The annual USD 353 Employee Appreciation Program was held on Friday, May 20. Award recipients were as follows:
University of Kansas 25 Years of Service in KS Award
Daphne Adams, James Ginter, Heather Schmidt, Adrian Young, Brian Aufdengarten, Carmen Hatfield and Deyna Smith
Classified Employee of the Year
Peggy Gilmore
Para Educator of the Year
Charissa Brown
Excellence in Teaching Award
Kristee Bernd
Longevity Awards
5 Years of Service - Chelsi Adams, Milton Bradley, Bridgitte DeJarnett, Dr. Jen Kern, Christopher Starnes, Brianna Young, Abby BIles, Cortney Brown, Natasha Gurley, Heather Murphy, Sarah Sanders, Donna Starnes
10 Years of Service - Zane Aguilar, Kaitlin Buck, Ryan Elder, Katie Ford, James Freeman, Randy Hodges
15 Years- Melanie Dvorak, Beverly Sellers, Shawn Worley, Ryan Ewing, Shelly Urban
20 Years of Service - Denton Kindy, Shelia Buck
25 Years of Service - Brian Aufdengarten, James Ginter, Rane Case, Amy Groom, Carmen Hatfield, Jennifer Robinson, Deyna Smith, Adrian Young
30 Years of Service - Roxi Nance, Lori Phelps, Cynthia Tracy
40 Years of Service - Kathy Ford, Cathy Shuck, Melissa Lathers
Retirees
Brenda Cochran - 1988-2022
Ada Farringer - 2019-2022
Nancy Kollmorgen - 1978-2022
Melissa Lathers - 1982-2022
Pamela Thompson - 2006-2022
Rhonda Thompson - 2005-2022
Shelly Urban - 2007-2022
Ed Collins - 2015-2022
Cyndi Johannsen -1998-2022
Mike Simpson - 1996-2022
Charlene Smith - 2019-2022
Mike Wilmoth - 1980-2022
Special Recognitions:
Katie Ford was recognized for her tireless work in assisting the district with carrying on the work and legacy of Steve Sturgis.
Cindy Daniels was recognized for her hard work, dedication and diligence in managing the food service program during these challenging times and ever changing Federal Guidelines.
Luke and Stephanie Smith were recognized for their many years of service and positive impact on the district as they both move on to new opportunities next year.
Tiffin Mayer was recognized for her KAKE Golden Apple award.
We really do have the best of the best! USD 353 thanks EVERY employee for a great year!