Barkley honored as Staff Member of Year
FOR RELEASE: Monday, May 11, 2009
Huntington, Ind.-Heather Barkley, assistant director of public relations at Huntington University, has been named Staff Member of the Year at Huntington University. Barkley, a resident of Ossian, Ind., was honored at Monday's annual Celebration of Service banquet. Employed by the university since 2005, she was nominated by faculty and staff and selected for the award by the university's senior administrators. In presenting the award, President G. Blair Dowden commended Barkley's professionalism, commitment to the university's mission, and can-do attitude.
Dowden also read several comments made by those nominating Barkley for the award. These colleagues noted,
"She responds quickly, thoroughly and kindly with PR requests. She handles a huge job and yet is so positive with all that she does."
"Heather continually goes above and beyond her job description."
"Heather is a very gifted and talented individual. She is always quick to respond to requests and goes the 'extra mile.' She is an outstanding professional and represents the university well. She gives selflessly of herself to the mission of the HU, to her church and to the community."
"I have had many opportunities to work with Heather and have always found her to be a 'can-do' person. She is always professional in her demeanor and willing to jump in and help with any task. No task is too large or too menial for her to undertake. She produces quality work in a timely fashion and makes it look easy. I know many appreciated all the work she did on the women's basketball national tournament blog. She spent innumerable hours on the project to keep everyone up-to-date and to well-informed. She is a gem, and I hope we can hold on to her for a long time!"
It has been a year of notable career milestones for Barkley. Earlier this spring, her volunteerism was recognized with the Bob Smith Award from the United Way of Huntington County. As the 2008 chair of Huntington University's fund drive for United Way, she organized campus donations totaling $15,379, a 12 percent increase over the previous year. In the fall of 2008, Barkley earned Accreditation in Public Relations (APR), a distinctive mark of professionalism in the field. She is currently pursuing a Master of Arts degree in ministry leadership through the Huntington University Graduate School.
