Staff Spotlight

April 2020 - Lori Neikirk

Lori Neikirk, administrative assistant in the English department, has worked at Loyola since September 2017. Her favorite thing about working at Loyola is the sense of kindness and community we have, and how delightful the students and faculty are to work with, not to mention our beautiful campus.

Before joining the Loyola community, Lori worked at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) for 9 years as executive assistant to the vice president of finance and CEO. She also has experience working for non-profit charitable foundations in Baltimore.

Lori incorporates Loyola’s Jesuit values and mission into her work and life beyond the University by seeing each day as a mission and chance to have an impact on someone else’s life. Helping fellow staff and serving faculty in any way she can to help them give their best to the students are just two ways Lori demonstrates her Jesuit values. “I believe that everyone is created in the image of God and should be valued, respected, and celebrated for their unique identity and gifts.” When she is not at work, Lori enjoys music, nature, and hiking with her husband of 33 years, Ted, and their 2 cats.

March 2020 - Jennifer Sullivan

Jennifer Sullivan, has worked at Loyola since 2016. Currently the program coordinator for Natural and Applied Sciences, Jennifer supports the associate deans and the division of Natural and Applied Science including the Pre-Health programs. Jennifer also plans and organizes divisional programs and events like Grand Seminar, Hauber Summer Research Fellowship program, Cosmos & Creation Conference, and Celebration of Science Week. In addition to organizing divisional programs, Jennifer assists with Heath Outreach Baltimore and the pre-health committee process for students applying to medical and dental schools. 

In addition to her position as an executive assistant, Jennifer is a member of the professional development focus group for Staff Council. The importance of continued learning opportunities for everyone, and providing resources for all members of the University to acquire new skills and knowledge to pursue rewarding personal and professional lives, is something that Jennifer feels passionate about. 

Outside of Loyola, Jennifer loves to dance. She has taken dance classes since she was 3 years old and danced her way through college as both a member of Villa Julie’s inaugural dance team as well as captain of the cheerleading team. Jennifer’s favorite thing about working at Loyola is being surrounded by people who share similar values and are there for one another. “Before joining the Loyola Community, I had not heard the term, ‘cura personalis,’ but now I truly appreciate and value caring for the whole self in every aspect of one’s life.

April 2019 - Bess Garrett

Bess Garrett, administrative assistant for the theology department, Catholic Studies Program, and the office of Peace and Justice Studies, has been a valued employee at Loyola since August 2017. In addition to holding a Master of Theological Studies from Loyola, Bess also has a Master of Arts degree in Eastern Classics from St. John’s College in Santa Fe, N.M. Each day, Bess makes it a priority to serve our Loyola community with passion, integrity, and dedication. This year she received the 2019 AMDG Staff Community Award.

Bess’s involvement in our Loyola community is unparalleled. In addition to her tireless work in the theology department, Bess also participates in the Messina Common Text committee, the Heart of Zen meditation group, and diversity reading groups. During her time at Loyola, Bess has been integral to the success of campus-wide events, such as the Peace & Justice Speaker Series and Catholic Studies panel discussions. When Bess isn’t helping to coordinate events and panels, she is welcoming guest speakers and arranging their travel and lodging, managing event publicity, tracking expenses, grants, and stipends, maintaining mailings lists, and supervising her two amazing work-study students.

Bess is revered by her colleagues for carrying out and advancing the Loyola mission and Ignatian values every day. Bess is a leader in her department and on campus that truly embodies the mission of men and women for others. When asked what her favorite thing about being a member of the Loyola community, Bess said, “This is such a friendly campus. People smile and seem so glad to be here.” Something you may not know about Bess is that she’s visited India five time and says, “There are still many places in India that I haven’t seen yet and I hope I have the chance to visit someday.”

March 2019 - Sheila Glee

Shelia Glee, who has worked at Loyola since 1998, is the environmental services supervisor in facilities and leads by example. To Shelia, the most important aspect of her role in the Loyola community is to help others. Whether it’s a student, a fellow staff member, or a campus visitor, Shelia is called to help and serve others with her compassion, diligence, and tenacity.

As a supervisor, Shelia values the importance of working with her staff. “Being a supervisor is more than just pointing or making schedules,” she said. “Working with your staff shows them you respect what they do and that you’re on the same team.” In Shelia’s case, this team work is no easy feat. Like many other staff members in the facilities department, Shelia arrives to campus every day by 6:30am. She serves as the weekend supervisor and is on call 24/7. Every day in facilities is different and unpredictable, and Shelia promotes effective communication within her team in order to properly service the Loyola community. Shelia admires her department’s ability to build relationships among themselves and with others. Whenever Loyola’s campus is in need, Shelia said the facilities departments comes together like a family.

One of Shelia’s favorite aspects of her job is helping students, particularly first-year students, get acclimated to life at Loyola. “People would be amazed to find out how many different hats facilities wears,” she said. “They don’t mind volunteering to help anyone…and they don’t shine the light on themselves.” This thread of selflessness and dedication to helping others is reflected in Shelia’s strong work ethic. Outside of Loyola, Shelia enjoys volunteer work, donating clothes, driving people to the doctor, and working with the Smile Foundation.