RCE Associate Director Kathleen Howell. Courtesy of Rutgers University.
Kathleen Howell, associate director, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, was one of more than 40 employees honored with Presidential Employee Excellence Recognition Awards in December at the Rutgers Club. The awards recognized both individuals and teams for their service to students and employees, for their role in cultivating a beloved community, for making a lasting difference beyond the university’s borders and for excellence in their work.
Howell was recognized with a Rutgers Gateway Award, which recognizes staff, faculty or a team of employees who go to exceptional lengths to remove barriers to build a more positive work environment, improve employee engagement and morale and create operational efficiencies through forward-thinking process improvements.
Since taking on her leadership role with the Rutgers Cooperative Extension (RCE) in 2015, Howell was celebrated her efforts that “have positively shaped tens of thousands of New Jerseyans’ experience with Rutgers in their own communities.”
Well regarded for her compassion and ability to understand the complexities shaping people’s lives, Howell addresses all matters amicably. She has strengthened RCE programming by building strong academic/community partnerships, a remarkable volunteer base, and a growing number of engaged faculty and staff, while fostering collaboration between all three to best meet the needs of underserved communities across New Jersey.
Howell’s Rutgers Gateway Award, under the Service to Employees category, honor recipients who recognize the value of a diverse workforce and encourage cross-departmental teamwork to address shared challenges and improve workplace culture.
Read more on the university’s Presidential Employee Excellence Recognition Awards.
