Bothell were among the individuals from all three campuses who were nominated for the awards: Marci L. Myers, fiscal specialist supervisor in the School of Business dean’s office; and Christy Cherrier, science lab manager in the School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
All the nominees were celebrated at a Feb. 27 reception on the Seattle campus. The winners were among the Awards of Excellence announced by the UW. The recipients will be honored at the annual awards of excellence ceremony in June.
In addition to the UW Distinguished Staff Award, the UW Bothell Department of Organizational Excellence & Human Resources takes nominations for the campus-specific staff appreciation award, which usually is awarded in May.
