By Jill Pease
Tim Fitzgerald was recognized as the University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions Employee of the Year at the annual holiday celebration held December 7.
As an administrative support assistant II in the department of physical therapy, Fitzgerald provides support to faculty, staff and students; manages supplies and equipment across multiple buildings on and off campus; and is an extra set of hands for multiple tasks and events.
Yet Fitzgerald’s greatest contributions to the department and campus community don’t show up in his job description, colleagues said.
“He sees a need and jumps to fill it,” a nominator wrote. “He does so quietly and never requires or asks for recognition.”
Fitzgerald joined the department during a time of staff transition, which meant that while he was learning his own job, he was also quickly learning other processes in order to keep the department running smoothly until new employees were in place.
Co-workers called Fitzgerald the person who holds the department together and noted his reliability, dedication, selflessness and attention to detail, whether that is greeting each student by name, organizing and maintaining the supply and break rooms, selecting the right background music for an event, or creating handmade holiday decorations to brighten the department.
“There is not an aspect of his job that he doesn’t do well,” a nominator wrote. “More than that, he goes out of his way to be sure everyone has what they need to be successful, which is the essence of administratively supporting a department.”