Ford staff honored with 2021 staff recognition awards

June 16, 2021

Congratulations to Christie Baer, Avery Moje, and Rebecca Cohen for receiving the 2021 Staff Recognition Award. Baer, Moje, and Cohen exemplify high standards of professionalism and have made meaningful contributions to the Ford School. 

Baer is the assistant executive director for U-M’s Center on Finance, Law & Policy. She was chosen because “amid crisis, (she) provided valued leadership not only to their staff and many RAs, but also among other units, and again within our community, helping build out the strength of that parent network through a crucial email group, Zoom gatherings to talk through childcare woes, and so much more.”

Moje is an administrative assistant for Student & Academic Services, and was selected because she “goes above and beyond and always steps up to volunteer to fill in for colleagues who are away from the office, and does it graciously and professionally.”

Cohen is a senior communications & outreach strategist. She received the Staff Recognition Award for “helping to get our faculty recognized for their important work and increasing the value of a Ford School degree for our students.”

Congratulations are also in order for Claire Davidson, Daniel Rivkin, and Bill Kelly, this year’s Ford School STAR (Strategic Teamwork and Resilience) award recipients. These three individuals were chosen for taking extraordinary measures to assist the Ford community during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Davidson is a student engagement coordinator in Graduate Career Services. She was chosen because “those who interact with (her) know best that one of (her) top strengths is helping others understand themselves and connect with each other.”

Rivkin is a senior media & outreach strategist, and was selected for “continually think(ing) of ways to collaborate with other units in the Ford school, and (having) a knack for asking great questions. (He) is always willing to try something new, and brings a fresh perspective to process improvement.”

Kelly is a facilities manager. He received the STAR award for “his positive attitude, adaptability, and always making time for the many, many individual questions he faces, (which) enables the community to thrive.”

The awards were announced at the annual staff retreat on June 9, which was focused around “Wellness.”

We are proud to call all six individuals ours, and thank them for their outstanding work that benefitted the Ford community during this unprecedented time.