Outstanding Teamwork Award

The Outstanding Teamwork Award recognizes and honors a team of staff (defined as 3 or more people) who have harmonized their efforts to the betterment of the LMU community with an emphasis on creative co-design, collaboration, and cross-departmental/divisional teamwork. During the past academic year, nominees should have demonstrated one or more of the following: inclusively utilized each team member's skills and perspectives, ensured meaningful contributions from every team member toward a shared goal, or exhibited resilience in the face of adversity.

An overhead picture of LMU commencement in Sunken Garden in front of Sacred Heart Chapel.

Outstanding Teamwork Award Recipients 2026

University Events

Julia Andrews, Budget Analyst
Staci Asai, Director of Conferences & Events
Lauren Ballesteros Rawlings, Senior Event Producer for Presidential Events
Andrew Barth, Event Operations Coordinator
Claudia Borja, Event Manager 
Nidia Callejas, Administrative Coordinator
Trish Carlson, Senior Director of Campus Services
Nicholas Cole, Event Manager
Danielle Federico, Senior Event Producer
Michelle Fernandez, Event Manager
Cloe Fields, Event Services Coordinator
Jo Gonzalez, Assistant Director of Business Operations
Kellie McDonald, Assistant Director of Event Services
Agnes Rutkai, Senior Event Producer
Jaden Schutt, Event Operations Coordinator
Patricia Torres, Sales Associate
Kat Turner, Associate Director of Event Management
James Venegas, Event Manager

Nomination Stand-out Quote

"University Events is an extraordinary example of what a truly unified, high-performing team can accomplish. Comprising 19 dedicated professionals, this department is responsible for the successful planning, coordination, and execution of every event held at the university, ranging from routine classroom bookings to the most complex, high-profile institutional milestones. Simply put, every university event passes through the hands of University Events."

Previous Awardees

Year Team Name and Title at Time of Award
2025 Office for International Students and Scholars Ana-Sofia Alcaraz, SEVIS Coordinator
Nina DuBose, Programming and Communications Coordinator
Denise Folga, Director
Eliselda Gonzalez, Administrative Coordinator
Chimin Lee Metzler, Associate Director
Vanessa Silva, Assistant Director