Recognizing his exemplary service to Swarthmore, the College awarded the 2022 Suzanne P. Welsh Award to Garry Beauford Jr. of Environmental Services last week.

Beauford, who was one of more than 50 nominees, was lauded for his unwavering commitment to the College community. His various nominators from across the campus, including students, cited his propensity for going above and beyond — notably, his work to return the College to a fully residential experience amid the challenges of COVID-19.

“Garry is gracious in work with his peers, forward-thinking when he notices an inefficient system, solutions-oriented when a problem comes his way,” says Rachel Head, associate dean and director of student engagement. “He is behind-the-scenes and quiet in his work, but yet his impact has been beyond measure.”

“If [Garry] sees something needs to be done, he takes the initiative to take care of it, and/or assist, without being asked,” adds Ursula Young, supervisor, environmental services, who has known Beauford for 35 years. “He is a tremendous asset to our team, and we are lucky to have him.”

The Welsh award is given biennially to a staff member who has made outstanding contributions to the College and demonstrated their commitment to its mission through hard work, creativity, and kindness. It serves as an opportunity for students, faculty, and staff to honor their colleagues, mentors, and friends, and to shine a light on those who help make Swarthmore all that it is. In recognition of their contributions to our community, winners receive a cash award, and a student scholarship donation is made in their name.

The award was established in 2011 by Eugene M. Lang ’38, H’81 to honor Welsh, then vice president for finance and treasurer, and nominees are selected by their peers. It was first awarded in 2014 to Frank Milewski, director of administrative database application support for Information Technology Services. Librarian Assistant Annette Newman received the honor in 2016, Dining Services cook Don Thomas won the award in 2018, and administrative assistant Delores Robinson in 2020.

Watch Beauford learn of the award during an EVS staff meeting. A longer video of the announcement can be found on the Welsh Award website.