Durham, NC - When Gregory Dye wanted to recognize a Duke Lemur Center maintenance worker, he decided to aim high.

Dye, operations manager at the center, nominated Wes Phillips for a Presidential Award, the highest award given to faculty and staff at Duke University and Duke University Health System.

Phillips earned the Presidential Award distinction for his work in 2010, including the design and creation of two cage complexes for mouse lemurs that provided the necessary environment to successfully breed these endangered animals.

"For us, the Presidential Award was the best way to publicly recognize Wes's contributions," Dye said.

Nominations are being accepted until 5 p.m. on Feb. 17 for Presidential Awards for work completed in 2011. Five Presidential Award winners and up to 25 Meritorious Award winners will be selected from the nominees and honored by Duke President Richard H. Brodhead at a luncheon on April 18, 2012.

The nomination process is a powerful act of recognition.

Domonique Redmond was nominated in 2011 by co-worker Patricia Nobles and received a Meritorious Award in the managerial category for her work as assistant director of programs for the Duke Community Service Center.

Redmond received a framed certificate and monetary award of $100, but she said the most touching part of the award is receiving a bound copy of the nomination letters. She keeps her Duke-blue folder in her desk drawer and periodically pulls it out to read the material. 

"I love my work, but it means a whole lot to me to know how much my co-workers value what I do," she said.

The Presidential Award recognizes staff and faculty who have made distinctive contributions to Duke University and Duke University Health System within the past calendar year. The five winners each receive $1,000 and a custom Presidential medallion. Up to five Meritorious Award winners are also selected in Clerical/Office Support, Clinical/Professional Non-Managerial, Service/Maintenance, Managerial and Executive Leadership. Meritorious winners each receive a framed certificate and $100.

Any staff or faculty member can nominate a colleague for a Presidential or Meritorious award by filling out the nomination form, obtaining the signature of the nominated employee's supervisor and collecting letters of support for the nominee.