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WIU HR Announces Service Award Winners

April 22, 2019

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MACOMB, IL – The Western Illinois University Office of Human Resources has announced the University's 2019 Community Service and Distinguished Service award winners.

Student Activities Program Coordinator Nick Katz has been selected for the 2019 Community Service Award and WIU QC Operations and Maintenance Facilities Manager Steve Whan has been selected for the Administrative Distinguished Service Award.

The winners will be honored during the 36th annual Employee Service Recognition Awards Reception at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 23 in the University Union Lamoine Room. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for a 30-minute social with a cash bar and appetizers.

The Community Service Award recognizes exemplary volunteerism and/or outstanding service to any non-profit community organization and is a reflection of one or more of WIU's core values. The Administrative Recognition and Service Award honors one administrator for unusual and significant contributions to his/her profession, organizational unit or other areas within the University and is a reflection of one or more of WIU's core values of Academic Excellence, Educational Opportunity, Personal Growth and Social Responsibility.

2019 Community Service Award

Katz was chosen for this year's award because of his work founding, developing and advising for WIU's Dance Marathon event for the past seven years. This year's event raised $160,102 for Children's Miracle Network for the Greater St. Louis area.

"What is so special about Nick's involvement with Dance Marathon is that it doesn't stop with him – his passion for this organization he developed, and the causes it supports has also become a passion for hundreds of students who have served on the Dance Marathon executive boards, morale teams and students who have participated in this amazing event," said Katz's nominator.

The nominator added that the Dance Marathon work is done on a volunteer basis, outside of Katz's job duties at Western. The program raised $564,000 in its first six years.

"Every year I watch Nick present the dollar amount raised to the miracle families that attend our event – families that have children with cancer, lost children to cancer, have spent the majority of their child's lives in children's hospitals – and every year I watch the tears of those parents, those children, and Nick's, as that number is revealed to them prior to sharing it to the masses at the event."


2019 Administrative Distinguished Service Award

Whan was nominated for this award for his service as president of the Civil Service Employee Council.

"Having several years of committee experience already, Steve familiarized himself with the role of the CSEC president and facilitated a smooth transition until CSEC is able to recruit sufficient members to fulfill its charter," said his nominator. "His self-less example of leadership and contribution embody the characteristics of the core values that provide educational opportunities through the CSEC scholarships.

Whan also volunteers at WQPT's Imagination Station, an event that brings over 2,000 children and their families to the QCs campus for an interactive day of reading, science and technology.

"In addition to maintaining his regular day-job as the facilities manager at the WIU-QC Operations and Maintenance Department, he is the CSEC representative on several vice president search committees and other executive-level meetings, such as the President's Council meeting."


The winner of each award will receive $250 from the WIU Office of Human Resources.

For more information, visit wiu.edu/vpas/human_resources/.


Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
Office of University Communications & Marketing