September 29, 2021

Three Susquehanna University staff members were recognized recently with the Signe S. Gates Appreciation Award — Mary Hollenbach, environmental services technician; Mike Keeney, athletic trainer; and Cindie Lizardi, senior administrative assistant and risk management coordinator.

Established in 2006 by Signe S. Gates, chair of Susquehanna’s Board of Trustees and graduate of SU, the award recognizes their outstanding contributions to the institution and acknowledges their dedication to advancing the university’s strategic objectives through extraordinary work performance that inspires others to reach for similar achievement.

Hollenbach was honored for her leadership and work ethic within the Department of Facilities Management, where she was hired in 2010.

“Mary is a significant part of the housekeeping team’s success,” her nominator Chris Bailey, assistant vice president for facilities and Campus Safety, said. “A prime example of her dedication to SU was her lead role in providing the added Covid-19 cleaning services to all our high-touch spaces on campus. Mary worked many, many extra hours each week to get this done.”

Keeney was also nominated for his outstanding work ethic and team-oriented attitude. He has worked at Susquehanna since 1995.

“Mike worked diligently throughout the academic year ensuring our campus was safe for our students, faculty and staff. He took on new roles in testing, contact tracing, quarantining and spent many, many nights and weekends working with colleagues, students and parents,” his nominator, Jennifer Bucher, vice president for human resources, said. “His dedication to Susquehanna was unwavering.”

Lizardi was honored for her leadership of Susquehanna’s Covid-19 response efforts. She joined Susquehanna in 2017.

“Cindie demonstrated incredible leadership and perseverance over the past year. As the campus community navigated the challenges of Covid-19, Cindie was involved in nearly every aspect of the campus response, planning and implementation,” her nominator Malcolm Derk, chief of staff, said. “Her leadership helped organize testing, track Covid-19 cases, answer student, faculty and staff questions, and serve as a resource on and off campus.”