The office of People Operations/HR will host the second annual Cheers to the Years event Thursday, May 2, at 3 p.m. in the Stetson Room.

“This event offers the opportunity for all faculty and staff to come together, enjoy some appetizers, socialize and honor the celebrants,” said Nora Lewis, Associate Director of People Operations. “We created the ‘Cheers to the Years’ event last year to specifically celebrate the employment milestones of our colleagues.’”

Faculty and staff will be recognized for five, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 years of service. This year, adjunct faculty members will be recognized for the first time for their semesters of service in increments of 10. The 2024 faculty and staff retirements also will be celebrated.

“We are celebrating the dedication, hard work, impact and persistence of our employees,” Lewis said. “Of course, the event is true to its name, and we will ‘Cheer’ our honorees with champagne, or sparkling cider, served in a souvenir glass.”

All milestones will be recognized with distinct gifts, depending on the number of years — or semesters — of service. Employees celebrating five to 20 years of service will receive pins according to their respective milestone. Those who have dedicated more than 25 years of service to the university — or are retirees — will receive special gifts at the event. 

“It is so amazing to be a part of Stetson every day, I love this place,” Lewis said, who is one of the 10-year award recipients. “Ten years to me signifies that I have found my home here at Stetson. This is the first institution I have worked at for more than 10 years. I also look at the list of ten-year recipients and think of us as a cohort, because many of the people included are colleagues I have worked on committees or initiatives with. We have the same shared history within the institution, which makes it fun to reminisce together.”

President Christopher F. Roellke, PhD, will make the official toast of the celebration. All faculty and staff within the Hatter community are welcome to attend. The program will begin promptly at 3:15 p.m. 

For more information or questions about the event, contact People Operations/HR at [email protected].

– Andrea Mujica