Cheryl Blackburn, facilities administrator and executive assistant to the chancellor, WSU Everett, received Crimson Spirit recognition.

Her nominator says “she is one of the hardest working colleagues I know and is very much deserving of this recognition.” The nominator explains that Ms. Blackburn supports the chancellor with consummate skill by anticipating and meeting the needs of both the chancellor and the campus.  She is also an active contributor to the campus, “always coming up with ideas for recruitment and how to keep students engaged on campus…. She truly embodies that ‘students first’ mentality.”

In addition to supporting the chancellor, Ms. Blackburn serves as facilities administrator for the WSU Everett campus.  Her nominate notes that Ms. Blackburn “has always been safety-minded when it comes to our building and has developed wonderful relationships with the Everett Police Department and the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Department. When we initially opened our new building back in 2017, within a few months we started running into issues with drug users coming into our bathrooms. Very quickly, Ms. Blackburn sprang into action and hired a security company to come and patrol our building throughout the day. I am happy to report we have not had that issue since she took action and the campus has felt safe ever since. If anything were to escalate beyond the scope of our security team, we know the local police department will be there in a heartbeat.”

Finally, Ms. Blackburn deserves recognition for her work during the covid-19 epidemic to keep WSU Everett employees and students safe and healthy. “She has been diligent in tracking the number of cases in Snohomish County so she can make informed decisions about when to re-open our building and what that will look like,” explains her nominator. “While most of the staff work from home, there are occasions where a staff member does need to access the building. She has done a great job of setting and enforcing policies/procedures to keep everyone safe. In my most recent meeting with her, she was describing what policies WSU Everett will implement moving forward when staff and students are able to return to campus…. There is comfort in knowing that Ms. Blackburn is leading the way for our campus and in a sense, the system as well.”

Ms. Blackburn is recognized for providing superior quality service, her steadfast commitment to the health and safety of WSU Everett employees and staff, and exceeding expectations.