Amanda Kennedy

Amanda joined Mason in 2012 as a Fiscal Technician in Fiscal Services and within the year, moved from part-time to full-time. In 2020, Amanda moved into her current role as Application Analyst on the Finance Administrative Systems Team (FAST), where she provides level 2 support to the Banner Support team with a specific focus on developed and managed technical solutions for the Finance team. This includes monitoring systems and automated processes, testing and supporting applications and system upgrades, and recommending solution and process enhancements when applicable.

Colleagues have said, “Amanda does an incredible job communicating with numerous functional offices throughout the year supporting Banner testing activities. She reads technical documentation to understand full impact, distills information to an easy to understand form, provides guidance to functional end-users and supervisors, provides timelines, and ensures testing artifacts are appropriately collected in a timely manner.” “Amanda is a wonderful person to work with. She exudes positivity and collaboration in everything that she does. She digs in to understand problems and offers good feedback and direction to others to make processes better. Her growth at Mason is well noticed and I look forward to seeing her excel even more.”

Congratulations to Amanda for being the December 2022 ITS Employee of the Month!

David Namiotka

David joined Mason in 2016 as a Systems Analyst in Fiscal Services and in under 6 months moved into his current role. For his first 5 years as Director of FAST, David was responsible for managing a talented team of user access security technicians and application analysts responsible for developing efficient automation solutions and providing operational support for business processes in the Ellucian Banner ERP and related integrated enterprise applications. Within the past year, David’s team merged into ITS in the Enterprise Resource Planning group and his team grew to include additional skilled technical team members responsible for supporting HR and Payroll business operations. Most recently, David provided leadership to his team throughout the critical, complex, and ongoing Chart of Accounts redesign project.

Colleagues have said, “David's extensive knowledge of both Mason processes and Banner functionality is called upon frequently to solve issues related to the Chart of Accounts. He shares knowledge and provides solutions that are well-thought out and complete.” “He plays to his employees' strengths in order to get the correct information efficiently. He also recognizes when things aren't quite as dire or urgent, and engages employees who are still learning or trying to learn new areas or skills. In addition to using his employees' knowledge, he often digs into data and processes himself.” “David is consistently kind and respectful, even when faced with issues that might be frustrating or could have been avoided by involving his team earlier in the process.”

Congratulations to David for being the November 2022 ITS Employee of the Month!

Debbie Penny

Prior to joining Mason, Debbie worked for eight years as a Configuration Librarian with the Sperry Rand Company and then spent some time at the Northern Virginia Training Center, formerly one of five large regional institutions in Virginia that was operated by the state’s Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Service. In looking for a change, Debbie’s then-boss suggested she apply for a job at Mason, and in March of 1990, Debbie started her long career as a Mason Patriot. She started part-time in the Computer Room and with the former Production Control (now Data Center) group, before moving over to the Support Center in 2002, where she has now worked as a Support Center Analyst for the past 20 years.

In her current role, Debbie serves as one of the main points of contact for calls related to technology issues impacting Mason’s faculty and staff. Debbie’s years of experience make her an expert at assisting customers through first-line support, escalating as necessary, and collaborating closely with the various ITS groups to ensure a swift and detailed resolution.

Colleagues have said, “Debbie is extremely knowledgeable. Users will often request Debbie by name because they know that she knows exactly what they need to resolve their issues. Frequently her co-workers will reach out to her with questions when a tricky or difficult troubleshooting situation arises. She is an encyclopedia of ITS knowledge.” “Debbie is a key member of the team in the Support Center and spends a lot of time communicating with customers over the phone. She is able to reassure the customer that their problem will be taken care of and she will bring in other groups to fix the issue if needed. She is also very good at explaining the process to the customer (if they have a more complicated problem) so that they understand that although their issue may not be fixed right away, it will be resolved as soon as possible.” “I believe Debbie embodies all of the ITS Values to an exemplary degree, but she shows a high level of respect for her customers and teammates alike. She treats everyone with the utmost courtesy. While being cognizant of the varying levels of technical expertise both with her colleagues and her customers, she treats all with the same level of respect and patience.”

As a further testament to Debbie’s incredible work ethic and reputation, it should be noted that this is her second time being awarded as the ITS Employee of the Month, the first of which took place in November of 2007.

Congratulations to Debbie for being the September 2022 ITS Employee of the Month!

Alex Galantis

Alex joined Mason in September of 2010 as a non-student wage doing document entry for the IT Finance Office, and in 2011 began his full-time career with ITS (formerly ITU). Alex has held multiple titles during his tenure, with each role growing in responsibility. In 2019, he earned an MBA (Master of Business Administration) from Mason.

In his current role as IT Software Asset Administrator, Alex is responsible for managing the tracking and monitoring of ITS software assets throughout the product lifecycle to ensure accuracy and compliance. In collaboration and partnership with fiscal and technology stakeholders, he consults and navigates the process of acquiring and maintaining IT software licenses and assists with creating the processes for administering these licenses. Further, Alex identifies, researches, and assists with resolving compliance-related licensing issues to ensure alignment with applicable contracts and compiles information about purchased software to inform the Mason community through various ITS websites.
Colleagues have said, “Alex has a very positive approach. He is always happy and willing to lend a helping hand with ITS Finance related issues. Additionally, he has other incredible skills and strengths, which he shares with the team.” “Alex has done a tremendous job of gathering software information and providing it to my team for webpage creation and edits. Centralizing software information is a great resource for the Mason community, and provides increased transparency.” “Alex is incredibly respectful and makes communication easy – he's open, welcoming, and very clear in explaining things.” “Huzzah, Alex!!”

As further testament to Alex’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 June 2014.

Congratulations to Alex for being the August 2022 ITS Employee of the Month!

Eric Potter

Eric joined Mason in September of 2011 as a student wage Classroom Technician Assistant. Upon graduating in 2013 with a BS in Physics, Eric landed a full-time position with ITS, starting out as an Evening Technician for Classroom Support, and a couple of years later was promoted to his current role as Lead Technician.

Eric provides technical support to faculty and students within learning and teaching facilities supported by Classroom and Lab Technologies. He acts as the incident ticket coordinator, monitoring and tracking incident tickets from intake through resolution. Other duties include asset management, CaLT process/procedure design and documentation, and CaLT knowledge base management. Eric also serves as a mentor to other technicians and wage employees, creating documentation for supported systems and conducting technical training alongside CaLT management.

Colleagues have said, “Eric is the resident TDX expert and trainer in our department. He is always willing to share knowledge with his teammates whether he is guiding our new employees through an intro session or recommending methods to improve processes.” “Eric makes a point of showing respect and an ability to listen well. He is a known quantity when you really need quality work done fast, with an understanding of the service delivery stakes.” “He is a class act and has made a huge difference during a trying time.”

Congratulations to Eric for being the July 2022 ITS Employee of the Month!

Andrew Witham

Andrew joined Mason in December of 2006 in his current role, where he is responsible for supporting Mason’s complex network with approximately 50,000 ethernet ports and more than 2,000 wireless access points. This covers workstations, servers, printers, point of sale systems, IP phones, and other networked devices, spread over the three main campuses and multiple remote office locations in Northern Virginia.

Colleagues have said, “Andy has shown in-depth awareness of industry changes and standards. He identifies potential errors with vendor charges or scope of work, and is always willing to make sure GMU doesn't get overcharged for services, planned or rendered.” “Andy has great communications skills. He takes his time and is a great listener. I like the fact he does not rush; that does not mean the work is not going to be done quickly, but the work is going to be done correctly because he asks all the right questions so it’s done right the first time.” “Andrew represents ITS with professionalism that is recognized by parties both internal to Mason as well as external to contracted vendors. He approaches each customer with a positive/respectful attitude and strives to provide efficient, effective, and timely results.”

Congratulations to Andrew for being the June 2022 ITS Employee of the Month!

Kim Raley

Kim joined Mason in January of 2013 as an Administrative Assistant under the former Division of Instructional Technology, which was part of the then, Information Technology Unit. During her time at Mason, Kim has been part of numerous organizational changes, always managing to shift seamlessly into her various support roles, but in 2017 made the hard decision to leave Mason to pursue another opportunity. However, in 2019 a need arose for additional project governance assistance within the ITS Portfolio and Project Management Office (PPMO), and Kim was interested in rejoining her Mason/ITS colleagues to take on this new challenge, which she did initially as a wage, before later being hired into her current full-time role as IT Governance Administrator. Kim wears many hats and supports numerous groups through her efforts within the PPMO, with most of her focus on IT Governance and Portfolio Management processes, and ITS HR responsibilities in collaboration with our ITS HR Liaison.

Colleagues have said, “There have been many new PMs that have joined the PPMO in the past year, and Kim has jumped right in to make all of us feel welcome and to ensure we have the tools we need to be successful. She always has a positive, helpful, welcoming approach.” “Kim is detailed in her work (especially detailed logs, notes, and calendars, some of which you may not know about...) and cares greatly about getting things done and assuring they were done properly. Kim has gained unique insight to each of the various ITS groups and helps them all work more collaboratively, not only in projects but also in the day-to-day operations.” “Always happy and willing to lend a helping hand or offer a laugh, I seek the opportunities to work with Kim as much as I can. And Kim treats everyone who crosses her path with so much respect. All walks of life are important to Kim and she treats everyone as such. She is exemplary at living the ITS Values and everyone should take a page out of Kim's book.”

Congratulations to Kim for being the May 2022 ITS Employee of the Month!

Amir Tofighi

Amir began working at Mason in April of 2012 as a Programmer Analyst within the Office of the Provost. In 2016, the entire Enterprise Application Support and Development (EASD) team moved over to ITS as part of a larger reorganization under Enterprise Applications. Amir is responsible for performing analysis, design, documentation, development, and support activities related to assigned projects focused on applications and services, inclusive of technical writing and project management needs. Amir and the EASD team work closely with ITS and other non-ITS units to address various needs related to data analytics, reporting, and process reengineering/automation.

Colleagues have said, “Amir has been an excellent ITS representative when dealing with other departments. I have heard numerous compliments from his clients about his ability to deliver on seemingly impossible tasks.” “Amir brings a calm and focus to the work at hand, guiding its completion to ensure that all have a clear understanding of the issues and works towards the resolution to keep project work implemented with quality and on schedule.” “Amir is a team player. He always contributes in a positive and constructive way and is committed to doing what is best for the group as a whole.”

Congratulations to Amir for being the April 2022 ITS Employee of the Month!

Brad Sullivan

Brad began working at Mason in July of 2014 as a Support Center Specialist, and in 2018 transitioned into his current role, now under Enterprise Service Delivery. Brad is responsible for managing the core components of Office365, assisting other ITS departments with technical customer support, and coordinating service desk tickets for the email and account provisioning group. He also facilitates the NetID change process and conducts research on new or enhanced functionality on assigned systems.

Colleagues have said, “Nothing seems to bother Brad, which is a very valuable attribute in Mason's work community. He also will dig down to get problems resolved in as quick a manner as possible.” “Brad is able to cut through the technical language and explain options in a clear and concise way. In addition to educating customers, Brad provides updates and shares knowledge with co-workers and IT Support resources.” “Brad is the epitome of the ITS Values! He is an excellent communicator, always quick to respond, willing to answer your questions, and never hesitates to share information.”

Congratulations to Brad for being the March 2022 ITS Employee of the Month!

Ryan Sakai

Ryan began working at Mason in March of 2013 as Computer Desktop Manager for the Volgenau School of Engineering. In August of 2016, Ryan transitioned over to ITS, joining the Advanced Desktop Technologies team, where he is actively involved with all projects related to researching and resolving advanced trouble tickets, as well as documenting and creating related training solutions. Ryan is also responsible for the delivery of software to customers enrolled in desktop management solutions like SCCM.

Colleagues have said, “Ryan understands the central, enterprise role that ITS plays for Mason. The better we get at the technologies we deploy, the more buy-in we receive and the easier business is made to operate.” “Even when working on complex initiatives, he makes sure to learn as much as he can about the technology at hand to make sure our users have the best experience.” “Ryan is always a great person to work with because he is an excellent team player that values the mission to improve ITS services and device management.” “Ryan is the epitome of a team player. He is always willing to help other users while also getting his many tasks completed. He is always friendly and personable and one of my favorite people.”

As further testament to Ryan’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 October 2018.

Congratulations to Ryan for being the February 2022 ITS Employee of the Month!