Stacy Alexander honored for service

12/06/2019

Through rain or sleet or snow or heat or dark of night, University Police Department employee Stacy Alexander helps pedestrians safely cross roads, enforces parking laws, and assists with efficiently planning and smoothly running large campus events that draw extra traffic and visitors.

Alexander, a senior parking services attendant, was joined by co-workers from inside her department and across campus on Dec. 6 to celebrate her selection for the prestigious 2019 President’s Award for Excellence in Classified Service.

Sponsored by the university’s Human Resources Office, the 50th annual Service Awards Ceremony in which Alexander was recognized was held mid-day in the Corey Union Function Room.

“Stacy has gone out of her way time and time again to make the campus a safer and more welcoming place,” said SUNY Cortland President Erik J. Bitterbaum, who presented Alexander with the award. “Her efforts may be behind-the-scenes, but they impact everyone on campus. The award for professional excellence reflects how much her work matters to both visitors and members of the SUNY Cortland community.”

The award was created in 2002 to annually recognize one SUNY Cortland full-time classified service employee “for extraordinary achievement and to encourage the continuation of excellence.” Nominees must have at least three years of continuous service. Supervisors, co-workers or other university community members nominate workers considered for this honor.

Alexander started her career at SUNY Cortland in February 2010 as a pedestrian campus aide for the University Police. She was promoted to senior parking services attendant in October 2017.

“This position requires exposure to the elements on-par or above any other on campus,” said Alexander’s supervisor, Eamon O’Shea, director of parking operations and security services with the UPD. “While I consider dependability to be a given for anyone, I believe Stacy demonstrates exemplary ability in tracking and completing job duties, with the added variable of doing said work in any type of weather, year-round.”

Efficient, proactive, adaptable and a proven, effective supervisor of both student and college staff were O’Shea’s other descriptions for Alexander.

“She has worked diligently to identify and allocate parking space for special events, utilizing every available place on campus, even areas historically not used for special events,” O’Shea said.

Alexander is an impressive leader who is always looking for ways to better serve the campus community, said Mark DePaull, the UPD’s chief of police.

“Stacy loves people, works hard and always tries to lift the spirits of those around her,” DePaull said. “I believe these characteristics represent all that is good in our community.”

Alexis Abramo, special projects manager in the School of Education, said she always reaches out to Alexander when she plans one of the many professional development activities that bring to campus teachers and professionals from outside the university.

“She is quick to respond with helpful information about all of the other things happening that might impact my event, and ideas for how to make it go more smoothly,” Abramo said. “It’s a pleasure to see her friendly wave as I come through campus and while some folks might be frustrated by the chaos of keeping traffic flowing she is unfailingly calm and professional.”

Alexander goes out of her way to make my life easier and enhance the experience of guests on campus, said another colleague who hosts lots of visitors, Michelina Gibbons, employee relations specialist in Career Services.

“She is creative when it comes to finding parking when I have 50 or 100 guests on campus,” Gibbons noted. “Her creative management of the availability is impressive.”

Alexander has an exemplary relationship with students that she supervises, a student lot attendant noted.

“She tries to keep the job interesting by giving her students other tasks to do during shifts aside from the usual tasks,” said Kelsy Gladding in her nomination letter. “She takes the time to talk to her student employees and asks them what is going on in their lives.”

Perhaps it’s no coincidence that Alexander received the Lite Rock 97.3 Employee of the Month award in September.

A graduate of Cortland High School, she focused in business. Alexander worked as a mail carrier from 1995 to 1996 and then as a dental assistant for Dr. Ajay Pal from 1996 to 2004. She also served as an office assistant/property inspector for Tanner-Ibbotson Insurance and, before joining SUNY Cortland, as a crossing guard for the City of Cortland Police Department.

Not surprisingly, Alexander loves the outdoors. She enjoys spending time hunting, fishing, camping and running.

Alexander is married to Scott Alexander. She has two sons, Jack Mertz, who resides in Cortland and was recently hired by SUNY Cortland’s Grounds Services, and Marky Mertz, who is no longer with us.

Employees Honored for Years of Service

Also, during the ceremony, 30 classified employees were recognized for their years of service. They included:

2019 Service Awards Honorees

25 YEARS

Charlene Lindsey, Field Experience and School Partnerships Office

20 YEARS

Douglas Adsit, Facilities Operations and Services

Lucinda Compagni, Development Office

Michelle Congdon, Human Resources Office

Janet Daugherty, Educational Opportunity Program

Sherry Ellis, Library

Amanda Halliwell, Sociology/Anthropology Department