Nora Orozco Is Recipient of Outstanding Supervision Award from UC Davis Staff Assembly

Nora Orozco, chief administrative officer for the Department of Entomology and Nematology (ENT) and the Department of Plant Pathology (PLP), served by the Phoenix Cluster, is the recipient of a UC Davis Staff Assembly's 2024 Citation for Excellence award for outstanding supervision.

The team spearheading the nomination included administrators, faculty, and members of the Phoenix Cluster advising team and the ENT awards committee.

Her nominators praised her as "a 22-year UC Davis employee who has created an incredible culture of high productivity, teamwork, innovation, integrity, compassion and morale, exemplifying our university’s mission, vision and values."

Orozco will be honored at the Staff Assembly's annual awards ceremony, set Wednesday night, Sept. 11, time and venue pending. UC Davis Chancellor Gary May traditionally participates and congratulates the recipients.

Orozco was one of two supervisors singled out for the highly competitive campuswide award. She joins Karen Bowman, chief administrative officer of The Arts Administrative Group.

Under the rules, the nominee's name, gender, title and department(s) cannot be mentioned in the letter of nomination, according to Mary Carrillo and Darolyn Striley, co-chairs of the Citations of Excellence Committee.  Rules also require that the nominations be kept confidential, or as a surprise until the winners are announced.

Orozco was nominated by the trio of Kathy Keatley Garvey, communications specialist and member of the ENT awards committee, and Phoenix Cluster advising team members Theresa Garcia, ENT and PLP graduate student advisor,  and Michelle Mallari, ENT and PLP undergraduate program coordinator. The nominating team also included Joanna Chiu, professor and chair of the Department of Entomology and Nematology (ENT);  Steve Nadler, professor and former chair of ENT; UC Davis distinguished professor Bruce Hammock, chair of the department's awards committee; and Phoenix Cluster members Elvira Hack, student academic advisor, Animal Biology and Entomology majors,  and Grace Rebecca Gomez, academic advisor, Global Disease Biology.

A Great Leader, with Integrity and Compassion

 Chiu (mentioned as "department chair" and not by name, in accordance with the rules) described Orozco as a "great leader with integrity and compassion" who is trusted and respected by everyone. "(Nora) is very effective in communicating our vision of the cluster, thus everyone works more effectively. Since taking over as chair, I have had a ‘front row seat’ to see (Nora) in action, watching (her) gracefully lead the cluster through one challenge after another.”  

Nadler (mentioned as a "former department chair," per the rules) praised Orozco as “Truly exceptional and professional mastery of all aspects of the position, from managing personnel to understanding complex budget issues.”

The nominators hailed her as preparing staff well "for any changes that could negatively impact workflow, such as the early transition to Aggie Enterprise. (Nora)  encourages professional development, a work-life balance, and at meetings, builds morale and camaraderie by having teams invite guest speakers to share their areas of specialization."

"A 19-year UC Davis staffer says that (Nora's) leadership 'outshines all others," the letter of nomination related. "(Nora) truly is an amazing leader. (She) will take the time to resolve situations as they arise and you can be sure that the solutions are thoughtful and with best intentions. As a leader, (Nora) is not only there making sure we have everything we need to be successful, but (she) also cares on a personal level. (She) has never failed to ask how I am doing personally. It is sincere and honest. I believe our departments are successful because (she) has a way of making you feel heard, appreciated, and respected.” 

A staffer who experienced a chronic illness flare-up said (Nora) “offered to help in any way, and worked with me to get tasks covered so I could prioritize my health, well-being and come back stronger than before.” 

Another key comment: “(Nora) leads by example--(she) has an exemplary work ethic, inspires staff with creativity, enthusiasm and empathy, and has a wonderful, compassionate, kind and professional demeanor that facilitates a safe, fun, inspiring and healthy work environment. (She) provides tailored, insightful and thoughtful feedback and shows commitment to the teams and each individual staff member’s success and personal and professional growth. Despite being busy with multiple tasks and responsibilities, (she) always takes the time to check in with every team member, actively listens, and is extremely approachable.  (Nora) never makes you feel rushed. I feel supported, heard, and encouraged by her every single day at work.”

She Never Replies 'It Cannot Be Done'

 UC Davis distinguished professor Bruce Hammock, a 50-year University of California faculty member, commented that (Nora) is a person who never replies ‘It cannot be done.’ (She) always finds a way to get things done and done well.  (She) is unassuming but brilliant and inventive as well as very experienced in the rule of UC.  A subtle sense of humor makes (her) a pleasure to work with.  (She) is always a positive, optimistic, hard-working and pleasant solver of problems.”

The Phoenix Staff provides student advising, communications, safety, and business operations support for the two departments.

The UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology is ranked third among  “The Best Entomology Colleges in the United States for 2024" by universities.com.  The department includes 24 active and 19 retired faculty;  28 graduate students (five in the master’s degree program and 23 in the doctoral degree program); 47 undergraduate entomology majors (based on the Office of Academic Support and Instructional Services (OASIS)  Student Reports); and a staff comprised of 27 academics (non-faculty), 24 career, and 56 student assistants. 

Outstanding Achievements

The annual Citations for Excellence awards program recognizes individual staff and staff teams "who have demonstrated outstanding achievements that go above and beyond the requirements outlined in their position descriptions."

Thanks to generous support from the Office of the Chancellor and Human Resources, Staff Assembly will award a total of $20,580 to the recipients this year.

The list of recipients:

Individual Awards

Health and Well-being

• Colleen Anthonisen, Clinical Research Supervisor I; Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Donna Gutierrez, Assistant Director, Prospect Research; Development & Alumni Relations (Prospect Management & Research)

Innovation

• Brian McEligot, Executive Assistant Dean; College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences Dean's Office
• Amber Sharpe, Business Systems and Solutions Manager; FOA Business Partners

Mentorship

• Grace Eilers, Financial Services Analyst; Graduate Studies

Research

• William Tuck, Research Admin 3; Physics & Astronomy 

Service

• Lauren McDiarmid, Int Fellowship Analyst; Graduate Studies
• Sarah Quezada, Environmental Health Program Coordinator; Environmental Health & Safety

Supervision

• Nora Orozco, Chief Administrative Officer; Departments of Entomology and Nematology; Department of Plant Pathology; Phoenix Cluster
• Karen Bowman, CAO; The Arts Administrative Group

Teaching/Coaching

• Shannon Tanguay, Budget Director; College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences

Team Award

Cesar Chavez Youth Leadership Planning Team

• Nancy Alderete, Assistant Director Chicanx Latinx Recruitment; Undergraduate Admissions
• Gabriela Ballesteros, Sorority and Fraternity Life Coordinator; Center for Student Involvement
• Rosa Deniz, Program Analyst; VC DEI
• Aury Gutierrez Zavala, Senior Case Manager; Aggie Compass Basic Needs
• Lars McBride, CRM Manager; Undergraduate Admissions
• Maria Saldana, Undergraduate Academic Advisor; Agricultural and Resource Economics

Team Award - Health and Well-being

Pharmacy Wellness Committee

• Dominique Cargill, Project Policy Analyst 4; Pharmacy
• Heather Martin, Manager; Pharmacy