The Everyday Hero Award is a program sponsored by the Classified Personnel Council to recognize day-to-day achievements of all CSU employees (state classified, administrative professionals, and faculty). The council would like you to join us in congratulating these Everyday Heroes
Paul Knowles
Paul Knowles works for Facilities Management in Structural Trades. His nominator explained that their office had been experiencing water leaks due to cracks on the roof, but the roof could not be sealed until outside temperatures were above a certain point.
“Paul was kind enough to go up on the roof when we had a snow day and shoveled it before it melted and traveled down to our office. Multiple staff at our office had witnessed a handful of days Paul went up on the roof with a shovel. He also came to our office regularly to check and empty the bins [of water]. When he proactively shoveled the snow, [the] leak was very minimum. He kept doing it for us until it was warm enough to seal the roof. … We really appreciated Paul’s dedication to keep damage to a minimum level until the permanent fix was in place.”
CSU is so thankful to have such dedicated, selfless staff who go above and beyond!
Kayde Low
Kayde Low is the Apartment Maintenance Supervisor for Housing and Dining Services – Facilities. She was nominated for her patience, thoroughness, and leadership. “The amazing apartment maintenance team in collaboration with custodial, university housing, and project planning, along with the support I get from our leadership, allows me to be successful in my job and continue providing the best support and service to our residents and guests,” Kayde said when told of the award. “Without them, I would not be receiving this award.”
Kayde started at CSU in August 2012 as a custodian for Housing and Dining. In 2017, she got a Structural Trades job in maintenance, and in June 2019, she became supervisor over apartment maintenance. What Kayde loves most about her current position is the collaboration of people, cultures, and experience. Working in the apartments allows her to have diverse interactions with people from many cultures and traditions. “I am blessed with the opportunity to get to know many of these residents and their families and enjoy helping them succeed during their time at CSU.” Kayde also serves on the Move-In Committee and the Communications and Morale (CAM committee). Move-in is her favorite event!
Kayde’s interests outside of work include camping, traveling, and spending time with her family and pets. She and her wife have a 13-year-old; two Great Danes; two cats; one fish; and one bunny. They call it “The Zoo.”
Keith Abercrombie
Keith Abercrombie works for Housing and Dining Services – Facilities as a Materials Handler III. He has been in his current position for 5 years, and at CSU for 10 years. He enjoys working with the members of the movable assets crew , or MAC, and taking care of campus. In his free time, he golfs and rides motocross.
His nominator said, “Keith is responsible for heading up the day-to-day work orders within MAC. He is always available when he is called to perform an emergency work order and does so in a very positive manner. Recently, we met with Conference and Events Services and they mentioned how much they appreciated our MAC staff sending pictures after a setup is complete. Keith has been one of the key people ensuring this gets done. During Move-In 2019 when it was found that MAC needed to quickly do more lofting requests, Keith worked with the team on getting it done. Keith has always had a great work ethic and puts in the time needed to complete the work. We are very lucky to have Keith on the team and at CSU to make our students living on campus experience as positive as possible.”
Simone Listmann
Simone Listmann also works for Housing and Dining Services – Facilities, as the Assistant Director for the Environmental Services team. She has been in her current position since 2015 and with CSU for 13 years. She most enjoys taking on the responsibility of her position, and being able to make a difference. “Because of all the different cultures that come together here on campus, I believe we are part of world peace and the world’s future,” she said.
Simone has been fortunate to live in many different countries and has assisted with the Ambassador Program, in which she gets invited to CSU classes to talk about traditions like food and holidays or health systems and school systems in different countries.
Her nominator said, “Simone leads by example and is there with her team, including many weekend days after working a full business week. One of Simone’s greatest strengths is her creativity. She has innovatively worked with her managers and supervisors to continue to cover all tasks with fewer staff resources. Simone does this work with an upbeat attitude and sees the challenges as opportunities through which to grow in our work, and she continues to successfully lead her team in being flexible and accomplishing more than we thought possible.” This award represents the entire Environmental Services team in Housing & Dining Services – Facilities, “who have been true heroes during this global pandemic.”
Speaking of the award, Simone echoed this sentiment, praising her team. “You can’t imagine how much my employees do and how dedicated they are. This nomination is for all my team members.”
During her free time, Simone likes to read and travel. Her favorite book is Mutant Message Down Under by Marlo Morgan. People may be surprised to learn that Simone loves Winnie The Pooh. And if she could choose anyone with whom to share a meal, she said she would pick the Dalai Lama.
If you’d like to nominate an Everyday Hero, please visit the CPC website. You can also follow the Classified Personnel Council on Facebook.
