Nomination for Employee Excellence Award
Written by Ray Sutton, PALS Operations Supervisor;
Awarded in Spring 2006
Although I have tried to summarize Tom Tyler’s contribution to our department and the university as a whole, words alone really do not describe how important he is to us (all). Everything Tom does for us has been positive and proven to make a difference. Tom deserves this recognition more than anyone I know of. He is truly an “Excellent Employee”!!!
Written by Ray Sutton, PALS Operations Supervisor;
Awarded in Spring 2006
Although I have tried to summarize Tom Tyler’s contribution to our department and the university as a whole, words alone really do not describe how important he is to us (all). Everything Tom does for us has been positive and proven to make a difference. Tom deserves this recognition more than anyone I know of. He is truly an “Excellent Employee”!!!
Creativity: As the Chemistry Lab Coordinator, Tom is responsible for managing numerous tasks ranging from maintaining stocks and purchasing supplies for 15 teaching and research labs, keeping delicate and expensive analytical equipment in good working order, and handling hazardous chemical waste for the entire PALS department on a daily basis. Oftentimes these duties require him to be responsible to as many as 13 faculty members housed in four different buildings spanning the campus, including the Harte Research Institute. He is literally expected to be “in more than one place at the same time.” But this apparent impossibility has not slowed Tom down in the least. In order to accommodate everyone, Tom created a website (without prompting) that not only organized his day to day task list, managed his lab/chemical stocks, and published important safety links, but it also gave others the ability to monitor Tom’s progress by simply clicking a mouse button. It even provided a link for faculty to submit additional tasks without him being present. Not only has his website dramatically increased his availability and efficiency, but it actually allows him to be in move than one place at the same time. It has now become the standard for the other coordinators on the staff to emulate/incorporate. His creativity, initiative, and ability to turn an apparent problem into an opportunity is commendable, reflects credit upon Tom’s credit and work ethic, and is worthy of the Employee Excellence Award.
Teamwork: As a member of a staff of eight, Tom is given ample opportunity to participate and cooperate in collective initiatives and team goals. He has never failed to surpass expectations. He is always willing to help accomplish whatever his team asks of him and never claims, “it is not my job.” For example, in only his first week of employment with the department, I approached Tom with helping to clean off our loading dock, an area that had been neglected for more than a year. It was filled with trash, debris, and old, heavy equipment. Despite the facts that this type of task was not “in his job description” and that the chore would be arduous, dirty, and take time away from his other responsibilities, Tom did not hesitate to step up to the plate and perform commendably. His hard work and effort cut the time it would have normally taken to accomplish this task in half. I knew then that Tom would be a productive part of our team, and he has not disappointed us since. He routinely volunteers to help out when others are absent or simply cannot make a deadline. His reputation of being willing to help anyone that asks has reached to other departments on campus as well. He is regularly asked for his chemical waste handling expertise by Environmental. Health and Safety, the Center for Coastal Studies, and Harte Research Institute. Tom is a dedicated team player, willing to help accomplish any goal. Tom leads by example, and I would not hesitate placing him in a position of increased responsibility.
Teamwork: As a member of a staff of eight, Tom is given ample opportunity to participate and cooperate in collective initiatives and team goals. He has never failed to surpass expectations. He is always willing to help accomplish whatever his team asks of him and never claims, “it is not my job.” For example, in only his first week of employment with the department, I approached Tom with helping to clean off our loading dock, an area that had been neglected for more than a year. It was filled with trash, debris, and old, heavy equipment. Despite the facts that this type of task was not “in his job description” and that the chore would be arduous, dirty, and take time away from his other responsibilities, Tom did not hesitate to step up to the plate and perform commendably. His hard work and effort cut the time it would have normally taken to accomplish this task in half. I knew then that Tom would be a productive part of our team, and he has not disappointed us since. He routinely volunteers to help out when others are absent or simply cannot make a deadline. His reputation of being willing to help anyone that asks has reached to other departments on campus as well. He is regularly asked for his chemical waste handling expertise by Environmental. Health and Safety, the Center for Coastal Studies, and Harte Research Institute. Tom is a dedicated team player, willing to help accomplish any goal. Tom leads by example, and I would not hesitate placing him in a position of increased responsibility.
Promotion of the University’s Image in the Community: Tom’s efforts have helped to promote the University’s image as well. He was recently asked to help schedule an outreach workshop funded by the Environmental Protection Agency that would teach Corpus Christi ISD science teachers about the benefits of using small scale chemistry techniques in their classrooms. He was asked ONLY to help schedule times and places for the classes on the campus. However, this would not suffice for Tom. Using countless hours of his own time, Tom organized and facilitated every aspect of the workshop including overseeing the coordination between the EPA, Texas Department of Education, CCISD, and the University, scheduling of all of the events, and ensuring that the instructor had everything she needed to be successful. He even took the time to build a link on his website that allowed all interested parties to gather additional information. It now serves as a photographic record of the week’s events. Tom’s thoroughness, professionalism, and tireless work ethic during this period demand admiration from all that he helped and are directly responsible for promoting the highest standards of this university to entities nationwide. Because of his professionalism, he has since been approached by the EPA to help facilitate additional workshops. PLEASE visit his website for more detailsabout what Tom accomplished during this project. He is a true steward of the ideals this university stands for!
Special Contribution to Work Area or University as a Whole: Tom has also made a huge, measurable contribution to the College of Science and Technology as well. Upon assuming his duties as the Chemistry Lab Coordinator, Tom took the initiative to develop and implement new procedures to collect, consolidate, minimize, and document all of the hazardous waste generated by the entire department. What he accomplished was nothing short of outstanding! It was efficient, thorough, and ensured compliance with state and federal laws. Not only was his plan accepted by the department as a success, but it was adopted by Environmental Health and Safety as THE standard operating procedure for waste operations on campus. He is regularly consulted about waste handling operations. Most importantly, his program saved our department thousands of dollars in its first year alone! Truly remarkable.
Special Contribution to Work Area or University as a Whole: Tom has also made a huge, measurable contribution to the College of Science and Technology as well. Upon assuming his duties as the Chemistry Lab Coordinator, Tom took the initiative to develop and implement new procedures to collect, consolidate, minimize, and document all of the hazardous waste generated by the entire department. What he accomplished was nothing short of outstanding! It was efficient, thorough, and ensured compliance with state and federal laws. Not only was his plan accepted by the department as a success, but it was adopted by Environmental Health and Safety as THE standard operating procedure for waste operations on campus. He is regularly consulted about waste handling operations. Most importantly, his program saved our department thousands of dollars in its first year alone! Truly remarkable.
