Employee recognition

This past Tuesday our campus celebrated employee recognitions in a chapel service. As Library Director it was my pleasure to honor three of our staff members for significant amounts of years fo service to CIU and to give a two-minute speech about each one of them. Let me share some of what I said:

FLOR OAMIL is celebrating 10 years of working in the library here at CIU. Flor is originally from the Philippines, and in fact, the library staff had the distinct pleasure just about 4 years ago of celebrating with Flor when she received her American citizenship. Flor has told us about growing up on a pineapple plantation and then going on to complete her college and graduate studies in the Philippines before moving to the US. When I asked Flor what has kept her here at CIU for 10 years, she said, “I believe that through my profession as librarian, I am contributing to the ministry of CIU in educating men and women to become faithful servants of the Lord. I take my job seriously as a service to my Lord and consider it as a ministry and not just ordinary employment. It's a joy for me to be a part of a ministry that affects lives of people for the building of God's kingdom on earth and because of this, I come to work every day with excitement”. Flor’s favorite scripture verse is found in I Samuel 12:24: “Be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you”. Flor serves the Lord faithfully with all her heart, and we consider it a privilege to have Flor working with us in the library.

TONY ROSSODAVITA is also celebrating 10 years of service in the library here at CIU. Tony came here from Texas by way of Alaska, where he found a wife before coming here to attend school. He began work in the library as a student worker and has stayed on as a full-time staff member since graduating. He is currently attending the graduate school of library and information science at the University of South Carolina. We think this is an excellent choice for Tony because he is what I like to call a “born librarian!” By that I mean he has all the qualities we look for in a good librarian… patience (he is VERY patient), helpfulness (if you’ve ever asked him for help at the library reference desk you know just what I mean!), and, in the words of his fellow librarians, he knows the library like the back of his hand! He loves his job, and it shows, and we all appreciate his dedication to his job. When I asked Tony why he has stayed at CIU for 10 years, he said it is because he believes in our core values and he wants to be involved in a place that is trying to pass on those values. We are fortunate to have you on our library staff, Tony, and congratulate you on 10 years of service!

IGOU HODGES is celebrating 30 years of service here at CIU! He taught in the seminary for many years before coming to work in the library. When I agreed to have Igou come onto the library staff, I did not know that I was hiring a paronomasiac, nor did any of the other library staff. What is a paronomasiac, you ask? A paronomasiac is a lover of puns and we quickly discovered that Igou is a punster par excellance, and he has kept us entertained all the time he has worked with us in the library. Igou is humble, thorough in his work and a true southern gentleman. When I asked Igou what has kept him here at CIU for 30 years, he told me that it is because of the call of God on him and God’s year-by-year leading along with the fact that a high percentage of graduates are entering full-time Christian service, both cross-culturally and in home ministries. First Corinthians 4:2 says, “Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful” and this says it all when speaking of Igou’s service here at CIU.