UNO Names Kevin Hovendick Employee of the Month

Kevin Hovendick, maintenence manager for UNO Housing and Residence Life, has been named UNO's Employee of the Month for September 2022.

Hovendick was nominated due to his leadership, collegiality, and ability to project manage, each quality exemplifying his commitment to students by ensuring that on-campus housing residents have a positive experience. He was surprised by the UNO Celebration Committee on Monday, Sept. 26, in celebration of his recognition.

This was exemplified recently as University Village underwent a significant renovation that needed to take place on a tight timeline over the summer. With just days until students were set to move in this August, Hovendick put in extra hours and effectively managed his team so that students could feel at home on their first day in campus housing.

"I don't know that anyone other than Kevin could have pulled it off the way he did," one nominator stated. "His years of experience and knowledge with maintenance and construction project management were put to a very difficult test ... His efforts resulted in a resident move-in weekend that had minimal issues."

Hovendick was also applauded for his ability to put staff and students at ease thanks to his calm, but also jovial demeanor.

"Kevin has shared examples in the past where students were very confused, and he has helped them to understand what is happening or needs to be done," a nominator writes. "I think this is unique and ... is a great service to our students who are figuring out living on their own for the first time."

Much of Hovendick's work involves responding to issues that arise across everything from electrical, HVAC, plumbing, and more. His wealth of experience helps housing staff navigate each request with efficiency and elevated customer service. One nominator wrote:

"An example of Kevin's adaptability was during the second week of this fall semester when plumbings issues caused water to flood into the main-floor apartment units in an entire building in University Village at 12:30 A.M. Kevin responded to campus in-person in the middle of the night and helped guide a team of staff in getting the apartments cleaned. He also was able to use his network to get a plumber to campus at 1:00 AM to get the plumbing issue completely resolved within about three hours of its onset."

Above all, it Hovendick's commitment to students that stands out.

"We were working with an international student who had just arrived to campus; the student didn’t have any bedding, and we learned that hers was not set to arrive until a few days later," a nominator said. "Kevin helped ensure that the student got the bedding they needed, even though that wasn’t a requirement and took a bit of time on an extremely busy day. Kevin consistently goes above and beyond expectations to ensure that all students have."

For being awarded as Employee of the Month, Hovendick will receive a certificate, a hot/cold tumbler provided by the UNO Bookstore, a monetary award, two tickets to a UNO sporting event, and use of a designated parking space.

Questions about Employee of the Month? Contact Kristina Hoffmann at kristinahoffmann@unomaha.edu.