Human resources leader named Employee of the Year
Texas A&M University-Victoria has named Jada Walton as the 2025 Employee of the Year during the university’s annual Faculty & Staff Recognition Luncheon Tuesday.
An alumna of A&M-Victoria, she earned both a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Business Administration from the College of Business.
“I am continually inspired by the resilience, creativity and willingness of our faculty and staff to go above and beyond in service to our students and to one another,” said A&M-Victoria President Christian Hardigree. “It is because of our wonderful faculty and staff members that our university continues to thrive and make a meaningful impact.”
Walton started at the university as a student worker in February 2018 working in the Information Technology Help Desk.
The same year, she accepted a full-time position as a Financial Aid specialist before transferring to the university’s Human Resources department in May 2019. She was then promoted to senior coordinator of HR in 2023 and now serves as manager of HR.
“Throughout the year, Jada has consistently demonstrated exceptional dedication, professionalism and leadership. Her commitment to excellence, strong work ethic, and willingness to go above and beyond expectations have made a significant and lasting impact on our organization,” said Kevin Sheehy, A&M-Victoria chief operations officer. “Whether tackling complex compliance challenges, supporting colleagues as part of the onboarding process, or driving key initiatives, such as the transition to Workday, Jada approaches every task with integrity, accountability and a positive attitude.”
The Employee of the Year was chosen from the university’s 2025 Employees of the Month, who were nominated by their peers and selected by a staff committee. At the end of last year, a poll was sent out to faculty and staff to choose the Employee of the Year from the monthly winners.
“I just want to keep representing our people in the best way possible by showing up for our people and helping them out anyway I can,” Walton said. “I love working here.”
Walton will receive a $500 check and a plaque, and her name will be engraved on the Employee of the Year plaque, which is displayed in Conference Room A in University West.
In addition to Walton, other Employees of the Month from 2025 were:
- Richard Kemeitjo, lead groundskeeper, Facility Services
- Kandace Henke, academic advisor in the College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences
- Jennifer Brown, facilities events specialist, Facility Services
- Molly Duke, admissions counselor, Enrollment Management & New Student Experience
- Mary Borden, coordinator of Instructional Tech, College of Business
- Vangie Kolesar, accounting services coordinator, Finance
- Elizabeth Corte, manager of IT business operations, Informational Technology
- Linda Upham, administrative secretary, College of Business
- Crystal Rocha, director of Financial Aid
- Carmen Cancel Mercado, general accounting manager, Finance
Employees who worked at A&M-Victoria for five, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 years were recognized on Tuesday. Each employee’s name, title and department are listed below:
Five years:
- Sharon De Martin, assistant professor in the College of Education & Health Professions
- Kandace Henke, academic advisor
- Dolores Solis, contract coordinator
- Dorothy Thomas, director of nursing
- Kimberly Uetrecht, head women’s soccer coach
- Briana Vega, senior administrative secretary
- Zion Walker, student activity coordinator
- Feirong Yuan, associate professor in the College of Business
10 years:
- Janelle Bouknight, associate professor in the College of Education & Health Professions
- Melissa Guerrero, assistant bursar
- Fallon Hare, senior administrative assistant
- Denise Hernandez, registrar
- Richard Kameitjo, lead groundskeeper
- Lou Lloyd-Zannini, professor in the College of Education & Health Professions
- JoAnna McCulley, head resource management librarian
- Karen Parsonson, associate professor in the College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences
- Andrew Rubio, groundskeeper
- Wayne Smith, associate professor in the College of Education & Health Professions
- Jake Snyder, senior lecturer in the College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences
- Joseph Tran, audio visual specialist
- Raymond Tucker, associate professor in the College of Education & Health Professions
- Debbie Vardaman, senior applications programmer/ analyst
- Julie Buchhorn Wardi, international student coordinator
- Liping Wei, associate professor in the College of Education & Health Professions
15 years:
- Rafael Castorena, senior admissions counselor
- Wei-Chih Chiang, professor in the College of Business
- Massomeh Hajilee, professor in the College of Business
- Mary Lasater, associate dean in the College of Education & Health Professions
- Jennifer Ortiz Garza, director of development
- Megan Perez, user services administrator
- Ashley Sisson, senior budget analyst
- Ernest Solis, groundskeeper
- Becky Townsend, international student specialist
- Mark Ward, professor in the College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences
20 years:
- Warren Diprose, web developer
- Teresa LeSage Clements, professor in the College of Education & Health Professions
25 years:
- James Garcia, telecom analyst
- Greg Garcia, access services supervisor
- Nancy Gresham, executive administrative assistant to the President
- Vangie Kolesar, coordinator, accounting services
30 years:
- Catherine Perz, professor in the College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences
Texas A&M University-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 50 academic programs in the colleges of Business, Education & Health Professions, Liberal Arts & Social Sciences, and Natural & Applied Science. A&M-Victoria provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as online classes that students can take from anywhere. The university supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.