April 7, 2006: Volume 67, Number 3

Can U canoe? Employee Recognition Luncheon serves up fond memories

In 1995, Peter Tobiessen took a canoe trip from Schenectady to Manhattan with five students, an alumnus and President Roger Hull. "You really get to know your comrades when you are sweating in a canoe for 30 miles a day for six days," he said. 

A professor of biology who is retiring this year after 36 years at Union, Tobiessen told this anecdote to colleagues Tuesday at the annual Employee Recognition Luncheon, which filled the Ballroom at College Park Hall. The canoe trip was just one of many moments he has shared with students outside the classroom over the years.

Fellow retiree and himself a 35-year employee of the College, George Butterstein, the Florence B. Sherwood Professor of Life Sciences, noted that he will "be forever grateful" for his opportunity to serve under five College presidents, have wonderful colleagues and work closely with students. He described his award of an endowed chair in 1994 as a high point in his career.

Elias Majlaton, manager of the Union College Bookstore, retires this year after 18 years on the Union campus. He fondly recalled the time he spent working with his late colleague Ernest Conti, former director of Administrative Services, and he thanked the Bookstore staff for "making me look good" over the years.

Eric Noll, director of Human Resources, who emceed the lunch, reported that current employees average more than 11 years of Union service. He also noted that the 86 employees honored at the event accounted for a collective 1,730 years of service. Interim President Jim Underwood also was on hand to recognize the honorees.

Honored this year were:
2005-06 retirees:

George Butterstein, James Carafano, Patricia Colgan, Ann Facenda, Thora Girke, Erik Hansen, Elias Majlaton Lucille Moriarty, James Moore, Peter Tobiessen

Years of service honorees:
40: Casimer Chlopecki  

35: George Butterstein, Josef Schmee, Charles Steckler, Thomas Werner

30: Jean Conley, David Hayes, Peter Heinegg, Harry Marten, Brenda Wineapple

25: Suzanne Benack, Gene Davison, Albert Garz, Sharon Gmelch, Susan Niefield, Robert Olberg, Leonard Seeley, Jordan Smith, Karl Zimmerman

20: Thomas Blum, Ann Fleming Brown, David Cossey, Kenneth DeBono, Jane Earley, Judith Ferradino, Brian Flahive, Michael Hilton, Linda Jorgensen, Alan Kratzke Sr., Nanette Kratzke, Nancy McCullough, Pilar Moyano, Laurie Romanski, Loren Rucinski, Callie Stacey, Linda Stanhope, Cherrice Traver

15: Timothy Chotkowski, Felmon Davis, Paul Durivage, George Ferro, Maurice Garcelon, William Garcia, Brenda Johnson, Diane Keller, Kathleen Kuon, Helen Lecce, Daniel Lundquist, Victoria Martinez, Louisa Matthew, William Neubeck, Kathleen Newell, Eric Noll, Mary Parlett-Sweeney, Debra Pollock, Jill Salvo, Barbara Shepard, Lilia Tiemann

10: Jennifer Behrens, Davide Cervone, James Evans, Richard Fox, Karin Hamm-Ehsani, Richard Holton, William Keat, Robert Lauzon, Janis Maggs, Paul Matarazzo, Dianne McMullen, Frederick Puliafico, Raymond Sanabria, Warren Smalls, James Traynham, John Trombley

Noll cited employees who have been with the College more than 39 years: Joyce Chabot, Kelly Chlopecki, Therese Earley, Erik Hansen and Tom Litts. He also recognized Jim Moore, a painter with Facilities Services who worked for the College for nearly 50 years (49 years and 11 months) before his recent retirement.

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