ESE Presents Five RTI Thanks You Awards

The following staff received awards:

Debbie Retzlaff, Engineering and Environmental Technology (CEET), has consistently gone beyond what RTI expects of an administrative coordinator. In addition to her normal workload, Ms. Retzlaff had to deal with the restructuring of CEET, which increased the staff by 11 percent. Ms. Retzlaff's leadership and interpersonal skills, plus her hard work, allowed the center to achieve a smooth transition into the reorganization.

Laura Hodson, Environmental Measurements and Quality Assurance (CEMQA), has performed project work and RTI internal safety work and is RTI's only Certified Industrial Hygienist. Her work has included revising the RTI respiratory protection program, serving as editor for the revision of the RTI Safety and Occupational Health Manual, and performing and/or supporting a variety of industrial hygiene surveys. Ms. Hodson led the American Industrial Hygiene Association's (AIHA) Environmental Lead Proficiency Analytical Testing program (ELPAT) through a successful contract renewal and has kept this new contract on schedule and within costs. She also took the lead in submitting two major proposals to the AIHA for industrial hygiene Proficiency Analytical Testing (PAT) and prepared the application for AIHA PAT and ELPAT reaccreditation.

Lisa Parrish, Aerospace Technology (CAST), Hampton, Va., did an extraordinary job of organizing the expansion of the Hampton office, including replacing the carpet, coordinating the installation of a new telephone/data system, and having the office painted. Also, she was the contact for everyone from the landlord to the new cleaning crew. During this time, Ms. Parrish performed her routine administrative duties as well as the project reporting for NASA. The planning, decision-making, and problem solving she demonstrated were well above expectations.

Kathleen Mohar, Presentation and Document Services (PDS), has worked closely with every group in CEA and most other ESE centers to ensure that products are developed with the highest quality editorial and design standards and that products are delivered on time. Ms. Mohar goes beyond what is expected of any professional staff in order to complete proposals and documents. Over the past year, she served as proposal coordinator on CEA's three largest proposals, all due within one month of each other, and during June and July, she coordinated dozens of reports due simultaneously. Also, Ms. Mohar served as a work assignment leader on several EPA assignments that required designing brochures, newsletters and documents.

Marvin Branscome, Environmental Analysis (CEA), has for 20 years been one of the top performers in his center and unit. Mr. Branscome has demonstrated extraordinary effort over the past year in simultaneously supervising four multiyear projects, mentoring two junior staff members, acting as principal performer on another project, and participating in an intergovernmental program on climate change activities. Also, he participated in an international workshop at EPA's request as a national expert on HFC-23 emissions and prepared a paper on good practices for determining these emissions for the international greenhouse gas inventory. His work was used in preparing a report issued by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change on Good Practice in Inventory Preparation.

The banquet's theme was "Puttin' on the Ritz," and RTI guests came dressed to the nines for mingling, dining and dancing. Lindsay James and Andy Sfekas, both of Economics Research (CER), performed a dance demonstration and provided lessons for ballroom dancing. Thirty-three door prizes were awarded, and Jenni Elion received an award for procuring thirty-one of them, worth $1,100. Donating companies were American Express Travel, Barnes & Noble, Borders Books, Carolina Hurricanes, Carolina Therapeutic Massage Center, Carowinds, Cozumel Mexican Grille, Fearrington Village, General Cinemas, Ice House, Milton's Pizza & Pasta, Morehead Planetarium, Museum of Life and Science, North Carolina Symphony, Raleigh Grande, Raleigh IcePlex, Raleigh Little Theater, Remington Grill, and Theater in the Park.

By Shannon K. Luce
November 15, 1999