For 30 years, Gwendolyn Locklear’s warm smile has greeted students and co-workers at the Mary Livermore Library at UNC Pembroke.
Locklear has been a fixture on campus, providing professional service as an executive assistant to seven library directors from Dr. Robert Hersch to Dr. Dennis Swanson.
“It has been a wonderful 30 years,” Locklear said. “I have loved it here. “I don’t deal directly with the students, but from time to time when I talk with them I let them know how proud I am of them and to always do your best.
“The students are the reason we are here,” she said.
Those same words were echoed by Chancellor Robin Gary Cummings during a ceremony where Locklear and 88 of her co-workers were recognized for their years of service.
“We are all working together and we are all working toward one common purpose – and as we’ve said since Day 1 – it’s all about the students,” he said.
“Every one of you in this room, you play a role – no matter what you do – in the success of our students and what they will do in the future.”
The annual Service Awards Luncheon was held February 1. The employees clocked in a combined 1,142 years of service to the university and the state.
Recipients were presented a framed plaque signed by Cummings. No matter their role on campus, Cummings encouraged the employees to never lose sight of the impact they make each day.
Crystal Moore values her role as a nurse practitioner in the Student Health Services Department. She has worked at the university for five years.
“I help students stay healthy so they can get back in the classroom and achieve the goals they set out to accomplish when they came here,” she said. “I love staying engaged with the students.
“UNCP is so unique because we not only have the traditional students, but we have commuters, nontraditional students and military students. I really enjoy hearing their stories and learning about their backgrounds.”
Angela Revels, assistant vice chancellor for Human Resources, said the luncheon is a small gesture to recognize employees for their service to the university and to the state.
“Support staff are sometimes taken for granted because there isn’t a direct impact in the classroom, but it is paramount that we have a great housekeeping and grounds team to showcase the campus, a great advising and admissions team,” Revels said.
“Many of the administrative support services are so vital to the success of our students and the university, as a whole.”
Chancellor Cummings highlighted two former students – Troy Love and Ross Masters – as examples of students’ lives that have been changed with help of UNCP’s dedicated staff. Love was diagnosed in 2014 with Stage-5 kidney failure. He balanced his courses and dialysis treatments, while completing a degree in social work in December.
Masters completed his requisite science courses at UNCP and has been accepted into medical school at East Carolina University.
“We are creating a culture here and it is about exceeding expectations. It’s about expecting and demanding excellence. It’s about choosing to be extraordinary.” Cummings said.
UNC Pembroke recognizes all employees every five years and celebrates length-of-service milestones of employee service to total state service.
Employees recognized for five years of service:
Todd Allen, Center for Student Success, Lumberton
Mike Clawson, Military & Veteran Services, Ocean Isle Beach
Robin Johnson, Center for Student Success, Lumberton
Alisa Moses, Engaged Outreach Healthy Start, Lumberton
Jeremy Woodell, Facilities Operations, Pembroke
Meggan Hollis, Department of Music, Lumberton
Crystal Moore, Student Health Services, Maxton
Ashley Pryer, Admissions, Lumberton
Michael Litty, Communications & Marketing, Laurinburg
Chalmers Wilkins, Facilities Operations, Lumberton
Brittany Bennett, Athletics/HPER, Laurinburg
Timothy Chavis, Facilities Operations, Red Springs
Robert Gaddy, Information Technology, Lumberton
Christopher McGeachy, Facilities Operations, Red Springs
Tracy Bullard, Facilities Operations, Rowland
Sandra Chavis, Facilities Operations, Lumberton
Regina Clark, Facilities Operations, Rowland
John Cox, Health Physical Education & Recreation, Hope Mills
Patricia Locklear, Facilities Operations, Maxton
Mark Milewicz, Esther G. Maynor Honors College, Fayetteville
Daisy Long, Department of Psychology, Rockingham
Jamie Misenheimer, Information Technology, Laurinburg
Ian Stroud, Center for Student Success, Maxton
Jessica Locklear, Student Health Services, Maxton
Melissa McLean, Facilities Operations, Lumberton
Engle Revels, Admissions, Lumberton
Employees recognized for 10 years of service:
Charles Chavis, Environmental Health and Safety, Longs, S.C.
Beth Wilkerson, Office of Regional Initiatives, Orrum
Dennis Locklear, Facilities Operations, Lumberton
Paul Peterson-Campbell, Human Resources, Lumberton
Alicia Jiles, Office of the Provost and Academic Affairs, Lumberton
Adam Hardin, Advancement, Lumberton
Telisha Oxendine, Department of Biology, Lumberton
Charles Sampson, Facilities Operations, Pembroke
Debbie Locklear, Facilities Operations, Maxton
Jennifer McNeill, Center for Academic Excellence, Lumberton
Kenneth Spayd, Finance and Administration, Hope Mills
Johnny Cummings, Facilities Operations, Pembroke
Mable Haywood, Office for Regional Initiatives, Red Springs
Edward Locklear, Facilities Operations, Maxton
Tammy Locklear, Information Technology, Pembroke
Myra Moody, Office of Institutional Research, Fayetteville
Barry O’Brien, School of Business, Florence, S.C.
Daryl Chavis, Facilities Operations, Lumberton
Marsha Frink, Office of the Registrar, Chadbourn
Michelle Locklear, School of Education, Pembroke
Theresa Dimery, Facilities Operations, Lumberton
Jacqueline Strickland, Payroll, Rowland
Phillip Locklear, Police and Public Safety, Maxton
Judy Oxendine, Facilities Operations, Pembroke
Sondra Oxendine, Mary Livermore Library, Pembroke
Tate Corney, Information Technology, St. Pauls
Steven Locklear, Facilities Operations, Pembroke
Derek Oxendine, Center for Student Success, Pembroke
Employees recognized for 15 years of service
Belinda Smiling, Student Health Services, Maxton
Annie Coleman, Mary Livermore Library, Laurinburg
Ricky Ransom, Office of Regional Initiatives, Pembroke
Ginger Sampson, Office of Regional Initiatives, Maxton
Beatrice Williams, Purchasing, Shannon
Reginald Bullock, Center for Student Success, Laurinburg
David Hatch, Facilities Operations, Southport
Loretta Jones, Facilities Operations, Maxton
Aubrey Swett, University Center, Pembroke
Freddie Bell, Auxiliary and Business Services, Pembroke
Lisa Hunt, Sponsored Research and Programs, Lumberton
James Strickland, Facilities Operations, Pembroke
Sylvia Chavis, School of Business, Pembroke
Chuckie Lowery, Department of Mass Communications, Rockingham
Betty Johnson, Advancement, Pembroke
Tabitha Locklear, Information Technology, Maxton
Employees recognized for 20 years of service
Cynthia Redfearn, Housing & Residence Life, Lumberton
Elaine Vesely, Information Technology, Pembroke
Judith Lee, Student Health Services, Aberdeen
Melissa Vance, Facilities Operations, Lumberton
SallyAnn Clark, Department of Mass Communications, Laurinburg
Flora Freeman, Housing & Residence Life, Pembroke
Stephen Prevatte, Information Technology, Lumberton
Cora Bullard, Student Health Services, Maxton
Darlene Chavis, Facilities Operations, Pembroke
Employees recognized for 25 years of service
Paul Jolicoeur, Communications and Marketing, Lumberton
Employees recognized for 30 years of service
Penny Locklear, Mary Livermore Library, Pembroke
Dedra Sanderson, Givens Performing Arts Center, Pembroke
Carolyn Godwin, Center for Student Success, Rowland
Gwendolyn Locklear, Mary Livermore Library, Pembroke
Elizabeth Normandy, Office of the Provost and Academic Affairs, Fayetteville
Michael McKinnon, Facilities Operations, Hope Mills
Susie Harris, Mary Livermore Library, Pembroke
