Michael Bleho is this year’s recipient of the Macdonald Campus Award of Excellence for Administrative and Support Staff. Mike has worked as a Technician at the Department of Plant Science’s Horticultural Research Centre since the early 1980s. The Centre is used for research and teaching but also caters to the outside community through its farmers market.
Mike was chosen by his colleagues for his dedication and work ethic, always giving more than 100 percent to his work and providing outstanding support to the faculty, staff and students of Plant Science and across the Macdonald Campus.
What stood out in honouring Mike with this year’s award was his ability to obtain funding for his proposal labeled McGill Feeding McGill, presented to the McGill Sustainability Projects Fund. The project’s goal is to produce food at the Horticultural Research Centre for McGill’s entire network of cafeterias and residences. The money is also used to organize community-building activities around the theme of food and sustainability. “This is an exceptional achievement which has drawn considerable attention to our campus, and it was highlighted on numerous occasions in and around the McGill community,” said Chandra A. Madramootoo, Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. “We are very proud of Mike, and I am absolutely delighted to present this award in recognition of his achievements,” he added.
Mike is also a tireless worker for the Macdonald Clan, who typifies what McGill wishes its employees to be: part of a tight-knit community where “we worked, lived and played together; we became friends regardless of the part of the world from which we hailed,” as once described by William Ritchie, BCS(Agr)’51.
The Macdonald Campus Award of Excellence for Administrative and Support Staff is presented annually to recognize outstanding performance and contributions to the Macdonald Campus and community as demonstrated both in the execution of duties and in the effort and commitment towards service.