Third time’s the charm

By Leila Ugincius

Debbie Stewart did not want to be nominated for the Dorris Douglas Budd Award again this year. After being nominated twice before, she was starting to feel like Susan Lucci, the daytime soap star who took 19 years to win an Emmy — always nominated, but never picked.

But the third time proved to be the charm for Stewart, program assistant in the School of Medicine’s Office of Faculty and Instructional Development. On Wednesday, Oct. 18, she became the 2006 winner of the Dorris Douglas Budd Award.

Established in 1981, the award is named for a VCU secretary to the vice president of administration from 1951 to 1981. Budd’s commitment to the university and her initiative and enhancement of VCU's mission inspired the award, which honors a support staff member who demonstrates exemplary performance and enhances the image and mission of the university and health system.

VCU President, Eugene P. Trani, Ph.D., who presented the award, noted that the support staff has a lot to deal with, citing the growth the university has seen in the past decade. The entire staff has handled their daily pressures admirably, he said. “You are the first face the people see,” he said. “You are a good-humored, smiling, resilient staff, so I thank you.” 

Stewart, who has worked at VCU for 15 years, thanked God and her co-workers for her award and gave a special thanks to Carol Hampton, associate dean for faculty and instructional development, for nominating her.

“I owe this to her,” Stewart said, “for nominating me this third time [even though] I told her, ‘I don’t want to be nominated again.’”

Hampton, in turn, explained why Stewart deserved the award.

“Debbie Stewart is a model. If there is a barrier, she removes it. She is pleasant all the time.”

Stewart exemplified that pleasant nature when accepting the award for which she initially did not want to be nominated.

“I didn’t become Susan Lucci after all!”