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Show Signpost Tuesday, September 23, 1986 15A Silverthorn laughs her way to the top of the heap JaNae Barlow Managing Editor Picking up the phone she smiles and cheerfully answers: "Stores Edna." "Stores Edna," as she is teasingly called by close associates, often encompasses herself with laughter in her office. "You can't be around Edna without having fun. She sees to that," said Robert L. Nielsen, director of purchasing. Perhaps this ability to have fun with her job is one reason why Edna Silverthorn, assistant manager of stores and receiving at WSC, was selected by the Utah Public Employees Association (UPEA) as this year's outstanding woman public employee. It all started last spring when Silverthorn was names Weber State College Outstanding Employee of the year. With the receiving of this award, she then along with people from nine other institutions was nominated for Utah Higher Education Outstanding Employee for the year. She later received this award. Being the employee of the year for Utah Higher Education, she became one of five nominees for the UPEA outstanding woman public employee. After being interviewed by a panel of her peers, Silverthorn said she was as surprised as anybody at her selection. Silverthorn said she was particularly thrilled to be chosen as Weber State College Employee of the Year because, three years ago, she was on the committee that set up the guidelines for its yearly selection. The award recipient is selected from among college staff employees including executive, professional and classified. stafr. Nielsen, who nominated her for the award, said Silverthorn is "just a super individual." "Service is her business," he said. "She wants to help people. She does a good job of that." Responsible for ordering supplies, filling requisitions and charging all of the departments for materials, Silverthorn said it is her personal goal to fill all orders the day that she receives them. While it is not required of her or her department to be sure these orders are immediately filled, she said, she makes sure they are because she would be appreciative if someone did the same for her. Such a task becomes difficult at times and often requires her to work in the warehouse helping to pull stock off the shelves. "I have to be versatile and flexible," she said. "Whatever takes place, I go along with." While on the job, Silverthorn answers many questions from new secretaries and people on campus. Many of them, she said, have nothing to do with her job. She said she is glad to be able to help people out in that way. Having come to Weber in 1967 to fill the same position she is currently in, Silverthorn said her favorite memoriess throughout the years are all the notes she has recieved from faculty and staff thanking her for helping them with their problems and being cheerful. While she has been on campus, she has seen many changes. She said looking back at all of the buildings that have appeared on campus since she has come makes her feel like an old shoe. One such building to arrive on campus has been the (stores and receiving) building which she now works in, located on 3710 Skyline Drive just above the campus. Stores and recieving has operated from this building for the past four years. Silverthorn remembers when she was first hired and worked out of the old, somewhat crowded building. "We used to stack paper in any little old corner we could find," she said. The carpenter shop, the plumbing shop, the paint shop, and stores and receiving were all stored in the same building. While Silverthorn 's husband Dale also worked in the same building for about 7 years. They seldom saw each other at work. He was employed as the carpenter foreman at the school for 20 years. He has since retired. "T .A. V i - r. i I 4 L? 2 ' K'ir- - I . 1 Mil ,; i M i SILVERTHORN: "... just a super individual. tor of purchasing. (Signpost photo: JaNae Service is her business," Robert L. Nielsen, direc- Barlow) ? WW STORES EDNA is nicknamed for the greeting she works in her office. (Signpost photo: JaNae she uses on the telephone. Here she is pictured as Barlow) Considering the time that their daughter LeeAnn Mortinson, who is working part-time in WSC Buildings and Grounds, has put in at the college, Silverthorn pointed out that the family together has served a tremendous amount of time at the college. Silverthorn will retire from her position next spring. She said she plans to do some traveling with her husband at that time. "It's been a lot of fun up here," she said of her experiences a WSC. She said that she has enjoyed being with the people. "We're a close-knit family up here," she said of stores and receiving. 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