Texas A&M President Recognizes CVM Staff And VET With Service Awards

Story by Aubrey Bloom, CVMBS Communications

Two Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVM) staff members and 14 members of the Veterinary Emergency Team (VET) have been recognized with 2020 Presidential Meritorious Service Awards by Texas A&M president Michael K. Young for their commendable service to Texas A&M University.

“Recipients of this highly prestigious award have demonstrated their commitment to the Aggie core values of excellence, integrity, leadership, loyalty, respect, and selfless service,” Young said. “To each of them, I extend my most sincere congratulations and deep appreciation for their tremendous efforts that make Texas A&M such a great place to live and work.”

All CVM recipients of the 2020 Presidential Meritorious Service Awards were nominated by Dr. Eleanor M. Green, the Carl B. King Dean of Veterinary Medicine at Texas A&M.

Dianne Cornett
Dianne Cornett

Dianne Cornett

As assistant to the dean for the past eight of her 17 years at Texas A&M, Cornett is directly responsible for providing high-level administrative support to the Office of the Dean and deftly serves as a personal assistant and liaison to the dean and the chief of staff.

She also plans and coordinates logistical and administrative support for meetings, events, specialized activities, projects, and long-term initiatives.

“Dianne is very talented at resolving complex, highly sensitive, and confidential administrative matters and is a true asset to our college,” Green said. “Having worked side-by-side with Dianne for many years now, I have had many opportunities to view her flawless work ethic and witness her rising to any occasion and challenge.

“Dianne truly has a servant’s heart that shows through, both professionally and personally. Her strong work ethic, positive attitude, and enthusiasm for her job inspire others around her as she works selflessly to advance the CVM,” Green said.

“I am always impressed at how well she manages the complexities of her role with the greatest of ease. She makes my professional life and the life of the college so much richer, productive, and rewarding. When she is in charge of anything, consider it done and consider it done well. She is the best administrative assistant I have encountered in my more than 40 years in academia.”

Belinda Hale
Belinda Hale

Belinda Hale

Hale has served as assistant dean for finance for the past eight years and has worked at Texas A&M for more than two decades.

In her role, she is essential in making absolutely certain that the CVM is always an example on campus for business practices, financing responsibilities, financial service orientation, human resources, and the highest ethical standards.  She provides policy and procedure interpretation on financial and administrative concerns and is the point person of the CVM’s annual budget.

In the 22 years that Belinda has worked for the CVM, she has demonstrated selfless service and loyalty through her impeccable work ethic and dedication. In her role, Belinda has consistently been looked upon by faculty and staff as a person to whom they can turn to for both routine and confidential matters.

“She has changed perceptions, implemented new processes, and built a transparent system of resource management that contributes new strength to our cooperative style of decision making,” Green said. “Belinda leads through personal example and her example has inspired others to expand their skills and education, and aspire to greater levels of performance and personal challenge. She works diligently and with a contagiously positive attitude that encourages everyone in the CVM family to make our college the best in the nation.”

The Texas A&M Veterinary Emergency Team
Texas A&M Veterinary Emergency Team

Veterinary Emergency Team

The VET—which includes CVM staff members Laura Beach, Elizabeth Bernardo, Garrett Carr, Brooklyn Cupps, Sandra Daniels, Norberto Espitia, Megan Hackman, D’Lisa Hidalgo, Warren Hohertz, Susan Lobit, Cynthia Schocke, Stuart Slattery, Jennifer Wier, and Jennifer Wilson—is the only state-level veterinary medical care provider in the State of Texas’ Emergency Response Plan.

When deployed, the team remains at the emergency site nights, weekends, and holidays until their critical assignment is complete, loading and driving heavy trailers; setting up a mobile hospital; connecting power sources; establishing communications; joining with other local and state emergency services; and ultimately, assisting the veterinarians, community, and injured animals during multiple types of disaster situations.

Just last year, many of them stepped up as leaders and deployed to the California Wildfires, leaving their families right before the holidays and not returning until mid-January.

“These are the people who run toward the flood, the fire, or other emergency,” Green said. “In preparation for Hurricane Harvey making landfall on the Texas coast, the VET left days in advance to set up for the disaster that awaited Texas. They then spent weeks serving Texas residents and animals, and are truly committed to ‘serving our state and nation every day.’ The VET is the epitome of Aggies demonstrating selfless service and loyalty.”

The 2020 Presidential Meritorious Service Award recipients will be honored at a ceremony on Monday, Aug. 10, at 10 a.m. in the Bethancourt Ballroom of the Memorial Student Center.

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For more information about the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, please visit our website at vetmed.tamu.edu or join us on FacebookInstagram, and Twitter.

Contact Information: Jennifer Gauntt, Director of CVM Communications, Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences; jgauntt@cvm.tamu.edu; 979-862-4216


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