By Jack Goods, communication specialist in the Office of Marketing and Communication
Four Marquette staff members were honored with Excellence in University Service awards, and one staff member received the Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion Award at the 2022 Staff Excellence Awards on Monday, June 6, in the AMU Monaghan Ballrooms.
All five honorees were selected for exemplifying the university’s mission of excellence, faith, leadership and service.
Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion
Sheena M. Carey, internship coordinator/lecturer in the Diederich College of Communication
In addition to her work as an instructor, Sheena Carey heads the Diederich College of Communication’s diversity, equity and inclusion plan; supports inclusive classroom environments as a Teaching and Learning Fellow; serves as the voice of the “Our Roots Say That We Are Sisters” podcast; and narrated the Milwaukee PBS special “Remembering Bronzeville,” a documentary from a Marquette professor focusing on the first Black neighborhood in Milwaukee.
Sheena has been an active member of the University Committee on Equity and Inclusion since its inception, contributed to the 2019 cultural audit of campus spaces, helped pilot and provided insights in the development of the Making Marquette Inclusive discussion series in the 2020-21 academic year, and co-founded and continues to serve as the co-chair for the Womxn of Color Employee Resource Group.
“As a human being in this world, it more than feels right, it is right,” says Sheena, a member of the Marquette community for over 30 years. “It is what I believe; it is who I am. It is my mission to work with and interact with others so they feel the rightness of inclusion for all; to share with others lessons learned about justice at my mother’s knees, through my life experiences; and as a student, faculty member and staff employee here at Marquette.”
Excellence in University Service
Jean Kenney Dole, chief of staff in the Office of the Senior Vice President
As chief of staff to Joel Pogodzinski, Jean Kenney Dole helps the senior vice president and chief operating officer manage strategic projects and key initiatives that move many of Marquette’s administrative units forward. Universally admired by her peers, Jean has built strong relationships with many in her 19 years at Marquette — 15 years in University Advancement, overseeing fundraising teams, donor relations, communications and the vice president’s office.
Jean has been a key leader on the university’s expansive COVID-19 Response Team, the 43-member President’s Task Force on Community Safety, and the Democratic National Convention steering and planning committee. Most recently, Jean has also taken on a key role in the organization of Marquette’s efforts around wellness and recreation. She has also engaged in mission-based leadership opportunities such as the Marquette Colleagues Program and AJCU’s Ignatian Colleagues Program, and she served as a facilitator for Making Marquette Inclusive.
According to nominators, Jean has the uncanny ability to engage people to partner with her to achieve university goals. She is known as one who has no agendas other than to do good by the university and treat people well—always quick to recognize support from others and deflect attention, they wrote. Colleagues also point out that Jean is known for being fun, always there to lead the charge on making time to highlight colleagues’ important days, as well as organizing fun events for the teams she engages with.
“Receiving this award is the highest honor of my career,” Jean says. “Working at Marquette has been a blessing. I’m proud of all that I’ve accomplished these past 19 years, but it is working side-by-side with dedicated, talented and entertaining colleagues that brings me the most joy!”
Katie Klamecki, executive assistant in the Office of the Senior Vice President
Katie Klamecki, who in 2021 celebrated 20 years at Marquette, manages the fast-past, unpredictable task of being the executive assistant to Joel Pogodzinski, senior vice president and chief operating officer, with an impressive level of skill, intelligence and selflessness. She is praised for her sense of compassion and willingness to help others.
Katie manages Joel’s changing and demanding calendar, works seamlessly with his direct reports and fellow assistants, and completes the various special projects that come her way. She possesses the ability to triage requests and the people skills needed to build connections across the university.
“Wow, what can I say except that I am deeply honored to receive this award. To be recognized by my peers for my work is a humbling and heartwarming feeling,” Katie says. “It is an even greater honor to be placed in such distinguished ranks as those of the past honorees, all of whom have made important contributions to this university while supporting the mission and carrying out the Ignatian ideal of care for others.
“I owe this to my parents who taught us kids the value of hard work and above all to always treat others the way you want to be treated – and do everything with a joyful, thankful, and grateful heart. Twenty-plus years of great memories, great friends, and colleagues – I am blessed!”
Robert S. Krenzke, payroll associate in the Office of the Comptroller
Robert Krenzke, who has been a part of Marquette for 12 years, is complimented by his peers for his willingness to go above and beyond to make sure that the university’s student employees are paid accurately and in a timely fashion. When information is sent late to payroll, he’s known to do the extra work to make sure that the student affected is paid as soon as possible. His position requires knowledge of multiple processes across campus that are integral to getting the large amount of data processed efficiently and accurately no matter the extenuating factors.
Robert has also stepped up to support his manager and department by providing training, teaching and support to new staff in his area at a time where there were two new employees (which makes up 40% of the department) in less than six months. When there was a system interaction issue that resulted in a need for a large number of manual corrections to a field on student records, Robert stepped up to help with the extra unexpected work.
“I’m truly honored and humbled to receive this award,” Robert says. “When I was told I was nominated and won, my first reaction was to decline. I try to live my life by two rules: Do onto others as you would have them do on to you, and to share credit but take responsibility. What I do requires the involvement of so many other people on campus.”
John C. Schauer, dental supply manager in the Dental School
John Schauer has managed all aspects of the School of Dentistry’s Dental Store since 2011, helping students, patients, faculty and staff receive their needed supplies. This task is an enormous undertaking given the high volume of product that passes through the Dental Store every day, but Schauer is known to approach his duties with a high level of professionalism, helpfulness and kindness to those he serves.
When personal protective equipment like masks and gloves were needed to mitigate transmission of COVID-19, John navigated the many supply chain challenges to keep not just the School of Dentistry, but the entire university stocked with these much-needed supplies. His area receives consistent high marks each year when the School of Dentistry’s graduating class is surveyed about various aspects of the program, including the service level they received from our Dental Store over the previous four years.
“In my 24 years of working for Marquette, I’ve been lucky enough to work with many recipients of the Excellence in University Service Award,” John says. “To have my name added to this list of award recipients is truly an honor.”
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