A group of 120 UConn Health Center employees, representing all areas of the academic medical center, were recently honored for contributing 25, 30, 35 and 40 years of service during an annual employee recognition event.
“There are few things more precious than your time and talent and you have given generously of both to make the UConn Health Center the place of promise and growth that it is today,” said Dr. Monty MacNeil, dean of the UConn School of Dental Medicine, on behalf of Dr. Frank Torti, the Health Center’s executive vice president for health affairs and dean of the UConn School of Medicine, who was unable to attend the celebration.
View a photo gallery celebrating all honorees >
Of the employees honored, two reached milestones of 40 years of service: Patricia Dobmeier, of the UConn School of Dental Medicine finance division and Dr. Alan Lurie, also of the UConn School of Dental Medicine. Lurie, who attended the celebration and received resounding applause, is professor and chair of the Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Diagnostic Sciences and chair of the Section of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Department of Oral Health and Diagnostic Sciences. He is a widely published, nationally recognized expert in oral radiology.
All of the employees received recognition pins and a personal note from Dr. Torti, which reflected on the many ways the Health Center has evolved along with the honorees’ careers.
“As you look back on your years of service and the changes that have occurred along the way, please take a moment to reflect on how your work has contributed to the health and well being of so many people in our state. We have achieved much through the years. Each of you can be very proud,” he wrote.
The evening was full of reminiscing and reflection.
“We really grew up here,” said Ann Marie Capo, who is now an associate vice president and the hospital’s chief quality and safety officer, and started at the Health Center 35 years ago as a nurse in the neonatal intensive care unit. “It was a very special time, in the Health Center’s early years,” she said. “We all worked hard and were very close.”
Capo sat with others who were celebrating the 35-year milestone including Iris Mauriello, the Health Center’s privacy officer and Dr. William White, professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Hypertension and Clinical Pharmacology.
“Thirty-five years ago, the Health Center was a small, endearing community. Everyone knew each other. It was an exciting beginning,” White added.
Before the service pins were distributed, Elizabeth Bolt, vice president for Human Resources, who has been with the Health Center for less than one year, noted that she is continually struck by the “dedication and commitment of the people at the UConn Health Center. You inspire me every day,” she said.
Dr. Ellen Eisenberg, director of the Oral Pathology Program and a respected professor in the School of Dental Medicine, who was celebrating her 35-year milestone, described her commitment to the Health Center very succinctly.
“I love what I do. It doesn’t feel like going to work at all,” she said.
Honorees
Twenty-Five: Jocelynn Albert • Lance Bauer • Patsy Beaulieu • Pamela Bergeron • Leslie Bernstein • Kathryn Black • Andrew Blasco • David Bourret • Jennifer Brown • Lynda Burns • Deborah Carter • Kelly Clarke • Elaine Conger • Francesca Emerzian • Sue Eselby • Gail Fellows • Laurie Forbes • Karen Fulton • Jo-Ann Gates • Margaret Genest • Margaret Gilbert • Laura Gillam • Kimberly Giove • Lynn Grumm • Carol Henn • Alice Iacobucci • Jean Jennings • Manjit Kaur • Debra Kendall • Anne Kenny • Maria Kornacki • Sandra Krawczynski • Denis Lafreniere • Noreen Logan • Kristine Mack • Ana Maiorino • Gail Melingonis • Lori Morrell • Gary Neilan • Eileen Palladino • Kimberly Perrotta • Gary Peterson • Karen Pietruszkiewicz • Sandra Powell • Thiruchandurai Rajan • Melissa Rapacciuolo • Rosemary Richter • Marti Rothe • Myriam Sanchez • Patricia Schultz • Carolyn Sherman • Patricia Shields • Jeffrey Spiro • Lynn Stockwell • Mukhtar Suleiman • Robert Tryon • Lisa Turner • Gloria Veronesi • Bonnie Voight • Robert Wilkie
Thirty: Kim Adamski • Jennifer Bennett • Gwyn Charles • Marcy Chasse • Kevin Gaski • Patricia Geissler • Michael Gengler • Amala Guha • Karen Harrington • Anne Horbatuck • Judith Kalinowski • Andre Kaplan • Debbie Kleinman • Sally Kostant • Patricia Lane • Francis Lasala • Cynthia Leander • Marisa Leone • Gary Littlefield • Hector Marrero • Margaret Meadows • Beverly Montagno • Linda Morin • Gwyn Muscillo • Pam-Eve Nicholson • Paulette O'Malley • Miguel Ramirez • Barbara Rodgers • Claudette Shalagan • Marilyn Sundra • Mary-Margaret Taylor • Renee Thompson • Pamela Vachon • Barbara Waddell • Catherine Wu • George Wu
Thirty-Five: Elisa Barbarese • Ann Marie Capo • Feliciano Dias • Ellen Eisenberg • Faripour Forouhar • Joanne Gulino • Linda Graver • Victor Hesselbrock • Mary Hoffnagle • Sidney Hopfer • Dorothy Kalahan • Toni Leers • Iris Mauriello • Kristine Mello • Patricia Mioduszewski • Tara Morrison • Carol Pfeiffer • Steven Potashner • Kamran Safavi • Catherine Sonnenberg • Howard Tennen • William White • Susan Wojnarowski
Forty: Patricia Dobmeier • Alan Lurie
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