Mary Kay O'Rourke receives Staff Council Appreciation Award
From the Non-Exempt Staff Council
Congratulations to Mary Kay O'Rourke, recipient of the 2007 Staff Council Appreciation Award. The award was presented at the staff appreciation breakfast on April 17. This award is presented annually to an hourly staff member who lives and promotes the mission of the University of St. Thomas.
Mary Kay O'Rourke
O'Rourke, program coordinator for the John A. Ryan Institute for Catholic Social Thought, started at St. Thomas in August 1999 as an administrative assistant for Catholic Studies. For several years she also worked as circulation manager for the journal Logos.
Kathy Fell nominated O'Rourke for this award. In her nomination statement, Fell recognized some of the things that O'Rourke does within the St. Thomas community: "As coordinator of the Ryan Institute conference in October in Rome, her attention to the needs of all those participating was appreciated and acknowledged by the over 250 people attending from all over the world."
Fell also recognized O'Rourke's volunteerism in her parish church and the local community, from supporting a children's orphanage in Cuernavaca, Mexico, to assisting the Latino scholarship students by establishing a support group for Hispanic women who are new to the country and need empathy in their adjustment to a new culture.
In addition to several other volunteer activities, O'Rourke served on the board of the Guadalupana Residence, a residence for Hispanic people in transition.
The following also were nominated for the Staff Council Appreciation Award:
- Lois Dament, Communication Studies
- Mary Dunn, Dean of Students Office
- Helen Hunter, Office of Mission
- Julie Kimlinger, O’Shaughnessy-Frey Library Center
- Sherrie Maze, Office of the Executive Vice President/Chief Academic Officer
- Sue Wagner, College of Business
