Capping off one of the most challenging academic years in recent memory, East Central University honored its dedicated faculty and staff during the Employee Appreciation event earlier this month.

The annual event took place May 4 ^th in the Ataloa Theatre, inside ECU’s Hallie Brown Ford Fine Arts Center. Those employees in attendance followed safety protocols, but the masks could not conceal the smiles of a group happy to have successfully navigated the pandemic.

The marquee moment came at the end of the evening with the announcement of the winner of the Charlee Lanis Memorial Staff Award, so named for a dedicated, longtime ECU employee. To be eligible, an employee must be – according to the awarding committee – “fulltime, positive, punctual, loyal, outgoing, always give 100 percent, and make others around them better.” Debbie Claxton, an academic advisor and NCAA eligibility officer, was named the 2021 winner.

Several employees were honored for reaching milestones in their years of service including former Allen resident Melonie Johnson for reaching five years of service to ECU.