NDSU employees Karen Johnson, Debra Knapper and Robert Barclay were among six state employees recognized for their dedication and contributions to the people of North Dakota. Gov. Jack Dalrymple presented the awards during a luncheon at the Capitol in Bismarck to kick off State Employee Recognition Week.
“North Dakota’s state employees are the best in the nation, and these six individuals recognized today represent the outstanding work that is performed by state employees every day across our state,” Dalrymple said. “We applaud them for their exemplary service to North Dakota and its citizens.”
Johnson is an academic assistant for accounting and information systems. She is responsible for the efficient operation of the department and assists with the management of programs that involve more than 700 undergraduate and 40 graduate students.
Knapper, a custodian supervisor for facilities management, serves as supervisor at the downtown campus and was instrumental in developing the facility’s custodial procedures. In addition to her service at NDSU, she has served in the National Guard for 23 years and was deployed for one year to Iraq.
Barclay is a heating plant manager with facilities management. He is responsible for a raw fuels budget in excess of $2 million and oversees the operation of a heating plant and a steam distribution system that runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year to supply uninterrupted heat, hot water and air conditioning to the campus.
Other honored state employees include Kristin Lunneborg, chief financial officer for the North Dakota Veterans Home in Lisbon; Connie Johnson, State Work Opportunity Tax Credit coordinator for Job Service North Dakota; and Patti Mihelich, vocational training technician with the Department of Human Services at the North Dakota Developmental Center in Grafton.
The award recipients were nominated by their peers and selected by a committee of judges who reviewed and scored the nominations. Nominees were rated on their overall job performance, contributions to their department, commitment to customer service, working relationship with fellow workers and involvement in their community.
