Carla Danks thought she was being called into the first floor meeting room in Kivett Hall to talk numbers with her team when that meeting was interrupted by a camel carrying balloons and a gift basket, followed by President William Downs and faculty and staff from the College of Arts & Sciences.
Danks, an administrative assistant for the College, was the fourth recipient of Downs’ new Cherished Camel award, recognizing “exceptional performance” by University staff. The new award — given to five staff members total over the past two weeks — is designed to “promote excellence and provide visible university-wide appreciation of employees who demonstrate daily dedication, initiative and productivity.”
More than 60 Campbell employees were nominated for the award after it was initially announced in July.
In presenting the award to Danks, Downs read from the nominating letter that noted her “exceptional ability to understand the inner workings of the biology department, second to none. Her services have been exceptional, far beyond expectations of us all. Her caring has made us all united and has made us enjoy better collegiality in the department, and we all very much appreciate her care and her heart.”
The award and presentation left Danks tearful as she offered a short “thank you” to her colleagues.
“I just feel so blessed to be a part of the biology department and the College of Arts & Sciences,” she said. “And I just love you all. This means so much to me.”
