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| Greg Partida, Horticulture, Plant and Soil Science professor, offers strategic tips on keeping fruit trees healthy and productive during one of the Staff Appreciation Day activities. |
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| Four outstanding staff members were honored at Kellogg West on June 15. (from left) Francine Ramirez, Elia Cadengo, Sue Moore, and Loretta Roth. |
Both praise and lunch were lavish for Staff Appreciation Day on June 15. “Because You're Worth It” was the theme for the day, which began with a morning reception and motivational speech by Jerald Chesser, Dean of The Collins School of Hospitality Management, in the CLA Building at 8 a.m. The day's events were organized by Staff Council, including overall co-chairs Rita Haerr and Brandi Strand.
The morning and early afternoon were packed with activities designed to appeal to staff members while reinforcing Cal Poly Pomona's unique qualifications as a diverse workplace. One could, for example, learn to arrange flowers or craft a theme basket, or one could tour the university's famed Arabian Horse Center or its innovative BioTrek facilities. And, for the gardener in all of us, there was a special presentation on growing fruit trees in the home garden.
During lunch at Kellogg West, four outstanding staff members were feted with much fanfare with university president Michael Ortiz and his wife, Betty, on hand. This year's honorees included:
- Elia Cadengo – Facilities Planning & Management
- Sue Moore – Electrical & Computer Engineering
- Francine Ramirez – University Advancement
- Loretta Roth – Center for Community Service Learning
The audience was awarded as well. With the associate vice president of special projects Ron “Mr. Cal Poly” Simons on the microphone, the annual gift raffle took on a high level of hilarity as winning tickets were drawn. Gifts ranged from elegant floral arrangements to gardening tools to box seats for the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. Certificates were also donated for fine dining. Cal Poly Pomona staff members shall be frequenting the following establishments in the near future: IHOP, El Torito, Mimi's Cafe, Vince's Spaghetti and In-N-Out Burger.
To cap the day, staff members participated in a “CPP Idols” Variety Show with Dave Johnson, Judicial Affairs director and commencement guru, as master of ceremonies. This unique event marked the end of a very Cal Poly Pomona day, the kind of day that features staff members from all departments uniting to celebrate their valuable contributions to this university.
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| Leon Krebs and Pat Wilberding of Facilities Management perform during the “CPP Idols” Variety Show. |
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| Nora Babinski of the Math & Statistics department dances as a wood nymph and takes emcee Dave Johnson along for the ride. |