Hill, Rose receive top employee awards
Two of the University of Maine’s top employee awards have been awarded to Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) administrative specialist Sheri Hill, and National Poetry Foundation and University of Maine Press publications specialist Betsy Rose.
Hill will receive the 2019 Outstanding Classified Employee Award. Rose will receive the 2019 Outstanding Professional Employee Award. The two awards, sponsored by the Classified Employees Advisory Council and the Professional Employees Advisory Council, respectively, will be presented April 23 at the Employee Recognition and Awards Luncheon.
Hill has been a member of the UMaine community for more than three decades. She is a primary point of contact for students, alumni and active duty staff in NROTC. Hill is described as talented, detail-oriented and dedicated, and all count on her extensive knowledge of both UMaine and Department of Defense requirements leading to the successful commissioning of officers.
Multiple undergraduates in their nomination letters noted Hill’s compassion, support and tireless advocacy for them, their academic achievements and career aspirations. Alumni traveling home from assignments in Europe, the Middle East, Japan and other locations frequently include stopovers in Orono to touch base with Hill — a role model and mentor.
Hill also has been critical in the establishment of the new UMaine and NROTC Pathways to Engineering program beginning this fall.
Her community engagement on and off campus ranges from fundraising for student-athlete programs to support for a local food pantry.
“Sheri is one of the most enthusiastic, caring and dedicated people I know, and one who is truly passionate about UMaine and its mission to elevate discourse with, and understanding of, others — a mission of empathy and excellence,” noted one nominator.
Rose was hired in 1998 as a publications specialist for the National Poetry Foundation and the University of Maine Press, working with authors, editors, faculty and students. She is known for her work ethic and editorial talents that promote the work of others.
In addition to her academic work, Rose’s nominators cited her tireless advocacy for people with mental illness and their families. Her efforts, including training on campus and in the community regarding mental health issues and suicide prevention, help raise awareness and build a culture of acceptance, understanding and inclusivity.
That training includes Family-to-Family, a 12-week course designed by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) to help family members understand mental illness and cope with the challenges of caring for an affected loved one. In addition, Rose facilitates peer and family support groups.
Her community engagement efforts include volunteering on the local and state levels with NAMI. Since 2016, she has served on the NAMI Maine board of directors, and the year before received a NAMI Maine Mal Wilson Award for “significant contributions to their communities by supporting families living with mental illness.” She also is president of the Bangor affiliate of NAMI Maine, serving Penobscot County, and will receive national training to be the state’s lead Family-to-Family trainer.
As one of her nominators noted, “Betsy’s remarkable commitment to the community is clearly driven by her deep concern for others. She is someone who perpetually translates compassion into meaningful action.”
Contact: Margaret Nagle, 581.3745