The Davis campus's Thank Goodness for Staff celebration included Citations for Excellence, as usual, and something new: Distinguished Citations for Excellence, honoring the best of the best.

Altogether, Staff Assembly this year honored 22 people, including seven who received "distinguished" citations.

In addition, Staff Assembly Chair Lin King, program manager for R4 Recycling, presented certificates of appreciation to his Staff Assembly leadership team.

The awards ceremony and reception took place the afternoon of May 22 at Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef's residence, with the chancellor in attendance.

Louise Uota, former manager of the chancellor's residence, received a certificate of appreciation for her help over the years in planning the annual Staff Assembly awards program at the chancellor's home. After 10½ years as manager there, Uota recently took up a new campus post: director of Ceremonies and Special Events.

DISTINGUISHED CITATIONS FOR EXCELLENCE

General Contributions -- Individual: Polly Paulson, student affairs officer II, Cowell Student Health Center. Team: Yoke Dellenback and Susan Padgett, assistant IVs, Department of Entomology.

Campus Service -- Individual: Amanda Price, analyst V, College Relations and Development, College of Letters and Science. Team: Sarah Jessop, assistant II, and Emily Schutzman, assistant III, in the office of the vice provost for Undergraduate Studies.

Supervision -- Susie Lee-Tai, management services officer III, Anatomy, Physiology and Cell Biology, School of Veterinary Medicine.

CITATIONS FOR EXCELLENCE

General Contributions -- Individuals: Xiahong Fan, staff research associate II, and Phong Nguyen, staff research associate III, both at the Center for Neuroscience; Lisa Holmes, staff research associate III, Animal Science; Rita Lundin, community health program representative, Human and Community Development; Jeanette Martin, laboratory management office assistant II, and Zainulabeuddin Syed, postdoc-employee, both in Entomology; and Kathy Sebastian, principal mail processor, Bulk Mail Services.

Campus Service -- Individual: Suanne Klahorst, writer, John Muir Institute of the Environment. Team: Michelle Columbel, Kathleen Dubravetz and Tiffany Hsieh, assistant IIs, Center for Laboratory Animal Science.

Supervisors -- Mary Bankston, analyst V, Financial Aid; Maria Miglas, analyst V, University Registrar; Debra Wheeler, analyst III, Facilities Management; and Stacey Zindel, animal health technician IV, Small Animal Clinic, Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital.

CERTIFICATES OF APPRECIATION FOR STAFF ASSEMBLY LEADERSHIP

Vice chair and Citations for Excellence chair -- Peter Blando, business services manager, Information and Educational Technology-Communications Resources.

Secretary -- James Cubbage, database systems manager, Plant Sciences.

Communications chair and TGFS chair -- Linaflor Layiktez, director, Campus Events and Visitor Services.

Emergency Management Advisory Committee representative -- Ruth Victor, management services officer III, Nutrition.

Insurance and retirement representative -- Gil Apaka, retiree.

Membership and technology representative -- Rob Kerner, information technology manager, Plant Sciences.

Scholarship program chair -- Jesse Avitia, bookkeeper, Art.

Transportation and Parking Advisory Committee representative -- Cathy Diaz, chief administrative officer, Biochemistry and Molecular Science.

Member-at-large -- Yen Lam, budget and financial analyst, Accounting and Financial Services.