Outstanding Classified Staff Award

Carrie Annett - Chemistry

Chemistry Department Manager Carrie Annett leads her department’s administrative office team with a professional, collegial, and friendly approach. As one faculty member put it, “She is undeniably the heart and soul of the Chemistry department.” Annett started working at Western in 1995 as a fiscal technician in the Viking Union and has worked in several areas across campus, including Administrative Computing, Elementary Education, and Chemistry (on two separate occasions) where she began as manager in 2013.

In 2021, Chemistry experienced an unprecedented period of staff vacancies, with six of nine staff positions turning over. Annett remained positive and worked many extra hours to avoid disruption of department operations. She offered creative solutions to hire exemplary people and went above and beyond to train multiple new team members simultaneously.
Annett is an innovative leader with a wealth of institutional knowledge. Her accomplishments over the years include key contributions to the development of flow charts for summer student hiring, onboarding the Chemistry Stockroom as a Banner Store, and serving as mentor to multiple new CSE department managers. One previous mentee stated, “Carrie is an inspiration and someone you can count on to show up and go above and beyond in every situation.”
 

Jimmy Perigo - Facilities

Jimmy Perigo has been a critical member of the Western’s Academic Custodial Services team since November 1998, performing higher level duty assignments in a majority of the construction trade shops at WWU. He has extensive knowledge of the university and knows how much harm building-related emergencies can cause. 

Now supervisor of the Water Damage Response Team, Perigo responds to any emergency where water has intruded into our buildings by either a leak, an overflowed sink or toilet, or an emergency flooding event. He and his team are usually one of the first WWU staff members on location to assist in eliminating the cause of the leak and in creating the clean-up plan. Perigo leads his team in evaluating whether they are able to dry the building material or if it’s better to remove the damaged or contaminated material and replace it. Perigo and his team have minimized unnecessary costs and disruption, especially in large emergency floods, and demonstrate a high level of care to those whose routines were upended by these stressful, unexpected events.

Meanwhile, Perigo has continued to lead and care for the custodial teams assigned to him to ensure the highest level of cleanliness and health for the university community. 
 

Kate Stevenson - Honors College

Kate Stevenson’s involvement at Western began in 1996 as an undergraduate student employee on the Viking Union Set Crew. Cultivating relationships with staff, faculty, students, and community throughout the years provided her the opportunity to continue her career at WWU. She taught in the Dance Department for three years before starting her career as a classified staff person. Stevenson returned to the Viking Union Operations team as the Event Services manager, then to New Student Services/Family Outreach as the Family Outreach manager, and currently serves as the program manager in the Honors College. 

Stevenson’s colleagues overwhelmingly praise her enthusiastic energy, positive outlook, collaborative and supportive spirit, and ability to get things done. In addition to the great work she does for the Honors College, she is also a popular instructor in the WWU Wellness Program, whipping faculty and staff into shape and making workouts fun. One stated: “In a sea of chaos and anxiety, Kate is an island of tranquility. She is in command without being at all commanding, she exudes competence, and she is simply a delight to work with. She adds luster to any endeavor with which she is associated.”
 

Ryan Cullup - Facilities

Ryan Cullup has spent 13 years at Western serving as a custodian, a roofer, and now Facilities Services coordinator – all while working toward his undergraduate and graduate degrees. Cullup has continually contributed to Western from a servant leadership mindset while holistically assisting Facilities Development & Operations in developing the planned maintenance and asset management portfolio. Most recently, he has honed his project management skills on public works projects with a combined construction value of nearly $2 million. He is a member of Western’s Confined Space Rescue team and a former union president. 

Outside of Western, Cullup spends time in Whatcom, Skagit, and Island counties fishing, officiating high school wrestling matches, and raising a family. He is extremely dedicated to a life filled with learning and supporting his fellow employees while serving our customers, our students, and the citizens of Washington state.