Long and Scheele receive two of UMaine’s top staff awards
Two of the University of Maine’s top employee awards will be presented to Wanda Long, an administrative specialist in the Division of Lifelong Learning, and Kenda Scheele, associate vice president for student life and senior associate dean of students.
Long will receive the 2020 Outstanding Classified Employee Award. Scheele will receive the 2020 Outstanding Professional Employee Award. The two awards, sponsored by the Classified Employees Advisory Council (CEAC) and the Professional Employees Advisory Council (PEAC), respectively, will be presented April 10 at the Employee Recognition and Awards Luncheon.
Long has been a member of the UMaine community for more than 40 years. She has held multiple positions in the Division of Lifelong Learning, including stenographer, secretary and records technician. Today, as administrative specialist CL2 she is the point of contact in the Division of Lifelong Learning who is renowned for her dedication to customer service and teamwork.
Long provides administrative support for Winter Session and Summer University, UMaineOnline, and travel study programming. She is the go-to person for undergraduates taking online courses, including many nontraditional students in the UMaine programs. Long is well known by faculty, students and staff for understanding the needs of students, and making every effort to ensure they have a positive experience in the Division of Lifelong Learning.
As one nominator noted, “Wanda handles every day as a new opportunity to help our students and see that they achieve nothing less than success.”
Scheele is described as “an unsung hero who works tirelessly and endlessly for our students, staff, faculty and administration, and for her community.” Scheele joined UMaine in 2001. Her student affairs expertise and law degree make her “a resource of immense depth” for the university and the state, her nominators note.
Scheele provides leadership in a number of Division of Student Life areas, including student conduct, Title IX student services and student accessibility support services. She was instrumental in the development of Residence Life’s curriculum-based, learning-outcomes model to enhance student experience, and the launch of the new Center for Student Involvement. Scheele also has administrative responsibility for the New Balance Student Recreation Center, and serves on UMaine’s emergency operations center team.
Scheele is dedicated to higher education and the UMaine student experience. She is widely known for her assertive leadership, and “unapologetic” caring and compassion. Scheele’s commitment to ongoing training and education keep UMaine engaged in best practices, and abreast of laws, policies and trends in student life programming.
“(Kenda) never stops trying to improve and improve the lives of those around her, whether they work for her or with her, or (whether) she can reach out a hand to make their lives better,” wrote one of her nominators. “She is inspiring.”
The annual PEAC award recognizes UMaine professional employees who demonstrate a dedication to serving others, maintain the highest level of professional services and standards in their disciplines or areas of responsibility, help create a better campus environment and demonstrate public service through significant contributions.
The annual CEAC award recognizes classified employees’ exceptional service and dedication to UMaine, increasing the campus community’s awareness of the indispensable contributions that represented and nonrepresented classified employees make to the quality, diversity and overall mission of the university.