We are happy to announce David Fassler, IT Customer Support – Senior Specialist with Information Technology at WSU Tri-Cities, as a Crimson Spirit Award Recipient.

Fassler’s nominators had wonderful things to say. “When I think of Crimson Spirit, I usually think of employees who wear their Cougar Pride on their sleeves, so to speak. They are vocal in their support of WSU, and they inspire others to join them in that support. These types of employees are invaluable. However, there are also employees who simply wear their Cougar Pride in their hearts. These employees may not always be the most vocal or effusive with their spirit, but they clearly demonstrate it with their actions. David Fassler is one of these.”

David is the consummate professional, who performs his job at an exceptionally high level of skill. His work and customer service constantly exceed expectations, and our campus relies heavily on his subject matter expertise. David is also increasingly being called upon for advice and assistance by his peers throughout the system, and he is always willing to share his knowledge and offer his support.

“I am nominating David for the way that he quietly and consistently identifies campus needs and takes the initiative to go the extra mile to solve them—primarily because he cares deeply about WSU. When I first came to campus, I heard a story about David. The story was from 2015 and involved the ceremonial mace that we use for graduation. Our mace was designed and handcrafted by David. It was made from walnut that was sourced from a tree on his property. It is one of a kind. It is beautiful. And it is the embodiment of spirit. That is the story I heard when I first came to campus, and according to his supervisor there have been many other stories similar to this over the years. But this story is from the past. I share it with you only to set the stage for a recent story.”

“Over the last several months, our campus remodeled a room in our Consolidated Information Center building. It is one of the larger rooms on campus, and we use it extensively to host meetings and events —but it was worn and dated so we significantly updated the technology, paint the walls, and replaced the ceiling tiles and blinds. We did not include furniture updates due to budget constraints, so I was surprised when I went into the room and noticed a new podium. Except, as I would soon learn, it was not new. It was our old worn out podium that David had, of his own volition, taken home, repaired and refinished, painted, and applied WSU branding. Like the mace, it is beautiful, it is one of kind, and it is David’s way of demonstrating Cougar Pride. His actions speak volumes, his actions are inspiring, and his actions are the epitome of Crimson Spirit. David is well-deserving of recognition.”