Administrative Support
The Outstanding Employee awards are chosen by nominations received by the Awards Committee from all faculty, staff, and students at VIMS. They are awarded in the categories of Facilities/Safety/Trades, Research and Advisory Service, Technical Support, and Administrative Support.
The winner of the 2014 Outstanding Employee for Administrative Support is William Benton.
Will Benton joined VIMS in 2012 as a Client Support Analyst in ITNS. From day one, most people would have thought Will had been here for years, as his technical skills and professionalism allowed him to quickly identify problems and offer a solution.
Two months after Will was hired, a promotion left him to manage the daily desktop support workload solo, and his consistent hard work helped to ensure the continued success of the Client Support Team. He has also been a great mentor for the new Client Support Analyst. Through his dedication, the VIMS community continued to receive the high level of support that it expects.
Will supports not only our standard desktop systems but also analyzes the more complex issues of scientific computing and data collection. He consistently monitors new technology to enhance his knowledge and always strives to convert technical lingo into understandable terms.
Will readily accepts new projects and challenges. He helped define daily-support processes to ensure the success of the Service Desk web portal, and has been a great asset for computer price quotes and helping to define desktop procedures. No matter how much work is in the queue, Will always has a smile on his face and is very good at prioritizing jobs to ensure all are covered. At times he has a double workload—having to balance client support with instructional technology—and handles it seamlessly.
Will’s positive attitude, dedication, and technological knowledge is key to the overall success of the Client Support team. He demonstrates professionalism and a great work ethic, and consistently strives to improve processes to better serve the VIMS community. In short, he’s the kind of guy who would give you the shirt off his back.