photo by Tim Fitzgerald

Dan McDermott Named Employee of the Year at UNO

by Becky Bohan Brown

One sentence best describes this year's winner: he keeps things running on campus. Meet Dan McDermott from UNO's Facilities Management and Planning who was named UNO's Employee of the Year at the university's annual Faculty Senate/Staff Advisory Council (SAC) Recognition Banquet on May 2. McDermott was chosen from the 12 Employee of the Month award winners from 2011.

"This is one of the greatest things that has ever happened to me," said UNO’s 2011 Employee of the Year. "I was speechless when they said my name."

McDermott has been the mechanic in Facilities Management for the last seven years. He’s responsible for all of the departments’ vehicles, mowers, snow removal equipment and even chainsaws and leaf blowers.

A nominator said, "Dan has the ability to fix just about any type or piece of equipment. He maintains and repairs all types of equipment from small two-cycle engines to large dump trucks."

McDermott is an early riser. He’s at work in UNO’s Facilities Management and Planning garage by three each morning after driving to campus from his home in Neola, Iowa. "Working on stuff in my garage at home is kind of my hobby. So, it makes it easier and more fun to do it for a job, too," McDermott said.

He is coming up on his eight-year anniversary at UNO this August. "I had never worked for a company of this size before – it was such an opportunity to get a job here," McDermott said.

Besides being recognized at the annual banquet, McDermott also received a plaque and monetary gift for his honor.

In January, Human Resources announced the updated Employee of the Month -- "Oh" Award for "Oh, what a difference you make!" -- program for UNO staff members. HR administers the program in conjunction with the Office of the Chancellor and Staff Advisory Council and welcomes nominations from faculty, staff, students, vendors andvisitors. Nomination forms are available at http://www.unomaha.edu/sac/awards.php.