Secretary II Melony Warwick Earns SUNY Chancellor's Award

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Melony Warwick

CORTLAND, NY (05/16/2012)(readMedia)-- Melony Warwick, secretary II in the Division of Institutional Advancement at SUNY Cortland, was presented a prestigious State University of New York Chancellor's Award for Excellence during the 2012 Undergraduate Commencement on Saturday, May 12, in the Park Center.

Warwick received Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Classified Service.

The Chancellor's Awards are conferred to provide system-wide recognition for consistently superior professional achievement and to encourage the pursuit of excellence at all 64 SUNY campuses. Each campus president submits nominations, which are reviewed by the SUNY Committee on Awards.

Warwick, a SUNY Cortland employee for the past 25 years, becomes the fourth SUNY Cortland recipient of the classified service honor, created by SUNY in 2009 and presented in recognition of outstanding job performance, flexibility, creativity and exemplary customer service.

"Ms. Warwick is well known for her superior organizational skills and excellent work ethic," said College President Erik J. Bitterbaum. "A perfectionist, she has a definite eye for detail that most certainly ensures the success of the events she has supervised. Ms. Warwick readily volunteers for new initiatives, and she has repeatedly demonstrated great flexibility in assisting with the training of new staff in the division throughout the years."

Warwick has served three different vice presidents during her years at the College. She has been instrumental in organizing board meetings and materials and providing support to the Cortland College Foundation Board of Directors. Warwick is a key organizer of donor and College events, including alumni gatherings, emeriti faculty gatherings, donor dedication ceremonies, Alumni Reunion Weekend, the annual Partners in Leadership celebration, the annual College-Community Appreciation Award Dinner and numerous donor sports events hosted by the president. She has hosted VIP donors at the New York Jets summer training camp on the SUNY Cortland campus. She has coordinated the committees for the Rozanne Brooks Dedicated Teacher Award and the Marilou Wright Scholarship.

"Most noteworthy this year was the highly successful capital campaign kick-off celebration and dinner, hosted by an alumnus at his magnificent farm outside of Cortland," noted Raymond D. Franco '72, M '75, vice president for institutional advancement. "Scores of donors were invited, a wonderful program was organized, group transportation was arranged and food was selected and catered - all under the watchful eye of Ms. Melony Warwick.

"In every aspect of her position as a classified service staff member of the campus, Ms. Warwick is a professional," Franco said. "In many ways, her caring and ownership provides a solid foundation for the College's and the Foundation's outreach efforts."

She has served on College search committees, including several at the vice president and executive director level. Warwick has been a member of the Auxiliary Services Corporation personnel and operations advisory committees, the local Civil Service Employees Association's picnic committee and the Service Award Luncheon Committee. She also has volunteered for many years with the State Employees Federated Appeal and was the College Bowling League secretary for many years.

In 2003, Warwick was honored with SUNY Cortland's President's Award for Excellence in Classified Service.

A native of Willet, N.Y., Warwick graduated from Cincinnatus High School and worked at the Cortland County Probation Department before joining SUNY Cortland in 1985 as a temporary typist.

She joined the College's Memorial Library in 1988 as a keyboard specialist. In 1992, Warwick joined the College Relations and Development Office as a secretary I. She was promoted to the rank of secretary II in 2002.

She and her husband, John, live in Cortland.

Three other SUNY Cortland faculty and administrators received Chancellor's Awards at the graduation exercises. Jeffrey J. Walkuski, an associate professor of physical education, was recognized with a Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Faculty Service. Julian H. Wright, director of recreational sports, was honored with a Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Professional Service. Tiantian Zheng, a professor of sociology/anthropology, was presented a Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities.

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