Peer awards recognize employee leadership at McMaster

Six people from McMaster’s management group (TMG) received awards at the TMG Forum yesterday. The TMG Peer-to-Peer Recognition Program recognizes managers who are doing outstanding work while demonstrating and reinforcing McMaster’s core leadership capabilities.

Michelle Donovan, Alyssa Guarraci, Ksenija Kasumovich, Tracie Long, Rhonda Moore and Leanne Ruiz were nominated by colleagues and selected by the awards committee of Lynn Armstrong, Amber Bukata and Andreas Korinek. Winners received gifts courtesy of donations from Human Resources Services, Athletics and Recreation and the Campus Store.

Sarah Robinson, TMG Committee co-chair, presented the awards along with TMG Committee member Andreas Korinek.

“The number of nominations we had this year speaks to the strength of the TMG community,” she said. “Thank you to the nominators and congratulations to this year’s recipients.”

Robinson introduced the first two award recipients by sharing information from their nominations.

“Michelle Donovan collaborates and communicates extensively with McMaster faculty members, researchers, senior management and other communications professional across all Faculties and programs to promote the university’s reputation locally, nationally and globally,” she said. “Michelle is always willing to share information with colleagues, offer best practices and collaborate on projects. Thanks to her work, Michelle is a key contributor to McMaster being consistently recognized among the top 100 in the world.”

“Alyssa Guarraci positively promotes change through being passionate about innovation,” said Robinson. “She has become a pro at summarizing new initiatives by using process mapping tools and ensures everyone is kept in the loop when new initiatives are implemented. Alyssa utilizes surveys and project management communication tools to seek feedback from each project member. She put together a solid business case lead for a change to the payroll audit process, saving many hours per week in processing time.”

Korinek recognized the four other winners.

“Ksenija Kasumovich’s nominators shared that they felt blessed with her genuine interest in helping them develop their careers,” he said. “She doesn’t just promote learning, she leads by example by always continuing to learn and grow herself. Although she is a well-established manager with more than 10 years of experience at McMaster, she is a tireless advocate for professional development who believes in the importance of continuous learning and improvement.”

“Tracie Long thinks about her work from the position of values and student experience,” said Korinek. “People are eager to work with her and she has a history of bringing people to the table. Tracie is helping to ensure McMaster’s awards system is prepared to meet emerging needs and help to break down financial and social barriers for students. Tracie starts a project by asking clarifying questions about the purpose of an initiative, and takes the discussion back to larger principles.”

“Rhonda Moore’s nomination notes how refreshing it is to see a manager who walks the walk when it comes to promoting volunteerism and engagement within her department,” said Korinek. “Rhonda acts as a coach and valued mentor to the ConnectME committee members, leading the implementation of a project management tool for the committee. She also opens the Lyons New Media Centre as part of the Take Our Kids to Work Day program and has participating in numerous TMG Days of Service, United Way bus pulls and teaches Karate classes as part of the Healthy Workplace program.”

While Ruiz was not able to attend the TMG Forum, Korinek recognized her contributions.

“Leanne Ruiz has been a driving force behind the successful marriage between financial aid services, admission and student record services, and tuition services,” he said. “Throughout all the transitions, Leanne has navigated all the personal staff impacts with compassion and patience and tried to coach and mentor individuals through these changes. Leanne’s can-do attitude stands out. ‘I’m on it’ and ‘Okay, I will figure out a way’ are her usual responses to challenges.”

Read more about the winners online:

• Michelle Donovan, Manager, Media Relations: Communicates and Collaborates Award
• Alyssa Guarraci, HR Business Analyst: Champions Change and Innovation Award
• Ksenija Kasumovich, Anesthesia Department Manager: Develops People
• Tracie Long, Senior Associate Registrar: Takes a Strategic Approach Award
• Rhonda Moore, Manager, Lyons New Media Centre: Invests in Relationships Award
• Leanne Ruiz, Associate Registrar, Student Services: Drives Results Award

Read more about the Recognition Program and the TMG committee online.