Carly C. Johnson

I am nominating Carly Johnson (she/her) to illuminate how much she is respected and valued at UW. This nomination represents a diverse collection of UW Tacoma student, faculty, and staff voices because of the profound impact she has made on us and to our university community. Since 2015, she has served as a program coordinator in the School of Urban Studies (2015-2019) and the Office of Community Partnerships (2019-current). This role, which she fills exquisitely, is a cornerstone component to effective operations of our office. She plays a pivotal role in the success of our community-facing office, a “front door” to the campus, which values community-to-university collaborations, the co-creation of ideas, and mutually beneficial partnerships.

In a nutshell, Carly’s job responsibilities, much like those who are reading this, are not particularly “flashy” and the impact of the work usually flies under the spotlight for recognition. The UW Distinguished Staff Award nomination creates a pathway to shine a deserving spotlight of excellence onto Carly and all the other nominees in this category. As a whole person, she is described as kind, creative, collaborative, hardworking, professional, a “get it done” type of person, generous, and trustworthy. UW Tacoma is lucky to have such an amazing colleague!

Tell us why you are nominating this individual

The UW Tacoma campus was established, in large part, because of the widespread community support and statewide efforts to expand access to higher education. As part of its origin story, local business leaders and politicians from Tacoma were championing a state university for the city.

One of the most important and lasting ingredients in the success (and short 33 year history) of UW Tacoma was due to collaboration, and is the nomination category that will highlight Carly’s outstanding accomplishments. Since 2021, Carly has collaborated with a team of staff, faculty, students, alumni, and community members to organize and implement a new initiative at UW Tacoma called the Celebrando Comunidad award ceremony that annually celebrates Latine leaders in our community.

Carly has been the lead for the Office of Community Partnerships as the administrative home for this endeavor and she has become a highly valued and trusted partner in this work over the past three years. As one member of a large team, collaboration is dependent on successful large scale community celebration. When working to offer every aspect of the program in Spanish – from the nomination forms to the webpage, the interviews and story coaching, photography sessions, video captioning and event hosting we truly pushed the limits of capacity within the campus.

Carly embraced the work and advocated alongside the committee with as much heart and passion as the committee members. Her dedication has been incredibly meaningful for the planning committee members, awardees, and celebration attendees especially because she doesn’t identify as Latine. With her support in hiring the student staff and managing and tracking event budgets, 255 people have been engaged in virtual celebrations and over 200 people to on-campus celebrations while uplifting the diverse leadership of 20 Latine community leaders and 2 Latine-serving organizations in the South Sound.

Here are some reflections from Carly’s colleagues and student employees describing how her collaboration skills make her an outstanding employee:

“Her collaborative approach makes her an outstanding employee because the meaningful cultural celebration could not have happened without her adept administrative skills, her equity-focused demeanor, and grace.”

“Carly’s commitment to community outreach is not just evident in her “unflashy” daily tasks but is deeply embedded in the ethos of our office and campus, making it a powerful force for positive change both within the university and beyond. Day to day, she manages a wide array of community engagement projects which flex and train her professional talents of adaptability, leadership, and tactical skills.”

“Carly not only celebrates success for the partnerships, but she also celebrates the small wins of our team. She is always finding new ways to develop my skill set and she has definitely made a positive impact on me by motivating me to learn more about the South Sound organizations and their impact on UW Tacoma.”

With her guidance and involvement, the UW Tacoma and the Office of Community Partnerships has achieved remarkable strides in fostering meaningful relationships and engagement beyond the campus’s boundaries.

What makes this nominee worthy of the DSA?

In preparing this nomination, it was important for me to model and practice collaboration in order to create something together. As such, I invited several UW Tacoma students, staff, and faculty to share their experiences and reflections about Carly’s collaborative skills and how her collaboration has impacted them.

Not surprisingly, the responses to the invitation were warmly accepted which, to me, demonstrated the impact Carly – the person! and the colleague – has made on us. My fellow nominators are a team; we are students, faculty, and staff who know and work with Carly; we are a collection of departments; and we are a campus-community who strives to make a difference at UW Tacoma.

Carly’s accomplishments are numerous and impactful. One notable example is her instrumental role in the planning and execution of the aforementioned Celebrando Comunidad events. Under her leadership, these events have grown in scale and significance, attracting a broader audience and fostering a sense of community engagement. Carly’s attention to detail, creativity, and dedication ensures the success of these events year after year. The event has doubled in the past three years and continues to be a great success.

Another example of the impact of her work is when she recruits student staff for job opportunities in support of community engagement. She seeks input from other staff within and outside the office to create a process where the job descriptions are written with and promoted through a lens that invites a diverse applicant pool representing as many backgrounds and experiences as possible. As a result, she creates a standard of excellence which persists throughout the lifespan of the student’s employment experience.

In this example, her collaborative approach impacts the success and sense of belonging of student employees because she recognizes the outcomes (e.g. a transparent and inclusive hiring process, a student employee who is successful in their position and understands value of the job who, then, positively contributes the goals of the office and campus) are directly influenced by the decisions she makes from the start.

Was there anything else?

Carly’s contributions have had a far-reaching impact, not just on myself or those whose voices are included in this nomination, that extends beyond our immediate working relationships, to influence the broader university community. Through her work to support community engagement initiatives, programs, and events, Carly has enhanced the sense of community on campus, creating opportunities for meaningful interactions among students, faculty, staff, and community members. Her efforts have contributed to a more vibrant and inclusive campus culture. We thank her for this.

We are grateful for the opportunity to celebrate and honor Carly Johnson through this nomination and thank the review committee for considering her for the UW Distinguished Staff Award.

Julia Smith
Executive Administrator
UW Tacoma, Office of Community Partnerships