Zein Eldin Holail
I would like to recognize Zein for his outstanding customer service today! When assisting with a phone issue in the Office of Admissions, he went above and beyond to ensure it was fully operational. Faced with the challenge of accessing difficult-to-reach jacks behind a workstation, he tackled the task with determination and efficiency. Even when troubleshooting unexpected boot-up issues, he remained focused and thorough.
Beyond resolving the initial request that brought Zein to the Admissions Office, he took the initiative to address additional open tickets for our office while on-site, maximizing his time and ensuring our team could continue working without delays. His proactive approach, professionalism, and clear communication — keeping me informed when he needed to seek additional support — demonstrate his exceptional reliability and dedication.
Zein’s commitment to excellence and willingness to go the extra mile exemplify outstanding service. I am grateful for him and the seamless support he provides.
-Jennifer Flammia
Stephen Tate
I recently reached out to Stephen Tate via Teams chat with questions about retaining a Vonage phone number when an employee leaves Mason and how to transfer it to a new hire. Stephen introduced me to the “hold pool” feature he had added to Pinnacle. When I mentioned that I wasn’t aware of this option, he took the time to share his screen and walk me through the process of submitting the request.
During our conversation, I also brought up a billing issue we had encountered while reconciling our department’s budget. Not only did Stephen have immediate answers to my questions, but he also went a step further by providing a quick tutorial on how to find and run billing reports in Pinnacle.
As a longtime telecom coordinator, much of my Pinnacle knowledge has been self-taught through trial and error. In just 20 minutes, Stephen provided more clarity and insight than I had gained on my own over time. He explained each step in a clear, approachable manner, making the process easy to understand.
I truly appreciate Stephen and the support he provides. He is an invaluable resource and a key asset to the Telecom Admin team. His expertise, patience, and willingness to go the extra mile have made a significant impact. Not only does he solve problems efficiently, but he also empowers me by generously sharing his knowledge.
-Jennifer Flammia
Collin Clavin
I had the pleasure of working with Collin on the TrueScreen integration project and ever since it went live, he has diligently communicated when there is an issue with the file transfer; ensures the next run is good and confirms when everything is stable. I have always said communication is key and Collin is winning in that department. Thank you, Collin for all you do for Mason!
-Patricia Coray
Charlie Spann
When the Salesforce leadership position became vacant this year, Charlie immediately stepped in to get up to speed and fill the role. He has helped make what could have been a project risk into a bump and has kept things moving without issue.
-Erica McQuiston
John Krug and Nikolai Majorin
Nikolai and John took on a Vonage analog line install of 27 lines on the Fairfax Campus in seven buildings. A majority of these lines were fax lines. These need extra attention as they involve ATA gateways, configuring the line, testing prior to the move so we know dial tone is working, then testing again to make sure dial tone still reaches the machine. When there are problems, the team has to do more intensive troubleshooting. It took over 6 hours to complete this install. Great teamwork!! Thanks Nikolai and John!
-Cherie Galantis
Cory Faber
The facilities elevator upgrade has been a monster of a project. It entails over 140 elevators. Cory has visited all 4 campuses, working with the install team on identifying lines, checking dial tone and marking them for the move/removal. Not only that but it seems when they install, lines get misplaced and Cory has to go back out to fix them, sometimes 2-4 times. As they are winding down the installations, Cory is still called back to check dial tone. It has been a very hectic project for him. He has been patient and by all means he has gotten his steps in! Kudos to you, Cory!
-Cherie Galantis
Nico Clemente
This week we encountered a production issue with an application that caused the server’s CPU usage to spike to 100%, resulting in the application hanging. I reached out for Nico’s assistance, and he responded promptly. He swiftly increased the server’s CPU capacity from 2 to 4 cores and closely monitored the CPU usage thereafter. Later, I had to apply an emergency patch released by the vendor to address the issue. Nico supported me throughout the process by handling backups and preparing the server to ensure a smooth and efficient resolution. His calm demeanor, patience, and professionalism made a significant difference. It’s always a pleasure to work with him, and I am truly grateful for his support.
-Tian hui Wang
Tracy Holt
If all goes well between now and go-time, Tracy agreed to handle a presentation I was mostly leading at ACCS-VA. His decision to make the harder choice and presenting (easy choice = cancel) made my emergency departure less awkward for me. Tracy was also selflessly concerned about the attendees that wanted to learn more but would otherwise find an empty room. There are many of us that appreciate what you do, Tracy, on the daily grind and especially when the stress is high. Thanks, Tracy!
-Matthew Berlejung
Collin Clavin
For his support of the Canvas custom data exchange work. Collin found solutions to meet the requirements that Joe Balducci and Rob Solander described and was able to explain them to me or even document the solution so that I could update the requirements documents. I’m grateful for his help.
-Kathy Bine
Mindy Stawarz
For her support of the Knack data exchange, continued support for RAMP (both Payroll Certification and the incidents), and troubleshooting a question we had with the Archibus data exchange. Mindy bails me out regularly by demystifying the select and filter logic we use for population, which I update in our requirements documents. I’m grateful for her help.
-Kathy Bine
Matthew Berlejung
I received my new laptop remotely and needed assistance with establishing various settings in order to streamline my work. As always, Matthew was able to work with me and walk me through the many settings much quicker than if I had to figure it out on my own. Matthew has always been spot-on and courteous by never making me old and outdated. I appreciate his patience and time! Great job, Matthew!!!
-Cherie Galantis
Mike Rothgeb
I wanted to take a moment to call out Mike Rothgeb and formally thank him for his amazing support of authentication services. My team has been working on SSO implementation for WordPress and he has been so helpful throughout the process. This past week we called on him several times and he was able to jump on a short notice call and help us work through the SSO solution and get it functioning. This will benefit the university greatly and we really appreciate his collaboration and support.
-Kate Orf
Nathalie Lam, Ryan LeBreton, Sean Wilder
Nathalie, Ryan, and Sean were so helpful this past week in fielding urgent requests for new domain names from university administration. This required careful collaboration between all three, and they were late breaking on Friday evening. I really appreciate your dedication to excellence and teamwork! Thank you all for going above and beyond to handle those requests so quickly. You are truly valued to the core!
-Kate Orf