About the Award

Eligibility:
Full-time employees below ITS Sr. Staff level, and non-student wage employees; must be employed by the ITS for at least one year and be in good standing

Nomination accepted from:
Classified staff, administrative/professional faculty, and wage employees.

Selection process:
Nominations will be reviewed by the EOM Awards Committee.

Winnings:
Brass plate displayed on plaque outside of CIO's office; two certificates; monetary award of $400; one-month pass to Mason gym facilities; two tickets to a performance at the Center for the Arts; Mason and ITS lapel pins; ITS Star paperweight; and an ITS blanket.

Form Instructions

Please fill out the form below. At least three of the five criterion/questions are required. Please be as descriptive in your responses as possible, as these are printed and shared with the nominee. Incomplete forms may delay or void your nomination. If you have any questions, please contact itseom@gmu.edu. Thank you.

Employee of the Month Nomination Form

EOM Awardees

2023 Awardees | 2022 Awardees | 2021 Awardees

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March: Tony Houdek

Tony Houdek

Tony, North Dakota born and raised, grew up with a passion for teaching and learning, which is what helped launch his career in higher education first working for the University of North Dakota. Upon relocating to Washington, D.C. that passion never waned, so when Tony was offered a job at Mason in 2013 he happily accepted. Tony started out as a Security Analyst and over the course of his 10+ years of service was promoted to lead and now serves as the supervisor over the growing IT Analyst team with whom he has the pleasure of working alongside. Tony works in partnership with IT leadership to set the direction for IT security operations and incident response functions, which includes not only assigning and managing project and operational work, but also in many cases serving as the face of the IT Security Office when working with internal and external constituents.

Colleagues have said, “Tony has built a deep understanding of Mason and possesses a vast range of institutional knowledge. I've been around a while myself, but I still find myself checking in with him to understand the historical context of a particular thing ITS does and why it was set up a certain way.” “Tony makes great effort to be available for the rest of the team whenever we have questions, concerns, or roadblocks. He guides and encourages each of us to work through a problem so that we can gain experience, while also being available to steer us in the right direction. When we collaborate on a task, Tony shares his knowledge and experience while also incorporating our viewpoints.” “I am grateful to have someone in the team who excels at communication at all levels. He always treats everyone with respect even in the most difficult of situations.” “Through his mentorship, collaboration, and genuine concern for his colleagues' well-being, Tony significantly enhances the success of our staff.”

As further testament to Tony’s incredible work ethic and reputation, it should be noted that this is his second time being awarded as the ITS Employee of the Month, the first of which took place in April 2016.

Congratulations to Tony for being the March 2024 ITS Employee of the Month!


February: Sarah Hamilton

Sarah Hamilton

Sarah joined Mason shortly before 2000 as a wage employee with the former University Computing and Information Systems (UCIS) division. After two short years, Sarah started in her full-time role as Information Services Technician, where she worked for almost 10 years supporting the SciTech Campus (formerly Prince William County Campus) with responsibilities ranging from audiovisual to desktop technician, doing phone installs and network wiring. When the Advanced Desktop Technologies group was created under ITS (formerly ITU), Sarah was given the opportunity to move to the Fairfax Campus to serve as the Advanced Desktop Mobile Support Specialist responsible for imaging and the delivery of software to Windows machines for customers on Mason’s managed desktop environment, utilizing technology solutions such as System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM). While Sarah continues to be a subject matter expert for SCCM, building Adobe packages for the labs and helping with the occasional troubleshooting, her day-to-day with Technology Management Service/Logistics now looks a little different. In her current role, Sarah manages all attributes of the cell phone program for Mason, provides the image for all Equipment Trust Fund (ETF) Windows machines, provides quotes for non-standard computer specifications requested across Mason, and among many other things, is responsible for some of the Adobe licensing.

Colleagues have said, “The amazing thing about Sarah isn't just that she's a wealth of knowledge, it's that she's a wealth of knowledge on topics that are always evolving.” “Sarah's work, demeanor, and knowledge all represent ITS Values but if one particular value had to be selected, I would highlight her integrity. Having integrity is a step beyond simply having the knowledge or experience. It lets people know you care and reflects more than just an ITS value, it reflects who she is as a person.” “During my time here at Mason, I have worked with a few people who are always willing to help others in a professional and courteous manner. Sarah is one of those people. The feedback from my team is always positive. She is very deserving of this honor.”

Congratulations to Sarah for being the February 2024 ITS Employee of the Month!


January: Reeti Bibhuti

Reeti Bibhuti

Reeti joined Mason in 2020 in her current role, where she provides frontline technical administration and support of Salesforce, including: support of daily operations and change management, configuration changes, reporting, training, QA testing, troubleshooting, and working with stakeholders to ensure that applications meet their current and evolving needs. Reeti has a deep technical understanding of the Salesforce platform and its capabilities and is a major contributor for recommendations regarding the ongoing Salesforce deployment. Reeti regularly collaborates with the other Salesforce Developers, ITS teams, and functional units within the Provost’s Office to enhance and expand Salesforce operations and adoption. She also provides operational and technical support to end-users.

Colleagues have said, “Reeti works daily with her business counterparts with a high degree of level-headedness and empathy. When working on user stories it's clear how much time she dedicates to approaching the work from the standpoint of the user or Mason overall.” “As a person that is not in ITS, I am a happy user in the Enrollment Management area that appreciates that Reeti crosses departments so easily.” “Reeti is the ideal teammate – she is able to not only see technical things from a business perspective, but she also has a high degree of empathy and is not merely a ‘yes’ person.”

Congratulations to Reeti for being the January 2024 ITS Employee of the Month!