Duke in Pics: Employees Celebrate Community at Spring Reception

Staff, faculty and retirees enjoy food, music and community at annual celebration

People hug at a gathering
Two Duke colleagues hug during the Duke Appreciation Spring Reception at Penn Pavilion. Photo by Travis Stanley.

In 18 years at Duke, Beverly Jordan had never been to the annual Duke Appreciation Spring Reception. As this year’s edition approached, Jordan, a Housekeeper Specialist at Duke University Chapel, got a call from now-retired colleague Oscar Dantzler telling her not to miss it this year.

“He called me and told me to get on over here,” said Jordan, who cherished the opportunity to connect with colleagues from across campus. “It’s great. It’s like we have our own little family here at Duke. It’s nice.”

The reception on May 14, hosted by Duke Human Resources, drew several hundred Duke employees and retirees to Penn Pavilion. With free food and music from the band Hipshack, the event was a celebration of the contributions of Duke staff and faculty.

“Duke is more than just a name,” Duke Vice President for Human Resources Antwan Lofton said in his remarks to attendees. “Duke is special because of each of you, the people that work here. You are the ones that breathe life into our mission and vision.”

Enjoy some scenes from the celebration.

Duke Vice President for Human Resources Antwan Lofton greets guests at the Duke Appreciation Spring Reception. Photo by Travis Stanley.

Lofton was one of the first people guests saw as they entered Penn Pavilion as he helped hand out gifts to the first few hundred employees who arrived. He was also able to reconnect with familiar faces, including a few colleagues who he'd met while participating in the Duke Leadership Academy and Duke’s Citizens Police Academy.

“Everyone has their own home departments or units where they work, but it’s great when we get a chance to come together, pause our day-to-day tasks and catch up with people,” Lofton said.

Retiree Dana Crowell, second from right, caught up with former colleagues. Photo by Travis Stanley.

Karlton Liu was part of a large group of staff members from the Department of Chemistry to stop by the event.

“This is great, and it’s such a beautiful day, too,” Liu said as sunshine poured in through the Penn Pavilion windows.

One of the highlights of the reception for Liu was the chance to reconnect with former co-worker Dana Crowell, who retired three years ago. Crowell worked in the department for nine years after about a decade spent working in other parts of Duke.

“It’s nice to come and catch up with them,” Crowell said of her former colleagues. “Some of them I’ve known a long time.”

Donna Hubert, second from left, and Veronica Hopkins Garrett, far right, were among the many members of the Duke University Retiree Association who attended the event. Photo by Travis Stanley.

Donna Hubert worked for Duke Community Affairs for 41 years as a Business Manager. This was her first time attending the Duke Appreciation Spring Reception with a new distinction: as a retiree.

Hubert, who retired last April, sat at a table near the entrance to Penn Pavilion with Veronica Hopkins Garrett, Duke University Retiree Association (DURA) President, snacking on finger food and chatting with friends.

“It’s good to see people reconnect and see the beautiful campus,” Hubert said. “It’s great to get a gift and some food and see everyone.”

Garrett, who is also Hubert’s cousin, has been retired for 10 years after spending 38 years as a Clinical Nurse at Duke Regional Hospital.  She helps connect 1,600 members of DURA through events like the Duke Appreciation Spring Reception.

“I love seeing the other retirees and mingling with the others who are still working,” Garrett said.

The Duke Appreciation Spring Reception featured free food and music for staff, faculty and retirees. Photo by Travis Stanley.

As longtime Duke staff members, Cressida Lamy and Artris Arnette had been to Duke Appreciation events before and always enjoyed the opportunity to spend time together away from the office. This year, the Plant Accounting colleagues made sure to invite their coworker Wes Wierman, who, in slightly over a year at Duke, had never been to one.

“Definitely,” Wierman said when asked if the short drive over from the team’s Erwin Square workspace was worth it. “I love getting to see the campus.”

The group got to share a table and chat with Charlene Flahiff, who retired in 2020 after a 23-year career in clinical research at Duke.

“This was a great excuse to come to campus,” Flahiff said about the event. “It’s always great come back and see people.”

Pratt School of Engineering colleagues, from left to right, Christopher Bingham, Christy Ridd, Maranda Burwell and Ana Mitrushevska attended the reception together. Photo by Travis Stanley.

Christy Ridd, Maranda Burwell and Ana Mitrushevska didn’t plan on coordinating for the Spring Reception. Sometimes, though, the three Pierre R. Lamond Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering staff members in the Pratt School of Engineering will just happen to all dress up on the same day.

Or, all wear the same Duke-branded T-shirt to the Spring Reception.

“I think our department is just so intertwined that we’re connected in that way,” Burwell theorized.

The three, along with colleague Christopher Bingham, all attended the reception for the first time, enjoying the live music and a few moments of company

“I always appreciate these things,” Burwell said. “We all know that budgets have been cut and this is still important to you guys, so I appreciate this stuff.”

Hundreds of Duke employees attended the Duke Appreciation Spring Reception at Penn Pavilion. Photo by Travis Stanley.

Marta McCabe of the Academic Resource Center and Kara Kozma of the Academic Advising Center already had a lunch meeting planned for Thursday. But when they found out about the reception, they decided to change plans and catch up there.

Standing at one of the high-top tables, they chatted while enjoying the food, music and upbeat atmosphere.

“I came to this last year and wanted to see other people from other departments,” McCabe said. “We often live in our bubble and see the same people, so this is nice.”

Team members from the Division of Laboratory Animal Resources ventured across campus to the celebration. Photo by Travis Stanley.

A group from the Division of Laboratory Animal Resources (DLAR) dropped into the event. For several members of the group, it was the first time they’d been to the annual celebration.

The opportunity to enjoy snacks and music wasn’t the only factor in their decision to swing by as the sunny weather made the roughly 15-minute walk from their workspace off of Research Drive especially pleasant.

“It’s so nice out,” said DLAR team member Chelsea Gardiner-Kiser. “That’s part of the reason I came, just for the walk.”

From left to right, Karin Sandler, Sherry Gaines and Hana Jarrad, got to know one another at the event. Photo by Travis Stanley.

In Sherry Gaines’ 17 years at Duke, she had never been to a Duke Appreciation Spring Reception. Gaines’ co-worker, Hana Jarrad, a fellow Supply Chain Associate for Duke University Hospital, suggested they stop by this year.

“I never knew about this,” Gaines said, “But it’s very nice, it’s very relaxing and we’ve met a new person.”

Gaines and Jarrad had just met Associate Director for Student Affairs Karin Sandler, who started her position at the Duke International Student Center in February.

“It’s always great seeing people across Duke that you don’t get to interact with,” Sandler said.

Several Duke retirees, such as Sharon Autry, fer left, Teresa Jenkins, second from left, and Kaye Culler, third from left, enjoyed the opportunity to visit campus and catch up. Photo by Travis Stanley.

As the reception wound down, retirees Sharon Autry, Teresa Jenkins and Kaye Culler sat at a table and shared stories and updates about the people they worked with through the years.

With a combined 109 years of service at Duke, the three rode to the event together and savored the chance to return to the campus that has been a big part of their lives.

“It’s always nice to be here,” Culler said. “We don’t get to see each other all that much, so it’s a such nice occasion to all get together.”

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