This will be my 6th year chairing the Staff Excellence Awards; this year will be my last time as Chair, as I will have completed two four-year terms on Senate in the summer.  I was asked to take on the role of Chair by the former (and first) Chair of the awards, Marion Matchett.  When she contacted me about the role, Marion spoke so positively about her experience that I immediately said yes.  I shadowed Marion in the role during her last year and took over as Chair in 2020.

Everything that Marion said about the Staff Excellence awards was true, and more.  I absolutely love being involved in the Awards, and it has been a real highlight of my time as a Senate member.  Firstly, I get to hear and read about the significant contributions and impact staff have had - not just the award winners, but every single person and team nominated.  What an eye opener. There are some roles at Queen’s that by their very nature and visibility receive public recognition for the work they are doing; the Staff Excellence Awards shine a light on the achievement of all categories of staff, from researchers and operational staff, administration staff, technicians, teaching academics and Professional services staff, who may not often get this recognition, beyond their own team and school. 

Secondly, working with the Judging Panel across the years has been a real joy and great craic.  The panel is made up of a broad range of staff from across the university - and it is the panel that truly puts in the real time and commitment to judge every single nomination.  They take their role very seriously, and we have had great discussions and debates in choosing those shortlisted and the final winners each year.

And then the event itself is so joyful and positive.  So many teams are involved in setting up and ensuring everything runs smoothly on the day (from Hospitality, Internal Communications, Eventus, Porters, People and Culture - and prior to that the Vice Chancellor’s office) and I want to take this opportunity to thank them for the care and attention they put into making sure that every person there has a memorable experience.  

In 2021/22, I was delighted to see the Childcare team win the Team of the Year, as work-life balance is critical for all, and this team provide such a trusted support service for parents. I also loved the fact in 2022/23, as a panel we could not decide on a single winner for the Exceptional Contribution award, so decided that for the first time there would be two very worthy winners,  Professor Pascal McKeown, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences and Professor Michael Alcorn, University Secretary's Office (who has given so much to the Staff Excellence Awards as both a panel member and a performer!)

The Staff Excellence Awards are about so much more than the final award winner and ceremony on the day. The awards are grounded in the Staff Charter and Queen’s core values: Excellence, Connectivity, Ambition, Respect, and Integrity, and showcase and role-model the positive behaviours that bring these values to life in everyday work. Having spoken to many of those shortlisted across the years, the real value and impact is being nominated, recognised and celebrated for the amazing, impactful and incredible work that is being undertaken by Queen’s staff members.  

So, if you are thinking of nominating a staff member this year, I would encourage you to please take the time to do this, as it will mean so much to them.  Focus on the impact of their work, on those they have collaborated with, what a difference it has made and use this as an opportunity to give voice and visibility to how incredible our staff are.