News release Public Information Office   SLU 10880   Hammond, LA 70402   phone: 985-549-2341   fax: 985-549-2061 publicinfo@selu.edu     www.selu.edu/news Contact: Christina Chapple Date: 11/26/03   Click on image for publication quality photo SOUTHEASTERN’S MARY JO JOHNSON RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS CIVIL SERVICE HONOR       HAMMOND -- Mary Jo Johnson, a 14-year employee of Southeastern Louisiana University’s Office of Records and Registration, has received an honorable mention in the 2003 Charles E. Dunbar Jr. Career Service Awards Program sponsored by the Louisiana Civil Service League.       Johnson, a resident of Independence, will be among only 12 employees receiving honorable mention and 12 award winners who will be honored at the 45th annual Dunbar Awards luncheon in New Orleans on January 30. The Louisiana Civil Service League presents the Charles E. Dunbar Award annually to state and local classified employees for their commitment to the classified service, contributions toward workplace improvement, personal initiative, and volunteer community service.       Johnson is the first Southeastern employee to be honored by the Dunbar Awards program in more than 20 years, said Jessie Roberts, Southeastern’s human resources director.       "I am extremely proud of Ms. Johnson,” Roberts said. “It is a great honor for her to be selected for her service to the state and the Southeastern family. The selection criteria for this award is very competitive."          Daniel E. Sullivan, executive vice president of the Louisiana Civil Service League, said honorable mentions are given to nominees whose ratings are just a few points below winners’ scores.        As office coordinator in Records and Registration, Johnson works with students, deans,  and department heads to process Southeastern students for graduation. She is responsible for the electronic graduation application system and for implementing the university’s academic advisement and degree audit systems.       Paulette Poche, director of Records and Registration, described Johnson as “a campus icon that represents hard work, considerate customer service, and dedication to the university’s mission.”       “For years,” Poche said, “it has been common to hear all levels of campus staff say, ‘Call Mary Jo, she’ll know what to do.’ She is recognized for her knowledge of academic policies, the quality of work she performs, and her willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty.”       Poche said when Southeastern began implementing its new PeopleSoft-driven student administration software system in 1999, Johnson “tirelessly and determinedly taught herself how to use the system by fearlessly embracing the change.” Because of her expertise, she has served on a number of software implementation teams and attended software training sessions and national conferences. Currently, she is revising the university’s online graduation application database system.       In addition to her work at Southeastern, Johnson is actively involved in church projects such as annual St. Joseph altars and community programs such as the American Heart Association Heart Walk and the American Cancer Society Relay for Life. She and her husband Greg have two children. Return to News Releases