Employee Excellence Award A district recognition program honors employees for their commitment to the students and staff of Vancouver Public Schools. The Excellence Award is given to individual employees who have created a positive, caring and productive school/work environment through exceptional effort, dedication, or performance in their area of responsibility.
Employee Excellence Award April 2014
Four employees were selected for the April 2014 recognition. They were honored at the April 22 school board meeting. Pictured left to right are:
• Cynthia Geddes, teacher, Hazel Dell Elementary School
• Kati Armstrong, program specialist, Career and Technical Education Department
• Gail Paice, program specialist, Curriculum Department
• Sara Neal, graphic technician, Communications Office
The Excellence Award is given to two to four employees from October to May each school year. Nominations are open to staff, students, parents, and community members. Nominees are selected for recognition by a committee of their peers.
Please nominate! Forms are available by clicking on the link on the right side of this page.
Learn more about the Excellence Award recipients . . .
Cynthia Geddes
Teacher, Hazel Dell Elementary School
Hired September 1991
It’s for good reason that people wax poetic when talking about Cynthia Geddes. Cynthia takes a targeted approach to student success and exudes the highest level of professionalism. Said one nominator, “Ms. Geddes doesn’t just teach. She touches lives one by one, day after day.” Wrote another, “She stands out due to her amazing ability to control a classroom while still emitting an energy of compassion and caring.” Added a third, “Her work ethic embodies everything that I believe to make a great teacher. When I see her at work, it is proof that the public education system is thriving.”
Kati Armstrong
Program specialist, Career and Technical Education Department
Hired October 1999
If you’ve ever needed lunch or a caffeine fix while visiting the Jim Parsley Community Center, you probably know Kati Armstrong’s work. Kati manages the Fort Vancouver Culinary Arts students who run the Passport Café and coffee cart. Although Kati provides many of the recipes and purchases all the supplies, perhaps her greatest contribution is nourishing the students’ skills. Kati trains them in all aspects of professional food service, from prep to point of sale. As a result, former students have gone on to restaurant management jobs just a few years after graduating. With Kati’s guidance, her students are really cooking.
Gail Paice
Program specialist, Curriculum Department
Hired January 1991
As a force multiplier in the district’s Challenge program, Gail Paice earns rave reviews from parents and students she guides through the testing process. Gail patiently listens to every question and responds with respect, insight, and kindness. She also organizes each Challenge testing, from creating schedules to managing the granular details such as tissue boxes and sign-in sheets. When she’s not immersed in the Challenge program, Gail can be found coordinating the renowned AP Summer Institute. Gail’s efficiency and good humor are assets not only to the Curriculum Department, but also to parents, students, and educators all over the U.S.
Sara Neal
Graphic technician, Communications Office
Hired November 1997
The Vancouver Public Schools website encompasses more than 400 webpages. Managing them all is the creative, talented Sara Neal. Sara’s web and graphic design background enables her to produce a range of eye-catching, user-friendly digital communications. She’s mastered everything from PHP to the Adobe Creative Suite and continues to expand her knowledge of the ever-changing digital world. One of her greatest talents is her ability to decipher dozens of last-minute requests from laypeople and keep her sense of humor intact. As her nominator wrote, “She always has a smile on her face—even when you are driving her crazy.”
