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John Kemp ’95 named Staff Member of the Year
John Kemp ’95 and his wife, Missy Kemp ’94, pose with Furman President Elizabeth Davis and the check John won as Staff Member of the Year on Thursday, May 8, 2025.
Spring on Furman’s campus is award season for students, faculty and for staff, who gather by the hundreds in Younts Conference Center for the annual Staff Recognition Event to see who will be named Staff Member of the Year.
Following a buffet breakfast, many staff members were recognized for their years of service, including Steve Long, a project manager in Facilities Services, who has worked at Furman for 50 years, since the Ford Administration. Others recognized for 20 years or more:
Furman President Elizabeth Davis poses with John Kemp, who received the 2024-2025 Staff Member of the Year Award on Thursday, May 8, 2025.
- 20 years: Alan Bryson, Michelle Shaw, Chandra Dillard, Tianne McCullough and Michael Morgan
- 25 years: Pam Breedlove, Michelle Young, Paul Brandenberg, Joy Brown, Tory Coleman, K.C. Cox and Jason Cassidy
- 30 years: Jimmy Looper, Richard Lange and Kim Keefer
- 35 years: Nina Anthony
Finally, President Elizabeth Davis called forward the finalists for Staff Member of the Year: Jim Benes from Facilities, Tammy Cureton from the Office of Integrative Research in the Sciences, John Kemp ’95 from Development and Erin Mayes from Athletics.
And the winner was: Kemp, associate vice president for Development and staff ombudsperson. Kemp’s nominator said he “upholds only the highest level of ethics, kindness, and professionalism and called him an “exemplary representative” of Furman’s staff.
Kemp received a check for $1,000, a meal for four prepared by campus dining vendor Bon Appetit, a seat in the president’s suite for a Furman football game and other prizes.
Read more about the nomination process and see past Staff Members of the Year on the Staff Advisory Council website.