Round of Applause Awards

Congratulations to the following individuals who have received Round of Applause recognition from their colleagues! To nominate a co-worker for the Round of Applause Award, visit the online nomination form

Round of Applause: Jack Ware

Jack is awesome! When you encounter a problem, he does his BEST to ensure you understand the issue and steps you can take to resolve it in the future. Although I know he is swamped with work he never makes you feel rushed. His response time is fantastic. You don’t have to wait long before help is on the way. Thanks Jack! I really appreciate your assistance with my recent AV tech issues.

Nominated by Tami Chargois

Round of Applause: Jack Ware

Jack is always quick to respond to tickets and calls from our office. He is always helpful and willing to show and teach users on best practices for our needs. Also, he has done a great job with mentoring our new IT interns!

Nominated by Akura Fontenot

Round of Applause: Tami Chargois

Tami’s exceptional efforts and dedication to our team and system has been evident since day one. Her hard work, camaraderie, and proficiency have not gone unnoticed. She is willing to go above and beyond and extend a helping hand, without hesitation or needing to be asked. Her positive attitude willingness to help, even in the most challenging situations, has been a source of inspiration for everyone around you. Thank you for enriching our workplace culture!

Nominated by Akura Fontenot

Round of Applause: Angelisa Riggsbee

Angelisa’s initiative, teamwork, and hard work have made a positive impact in our new work spaces, administrative projects, and overall success of the organization. Her proactive approach to problem-solving and dedication to teamwork is much appreciated. She is constantly sharing knowledge and providing support to her peers, fostering an environment of camaraderie and mutual growth! Thank you Angelisa!

Nominated by Akura Fontenot

Round of Applause: Jack Ware

Jack is always helpful with volunteering to assist me with any heavy lifting no matter what he is doing at the time. If he sees me lifting anything heavy, he will always step in. His kindness is highly appreciated.

Nominated by Kearara Bethea

Round of Applause: Estefane Santiago-Lopez

Estefane has been a dedicated member of the GEAR UP NC team and takes the initiative to go above and beyond. Estefane was promoted to College Access & Success manager about a year ago. Prior to this promotion, she served in an admin role and handled financial processing for GEAR UP NC. During her transition and while GEAR UP NC hired a new budget and finance specialist, Estefane continued to assist with financial processing and helped to train the new hire. Estefane’s contributions to the GEAR UP NC team are greatly appreciated and deserve a ROUND OF APPLAUSE!

Nominated by Patti Harris

Round of Applause: Tenora Simonez

Tenora has done yeomen’s work assisting with the System’s GEER mental health grant. In June she completed over 80+ subawards to support mental health projects not just for the UNC System, but also for the NCICU and NCCCS campuses. Thanks to her efforts over 80 new mental health initiatives are being launched across the state. We so appreciate all her time, energy, and assistance with this tedious process.

Nominated by Bethany Meighen

Round of Applause: Danny Moretz

I’m so grateful to have such a caring supportive colleague as Danny. Over the last several weeks when I had to joggle the loss of my mother and my significant other being hospitalized, Danny picked up my slack and we continued to provide excellent customer service to the UNC campuses. In addition in the week that our boss was out of the office, several tickets came into the banner support queue. Danny willingly took the tickets when I asked him for help. He was a godsend. I am so appreciative that Danny didn’t hesitate to take on more to help me and the rest of the team.

Nominated by Karen Boulas

Round of Applause: Kait Littell

Kait is a resourceful colleague who is never afraid to jump in and troubleshoot a problem. Even with everything on her plate, she finds time to work through barriers, track down solutions, and communicates necessary details to those involved. She is incredibly kind and provides topnotch service to her team in Strategy and Policy and throughout the System Office.

Nominated by Tony Stewart

Round of Applause: Melaina Hall

Melaina is always so patient with our team and willing to answer all of our questions. We’d be lost without her!

Nominated by Shun Robertson