Lori Polnow, Manager of Database, Middleware, & ERP Support, Enterprise Applications

Lori consistently supports her team and other members of the ITS and greater Mason community through change, and does it with grace. Whether it's new process we are working to implement, or system changes or updates, Lori doesn't back away from the work, but instead leads others on a path for success. She embodies ‘lead by example.

Lori and her team work around the clock and on weekends to keep our systems running. Whether it's in the middle of the work day or in the middle of the night/weekend, she leads a team that is ready to act. I don't know of a time in the last 7 months when we had to wait for Lori or the DBAs. Most times they've already taken care of something before others noticed.

Rodrigo Alva, A/V Engineer and Project Manager, Learning Space Design

Rodrigo consistently works to share knowledge, help others achieve their goals, and gives his all to ensure sure not only the success of the unit and other team members, but also does whatever he can to help other units, making sure the university community as a whole is successful as well.

Rodrigo is the epitome of teamwork. He works on projects by listening to others’ needs, concerns, and contributions and works magic by putting it all together in a neat, concise package as the end product. Rodrigo researches ideas and lets others know what is available and logical within certain time frames as well as within money constraints. He will support the team with extra work and full consideration on what is to be done and what is capable. Rodrigo will not balk at work, no matter how much he has on his plate. He is a true team player.

Richard Wood, General Manager/Executive Producer, GMU-TV

“Richard's work ethic and positive attitude make you feel like anything is possible. This past year presented many barriers to overcome and completely change the way we host events and deliver messaging to the University. He never says he can't use a platform or software tool. He figures out what we have available and how to make it work.”

“Imagine a daisy chain of 10 different computers all hard-wired into a switcher. Imagine a production that required not one, but two directors, two technical directors -people doubling and tripling up on roles and responsibilities while striving to maintain social distancing. Nearly 12-months later, perhaps a number of you can imagine it –at the time, the scenario was unheard of. That is, until Richard Wood created it for Mason.”

“It's cheesy to say we're not just a team, we're a family, but that's how it feels. We support each other, and we support the educational mission of the university, and we're able to do so while being understaffed and working through a pandemic because we have a leader who keeps us going."

Judy Fortin, Manager, Business Intelligence Services

“Judy is a steady leader who puts the needs of team members ahead of her own. She focuses on the goal at hand and supports others by providing them what they need to be successful.”

“I think what helps the most with Judy is that she is ambitious but realistic. Even if she is asking for something difficult, after talking it through and understanding a problem a little better, it really motivates you to achieve a positive result.”

“During the pandemic we were forced to work remotely. Judy proactively made sure that we did not lose touch with our teammates. She organized visual team lunches so that we can keep in touch. It is a great, yet simple, team building activity. This encourages us to trust in our team and work”

Mike Rothgeb, Active Directory Engineer

Mike routinely leads the implementation of technology updates, upgrades, and new initiatives, and encourages others to participate and adopt new practices and procedures to support the new environment. He has an immense depth and breadth of the subject matter as it applies to Mason-supported systems. He has vast institutional knowledge of the functions that are vital to Mason and a strong sense of urgency. Other groups seek him out for his willingness to help and his subject matter expertise. Mike has always provided some type of background support for most university projects. Lead engineers and project managers seek his assistance. He is the go-to guy for anything AD, he takes his role very seriously and is a valued asset to the university.Mike does his behind-the-scenes magic, which enables many other people to benefit from the work he has done, and unfortunately might sometimes go unnoticed; it cannot be underscored enough how critical Mike is to the success of ITS.Mike has encouraged me from the beginning to reach beyond my current responsibilities and skill set. Thanks to his encouragement, I have learned and taken on additional responsibilities that go beyond my original job description. This would not have been possible without his leadership and encouragement.

Lauren Reese, Manager, Communications & Marketing

Lauren rocks! She is an absolute difference maker for all projects she partakes in. There is a special joy and energy she brings that makes every project inherently that much better to work on together. That is no small task in trying to work with various ITS groups, across numerous priority projects, all while trying to maintain a consistent message and brand. Lauren never blinks and keeps making ITS a high achiever!

I admire her talent as a leader and as a communicator. Regardless of how involved she has been on an assignment if you ask her a question or for advice, you're going to get a well-thought-out response. She has creative ideas and even when you know she's overwhelmed with work, which is probably always, you'd never know because she always beams with enthusiasm and motivates everyone around her to stay positive and find ways to enjoy the work they're doing.

There have been a few times where I needed to express the urgency of an issue and she proudly replies with ‘ten-four’ to acknowledge the request. The best part about Lauren is that she’s always available to just listen to your idea and give you feedback.

Lauren embraces One ITS. She embraces we over me. She not only helps shape and brand our mission, but she also lives it every day. She is respectful, demonstrates integrity and fosters a wonderful sense of team and teamwork. Her astute ability to bring a voice for ITS that is unique, friendly and approachable to all patrons of George Mason is a large part of the success and buy-in we achieve every single day. Lauren has done a great job in maturing the ITS communication processes and instilling a larger understanding of the need and avenues for communication.

Christina Frasson, Videoconference Technology Specialist

Christina is a rock star. There are many instances and projects that she has added her golden touch to, but most notably is her administrative and management wizardry of the WebEx rollout. Christina led this project not knowing a thing about WebEx or even how to develop a technical application for deployment on any scale. But what she did was say yes, put her head down, and ran with it. She was enthusiastic from day one, learning all of the facets that the product could do as well as the inter-mixes of creating the backend infrastructure. She pulled in a good, solid team that held expertise in areas needed to get this project moving and the enthusiasm grew from there.

At times, Christina felt she was in over her head but then something would breakthrough and turn out exactly as planned and you could see her excitement and astonishment grow as she congratulated the team on all of the advancements made to date. Her enthusiasm was contagious. She worked long, hard hours, going that extra mile even after normal business hours to work on areas where only some of the team were available. She kept everyone in the loop and made sure that the buy-in was there and ready for the next steps. She created guides, tutorials with photos, did one-on-one and group training, and promoted the product throughout the Mason community. She is the WebEx Ambassador for ITS.

Being the professional that she is, her positive attitude continues to shine. Christina easily motivates people. She has been able to get groups on campus to switch over from our other technology for web-conferencing to WebEx, and show them the benefits. She works with faculty, staff, and students on anything from creating reservations in 25Live – to WebEx instructions – to leading groups for Staff Senate – to teaching young minds. Christina has been critical in working with these groups to make sure that they understand our processes and the importance of planning on their part in order to make it easier for both parties to take care of everyone’s needs. The volume of last-minute meetings has diminished greatly due to Christina going that extra step for departments to make the mental change to use 25Live and basically change the way they do business, enabling smoother operations. Christina may wear several hats during her days at Mason but the one she currently wears best is the Mommy hat as she juggles working full time and being mommy full time. Only organized leaders can take on that task and keep coming back for more. Christina does it willingly and with a smile on her face.

When I am working with Christina, on either WebEx, Telepresence, or other projects, she always encourages and empowers others (including me!) to achieve their objectives. She creates enthusiasm towards our end goals. When finished, we all leave with a feeling of investment and a desire to excel.

Tony Houdek, IT Security Analyst

Tony is living proof that “One ITS” is possible. He works with so many groups internally and externally, and I’ve noticed that whenever Tony is involved in anything, things just seem to flow better. He’s always calm in stressful situations, which seems to calm everyone else just by being around him. Also, whenever I go over there either to ask him something or to tell him about a situation to get his opinion or just to vent he always asks, “How can I help?” or “What do you need from us?,” which is always really refreshing to hear and really great that I know it’s a genuine offer for help and assistance.

Tony is the intern supervisor in ITSO, but he is more than that, he is like a mentor! Tony has a wealth of knowledge and he is always ready to impart some wisdom to us. Whenever I get stuck on something and talk to Tony about it, he always offers words of encouragement and a new perspective that allows me to see the problem differently...in a more secure way. Tony never fails to support the interns' thirst for knowledge and provides us with good conversations and outlooks that are invaluable as we continue to learn both inside and outside of the office.

Tony is ITS's number one cheerleader! While he may be "a security" at heart, he was born to be an educator/coach/mentor. It seems that he thrives when helping others to achieve their goals, never viewing any as insignificant, and always willing to make recommendations to help ensure success. He doesn't "own" any process, but rather instills a sense of team and collaboration by sharing/exchanging knowledge to improve processes overall.

Jed Frye, Advanced Desktop Application Administrator

Jed has a passion for his work and the Mason community. He's always busy fixing something or helping make something more efficient even when most of the time the task seemed impossible. I am convinced Jed is either superhuman or a super genius, either way, we are so lucky to have him.

Jed approaches every moment with a positive and can-do attitude. It is infectious and helps build consensus and a spirit of camaraderie. His enthusiasm is right at home at Mason and you could not ask for a better steward for the University.

Jed is always willing to chip in and is so accommodating. Anyone who has worked with Jed can vouch that he goes well beyond what's expected and is extremely self-motivated. Jed is on my list of go-to people I know will always be willing to offer help and follow up without being asked.

I've been on a number of projects with Jed and his willingness to support a project is amazing. When wrenches are thrown into a project he will bring his great troubleshooting skill to the table and work until a solution is available.

Jed works diligently to fulfill the mission of George Mason in all facets of his work. The ITS values are also great representation of the efforts Jed makes each day. He is an effective communicator, always innovates and thinks creatively, and is someone who shows great integrity. These characteristics instantly earn him credibility and respect. Because of these traits, Jed is the perfect teammate. He knows the more successful the team or project, the greater the impact on ITS and Mason as a whole.

Demetrius Winston, Manager, Desktop Regional Campuses

Demetrius exemplifies the characteristics of the Leadership Impact Award. His impact is obvious throughout the Region where his staff successfully support the technology needs of the Mason Science & Tech campus in Manassas, the Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation in Front Royal, Mason Loudoun-Signal Hill in Loudoun County, the Arlington campus, and the soon to be opened, Potomac Science Center.

Demetrius and his staff are successful in the delivery of technology support services in the Mason Region because Demetrius ensures his staff are well trained, informed, and understand their roles and responsibilities. Demetrius instills confidence in and empowers his staff to perform their jobs at all the Regional sites. He stays involved with the activities at each of the regional sites and is always available to give his opinion and provide guidance, but empowers his team Leads to make their own decisions. The trust Demetrius has exhibited towards his staff has led to creativity and enthusiasm in their work. It has also led to very happy customers throughout the Region.

Demetrius motives his staff to improve themselves through professional development. He is insistent on them becoming involved with learning newer technology and processes. Annually setting up training plans and objectives for his staff. Demetrius staffs know that staying on top of changes is best accomplished through training and obtaining knowledge of their work environment and technology industry.

Stephanie Klare, Support Team Lead

Stephanie is one of ITS's secret weapons. She commits herself to every aspect of her job and always has the customer's best interest in mind. She is at every meeting and it's in her blood to advocate for our customers. No one knows them better than Stephanie. Her knowledge of all the moving parts within ITS is outstanding and she is always a pleasure to work with. She is constantly offering suggestions, input, and her time to many of her colleagues to ensure that projects get done and that everyone knows she's got their back.

Stephanie is the epitome of a team player. She is always ready to lend a helping hand, on the phones or at the walk-up window. When the ITS Support Center hours were expanded for the start of the semester, she volunteered to cover the late shifts (until midnight) that no one else wanted. Likewise, on project teams, Stephanie willingly pitches in to help with defining workflows, creating documentation, and updating websites. Stephanie understands the importance of keeping team morale up, especially when the work level is high. In one situation, she brought in her waffle maker to let the team know she appreciated their level of effort.

Stephanie is always going above and beyond. When on a project she's usually trying to figure out what it is we will be supporting so that ITS can provide the best support to the Mason community.

Stephanie empowers people to do the best that they can. She asks individuals how she can help them do better, and helps them to achieve those goals. Along with Teresa Gibbons' support, she enables people to reach for training inside and outside of Mason and ITS. Her enthusiasm for her job is contagious and energizes others to overcome all barriers.

Ann Gerwitz, IT Process Coordinator

Congratulations to the winner of the fall 2016 Leadership Impact Award, Ann Gerwitz!

Ann has been working at Mason since September 2013.

Nominators said, "Ann exemplifies what are the best qualities of a project team member and a collaborator." That, "She is a leader in ITS in identifying and prioritizing the key actions and behaviors necessary to for the teams in which she is involved to complete their projects, initiatives, and tasks successfully." And also that she, "Encourages and empowers others to achieve and creates enthusiasm when she works with you on projects."

Tian Wang, Senior Database Analyst

Congratulations to the winner of the spring 2016 Leadership Impact Award, Tian Wang!

Tian has been working at Mason since August of 2008.

Nominator's said that Tian always goes beyond expectations in all projects she is involved in” and she “never disappoints you in resolving your issues.” Tian is “not afraid to take on any project thrown her way” and is the “first person that a lot of functional users depend on for assistance in troubleshooting their functional issues within their applications.”