Staff members Gleason, McMillen retire

Two longtime members of the staff retired last month - mail center supervisor Colleen Gleason and nurse Bonnie McMillen.

Gleason has been at Pitt-Bradford for 25 years. She took over as mailroom supervisor from her mother, Dusty Gray.

As one of the staff members whom students see every day “both Dusty and Colleen have had a great way of dealing students,” said Rick Esch, vice president of business affairs. “It wasn't like, 'I'm your best friend.' It was like, 'I'm your best adviser.'”

Director of auxiliary services Rhett Kennedy was a student himself when he first met Gleason. Now he supervises the mail center. “When I became the supervisor, it really opened my eyes to all that you do,” he said, including processing the mail quickly and efficiently to keep the campus running smoothly.

McMillen has worked both as a part-time nurse on campus and as the full-time director of student health services.

Dr. K. James Evans, vice president of student affairs, praised McMillen's ability to deal with significant issues. “Bonnie was able to identify when a student needed to be referred. She's cool, calm and collected, and never panicked over any student coming through the health center.”

McMillen served as the point person for the campus's efforts to prepare for H1N1 virus in 2009 and has served as the staff adviser to Panthers against Tobacco.