UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Two members of the Penn State Human Resources community, Amanda Gallo and Rachele Brida, were recently honored with the 2018 Ray T. Fortunato Award for Excellence in Human Resources for their contributions to human resources at Penn State.
The award, made possible by the late Ray T. Fortunato, recognizes an HR employee at Penn State who champions exceptional service and dedication. During the past year, Penn State HR has undergone several key changes, including an office relocation, a new shared services delivery model, and the launch of WorkLion — the University’s new HR and payroll technology. Gallo and Brida played instrumental roles in these changes and were recognized for their unique contributions.
“Both Amanda and Rachele have been crucial to the success of our improvements in HR at Penn State,” said Mary Beahm, interim vice president for human resources, who presented the awards at a recent HR all-staff gathering at the Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center. “They are both dedicated individuals who bring energy and enthusiasm to the workplace, along with strong leadership talents and a passion for HR.”
Gallo is currently the manager of HR services and has been with the University for eight years. Prior to her current role, Gallo served in various human resources positions at Penn State, including an HR consultant, a recruiting specialist, and an absence management specialist.
“There are so many hard-working, dedicated members of the HR team,” Gallo said. “Being honored with this award is a humbling experience.”
Brida spent the last three years working as a senior business analyst on the WorkLion implementation project, ensuring a successful launch of the new technology. Brida has been with Penn State for 11 years and also has worked in the areas of recruitment and policy development at Penn State.
“I was surprised, but incredibly honored, to receive the award,” Brida said. “I’m very grateful to my colleagues who nominated me.”
Typically awarded annually to one human resources staff member, Beahm chose to honor two employees this year due to increased volume of key initiatives in HR.
“Numerous members of the HR community have gone above and beyond this past year,” Beahm said. “I am tremendously proud of Amanda, Rachele, and the entire HR community at Penn State for what we have accomplished this year as a team.”
Visit the Penn State HR website to learn more about the award and its benefactor, Ray T. Fortunato.