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Facilities Services Announces 2024 Chuck Thompson Award Winners

 

Chuck Thompson Award History

In honor of former Assistant Director of Facilities Services, Charles F. (Chuck) Thompson, his son and daughter-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Richard C. Thompson, established an endowment with the University of Tennessee specifically designated for two annual cash-incentive awards for non-exempt employees of our department.

Every year, two awards are given, one from the skilled craft areas and one from the clerical, services and support areas, and each recipient must have at least 10 years of service with the university. This year, 28 people were nominated across a total of 116 nominations.

Service/Clerical 2024 Winner – Ann Free

 

The Service/Clerical winner of the 2024 Chuck Thompson Award is someone who works tirelessly to make sure the needs of campus staff, visitors, and students are always met in a timely manner. They provide quality service to all of campus – even when their workload seems insurmountable. In the face of a challenge, they demonstrate kindness and professionalism with everyone they encounter.

This honoree has dedicated much of their life to Facilities Services, and always does so with a smile and gentle spirit. Often juggling multiple tasks at one time, most of us are unsure how they manage to keep everything straight while maintaining exemplary customer service.

Many of our teams in Facilities Services would not be able to execute all the services we provide to campus without the hard work and dedication of this individual.

Our winner is often the very first person from Facilities Services that customers contact with questions or concerns, and without fail, they are met by a friendly and knowledgeable person on the other side of the phone.

While our winner may not always have the answers, she does know who to call, and her follow-through makes all the difference. She is a voice of reassurance when issues arise as she works hard to maintain calm and demonstrate care.

She is a fantastic representation of Facilities Services and our commitment to serving the university, and we are lucky to have her.

Facilities Services is proud to present this 2024 Chuck Thompson Award to Ms. Ann Free, General Dispatch, Maintenance & Repair.

Crafts 2024 Winner – Steve Bodenheimer

 

The person chosen for the 2024 Chuck Thompson Award in Crafts is someone who goes above and beyond in their duties every day. This person often works long hours without complaint for the good of the university and the customers we serve. He takes on extra duties without complaint, and he is available when needed.

He is a mentor and friend to the men on crew, and he is a beacon of encouragement for many of our team members -even those who don’t have the distinct pleasure of working with him daily. He holds his teammates in highest regard and has great respect for those he’s honored to work alongside. He has a smile that can improve even the toughest of tasks, and his kindness reminds you why what we do in Facilities Services matters.

He is a walking example of what it means to live out the Core Values of Facilities Services through quality service, teamwork, accountability, reliability, continuous improvement, and commitment in all he does. He is loyal to UT and to Facilities Services, and he is always sharing ideas to improve upon utilities systems.

The honoree has been through a lot, both professionally and personally, and he has taken it all in stride. He’s been nominated for this award several times, and it is an honor and a privilege to present this award to him today. A true Volunteer, through and through, he is a crucial part of the heartbeat of this campus, and we are better because he’s on our team.

Congratulations to the 2024 Chuck Thompson Award winner for Crafts: Mr. Steve Bodenheimer, Electrical Services, Utilities Services.


2024 Nominees

 

Service/Clerical

 

Amanda Ruelle, Design & Planning

Ann Free, Maintenance & Repair

Evghenia Sevastianova, Building Services

Jeff Barnes, Construction Services

Jeff Clark, Maintenance & Repair

Johnathan Sawyer, Operations

Luther Holloway, Finance & Administration

Michelle Johnson, Building Services

Michelle Lawson, Building Services

Rick Caldwell, Construction Services

Sandra Slusser, Building Services

Crafts

 

Beau Baker, Utilities Services

Bill Witucki, Utilities Services

Buddy Weaver, Maintenance & Repair

Cecil Woody, Maintenance & Repair

David Ridings, Utilities Services

Dustin Webb, Construction Services

Greg Parton, Utilities Services

Josh Cash, Maintenance & Repair

Kyle Delong, Utilities Services

Paul Hash, Maintenance & Repair

Robby Huggins, Utilities Services

Robert Dykes, Maintenance & Repair

Ronnie Couch, Construction Services

Steve Bodenheimer, Utilities Services

Steve Ferguson, Utilities Services

Tim Faulkner, Construction Services

Vaughn Gusby, Maintenance & Repair

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