Mendick Receives UW Libraries Outstanding Staff Award

Laurie Mendick, University of Wyoming Libraries executive business manager, is the recipient of the UW Libraries Outstanding Staff Award for her contributions during 2018.

The Outstanding Staff Award, funded by the McMurry-Spieles Excellence Fund, honors a UW Libraries staff member who has “demonstrated exceptional service to UW Libraries and made significant contributions to the university and/or the community.” Recipients of this award are chosen by a committee of their peers.

Mendick joined UW Libraries in 1992 as an accounting technician III. In 2010, her position became classified as an executive business manager. She is primarily responsible for providing management and supervision of UW Libraries’ business operations, as well as overseeing the financial responsibilities over a large budget.

In addition to performing her daily routine duties exceptionally well, Mendick has played an instrumental role in several major changes that have occurred in UW Libraries, her nominators say. She has been involved from inception to implementation of the WyoCloud system; took part in a major staffing reorganization; educated both an interim dean and a new dean on budgeting protocols; assumed significant responsibilities due to unfilled positions and loss of staffing; and trained new hires. She also is considered the “go to” person for just about everything from catering events to virtual reality treadmills. 

One co-worker wrote in a nomination letter that Mendick has “maintained an upbeat but realistic attitude (throughout all of) the changes.”

During her time at UW Libraries, Mendick has mentored numerous individuals.

A colleague noted in her nomination letter that “my entire career has been spent in and focused on nonprofit and government accounting largely because of Laurie and her amazing support. I wouldn’t be who I am today, nor a contributor to the UW financial community, without having had her support.”

Mendick has earned the respect of her peers both within UW Libraries and throughout campus. 

“I have worked with Laurie for the past 18 years … she is incredibly thorough, intelligent, thoughtful, reliable, honest and, most importantly, kind,” a colleague from another department wrote. “She works so hard to do a good job and also to be a good human being. I consider myself blessed to be able to work with Laurie, but it is truly an honor to call her ‘friend.’”