A day for staff: 1,500 gather for President Garimella's first Staff Social
During lunch, President Suresh Garimella made his way from table to table and chatted with staff members.
Chris Richards/University Communications
Around 1,500 staff members took advantage of a bright and sunny Monday afternoon to step away from their usual meeting rooms and Zoom screens, gathering for lunch at the inaugural Staff Social on the Mall.
Staff members filled several tents west of the Joseph Wood Krutch Garden, often called the Cactus Garden. Attendees enjoyed hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, fruit and dessert while chatting, listening to music and speaking with President Suresh Garimella and other leaders as they made their way from table to table.
As the president moved through the crowd, he shared his appreciation for staff members' hard work.
"The university runs as well as it does because of our staff," Garimella said.
The invitation for the March 10 event went out to about 13,000 full- and part-time staff members in February. Dawn Hunziker, associate director of the Disability Resource Center, was quick to RSVP.
Staff members with Arizona Student Unions helped serve the free lunch. The menu included hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, fruit and dessert.
Chris Richards/University Communications
"It's nice to network with people outside of Zoom meetings," Hunziker said. "It's in person. The food is great. It's a wonderful experience and I think it's great that the president planned this."
Jonathan Lazar, administrative associate in the Office of the Provost, relished the opportunity to spend time with people outside of his department.
"It's a chance for me to see people I don't get to see in person," Lazar said. "I interact with many admins in similar positions to mine throughout campus, but we rarely get to go out to lunch or just be social."
During a period of change in senior leadership and other areas, a lot is being asked of employees, making this an important time to pause and enjoy time with colleagues and friends, said Helena Rodrigues, senior vice president and chief human resources officer.
"Staff are a vital part of the mission here," Rodrigues said. "A lot of the work that many of our staff do is not always seen, but it absolutely should be recognized and remembered, not just during a staff lunch, but every day."
See a photo gallery of the March 10 inaugural Staff Social on the Mall and view video of the event below.
A team effort
Garimella, who spent decades as a faculty member and researcher at several universities, said he has been talking about the importance of recognizing the university's staff members since he began interviewing for the job.
"As a faculty member for 35 years, I've always relied on the importance of the work of our staff, whether it's to train our students or keep facilities going or provide technical assistance in labs or to keep campus beautiful and safe," Garimella said. " I will try to find every opportunity I can to thank our staff."
The event was organized by the Office of the President, Presidential Events, University Initiatives and Policy, and Facilities Management with additional support from the Office of Public Safety, Arizona Student Unions and Parking and Transportation Services, which provided Cat Tran shuttle service to make it easier for people to attend.
Danielle Oxnam, project director for University Initiatives and Policy and a member of the organizing committee, said she hopes the event becomes a yearly tradition.
"I think having this built into our culture at the U of A would be really valuable," Oxnam said.
That sentiment reflects the views of Garimella, who added that he wants more recognition of staff, which he called the university's "unsung heroes."
"I think we just need to do more awards and more recognition events and find opportunities where our staff feel that they're a big part of where we're going, and that we're all in it together," Garimella said.