TROY, Ala. – Tracy Thompson, departmental secretary for Troy University’s Inservice Center, has won the University’s Vergil Parks McKinley Award for September.

Thompson, who has been a member of the Troy University staff since 1983, received the award during an Oct. 4 ceremony in the Hawkins-Adams-Long Hall of Honor on the Troy Campus. Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr., TROY chancellor, presented the award to Thompson, who was nominated by Jimmy Holley, Inservice Center director.

The McKinley Award is the highest honor that Troy University gives to a non-faculty staff member. It is presented monthly to an employee who has demonstrated outstanding attitude, innovation and work ethic. The award was established by former Texaco CEO John McKinley in honor of his father, Vergil Parks McKinley, who was a Troy University professor during the early 20th century and was key to the development of the university’s athletic program. Winners of this award receive an engraved clock and a $350 stipend.

In a letter of nomination, Holley said Thompson was “so much more than a departmental secretary.”

“Tracy is the lifeblood of the Inservice Center,” Holley said. “She knows everything that is going on and does her utmost to make sure that things run smoothly. The nature of the work in the center is to provide Inservice workshops to 4,000 teachers in an 11-county area. Tracy processes the paperwork for all programs to ensure that the workshops run smoothly and that the consultant fees are paid in a timely manner. She is also responsible for registering participants and ensuring that they receive credit for the workshops they attend.”

Holley said that Thompson represented the center and Troy University well.

“Mrs. Thompson is always pleasant to work with and represents the Inservice Center in a most professional manner,” he said. “Tracy is most deserving of this award.”

Thompson, a resident of Troy, said she enjoys her job and was honored to receive the award.

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Tracy Thompson receives the Vergil Parks McKinley Award from Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr., Troy University Chancellor, and Jimmy Holley (right), director of the Inservice Center, during a ceremony at Hawkins-Adams-Long Hall of Honor on Oct. 4.