A foreman who built a removable desk top to fit over the wheelchair of an international student with disabilities and the man behind the Diversity Dinner Dialogues were among the 11 UT Dallas employees honored in the 2009-2010 CARE Awards.

Keith Ferguson

Keith Ferguson went the extra mile to help an international student.

The award, short for “Celebrate Achievement – Reward Excellence,” honors staff members who have demonstrated superior performance, offered outstanding customer service and enhanced the University’s image with their work.

University President David E. Daniel presented each recipient with a clock and certificate of appreciation in a ceremony June 22. Awards were presented for both fall 2009 and spring 2010.

“The CARE awards ceremony is one of my favorite events of the year,” Daniel said. “Not only are the award recipients outstanding professionals, but they are caring individuals and wonderful colleagues.”

Keith Ferguson in Facilities Management embodies customer service, said his supervisor Kelly Kinnard.  That’s true whether it be a routine task or confronting the challenge of helping a student with a disability attend class more effectively, Kinnard said.

“With Keith, it’s never, ‘I can’t.’ It is always, ‘How can we get this done?’ ” Kinnard said.

Daniel Cordova, assistant director of the Multicultural Center, brings together students, faculty, staff and community leaders to discuss diversity issues such as generational difference, religion and politics.  It isn’t the only way he has made himself indispensible, said his supervisor Arthur Gregg, director of the Multicultural Center.

“We’ve moved twice within the last five years, and each time Danny has led the effort and made moves seamless for staff and students,”  Gregg said.

Calvin D. Jamison, vice president for Business Affairs, said of another honoree, his special assistant Peg Zotter, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

He described Zotter as the “go to” person for all things business affairs. “You could not ask for a better employee,” he said.

This is the 12th year of the CARE Awards. To date, 131 CARE Awards have been presented.

“It’s one of the best things we do for our fellow staffers,” said Daniel Calhoun, president of the Staff Council.