Greetings GW Staff,

I am honored to write to you as the third president of the GW Staff Council. For those who may not know me, I have been a staff member at GW for six years working in graduate admissions. I am also an alumni and current student working toward a doctorate degree in higher education administration. Still, one of my favorite roles at the university is being a GW mom of a first-year business student.

I joined the inaugural Staff Council in 2023 as the Parliamentarian because I believe staff are integral to the success of any university and deserve to have a voice in spaces where administrative decisions are being made. Last year as Staff Council Vice President, I had the opportunity to listen to staff across the university and to build meaningful relationships with university leadership, connections that will be instrumental to our success this year.

Throughout December, I invited incoming executive council members and staff representatives to share their goals for the council in 2026. After reviewing all submissions, I have compiled the following three main goals to serve as a strong starting point. I hope you will partner with us in achieving these goals by joining a committee or volunteering to support an event or professional development opportunity.

To keep you updated on the Council’s work throughout the year, we will provide updates through our monthly newsletter, sharing what we are working on as a Council and within our committees, along with short surveys to hear directly from staff on key issues.

I look forward to continuing our mission to support GW staff and to fostering a community where everyone feels valued and heard.

Sincerely,

Mindy Galván

The purpose of this survey is to gain feedback on the 2026 Staff Council Goals. We recognize that the contents of this survey can be sensitive and want to remind you that while we collect email addresses, they are only used to validate that the submitter is part of the GW community and will never be shared with anyone but the Staff Council Executive Officers. We will ask for consent before using specific comments for any outside purposes and will remove any identifying information.

As a reminder, all feedback is used to better determine the priorities of the Council. The more feedback we receive, the better we are able to support GW staff.

All feedback will be kept anonymous and will be used to guide initiatives within the Council. Guided by our Community Principles, we commit to being a Council that listens with intention, communicates with respect, and approaches our work with professionalism, curiosity, and care.

Chair: Andrew Godleski

The Staff Support and Well-Being Committee shall support university staff in practical and meaningful ways that promote personal and professional thriving. The committee’s work is focused on equipping staff with tools, resources, and peer connections that enhance well-being, resilience, and effectiveness, and for seeking opportunities to serve the GW community. The committee may collaborate with other Staff Council committees and university partners to support staff well-being and peer support initiatives.

The committee meets on the first Thursday of each month from 12:00–1:00 PM. The first scheduled meeting will take place on Thursday, February 5 at 12:00 PM.

For any questions or concerns, please contact Andrew Godleski at agodleski@gwu.edu.

Chair: Courtney Frost

The Staff Experience committee is responsible for responding to the shifting needs of the Staff Council. In this role, they shall work to address novel issues that may arise over the course of the term which do not fall under the purview of one of the other standing committees.

The Staff Experience committee shall strategically plan and identify emerging needs, trends, or response efforts that relate to the staff community to determine if they fall within the mandate of the Staff Council and, if so, construct a preliminary plan or identify resources to address them. They shall then either pursue these remedies or, with the approval of the Staff Council Chairperson, call for volunteers to serve on a Special Committee to work on the specific issue. Issues addressed by the Staff Experience committee can be suggested by any member and may be in collaboration with university departments.

The Staff Experience shall identify a staff representative(s) for the Benefits Advisory Committee that will represent the Staff Council and be the liaison between the Benefits Advisory Committee and the Council.

2026 Meeting Schedule (Last Monday of each month 10 a.m.-11 a.m.): January 26, February 23, March 30, April 27, June 29, July 27, August 31, September 28, October 26, and November 30.

Chair: Tricia Greenstein

The Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion committee is responsible for coordinating and guiding the Staff Council’s work on Diversity and Inclusion efforts to better support staff and to ensure that Diversity and Inclusion values are represented in all of the work performed by the council.

The committee Chairperson will ensure Staff Council representation on all university-wide committees and working groups focused on diversity and inclusion. The committee will work to establish and maintain connections with existing and emergent organizations and committees created by staff or faculty at the departmental or divisional level across campus that focus on issues of Diversity and Inclusion.

The first meeting will take place on Thursday, February 12 from 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM. The committee will meet on the 2nd Thursday of each month, with adjusted frequency as needed.

Chair: Allene David

The Staff Development & Recognition committee shall be responsible for fostering development and staff recognition opportunities as well as recognition and community-building events for current and former Staff Council members. The committee will partner with HR and other applicable offices for planning events such as receptions and conferences and management of the Staff Council’s Staff Recognition program.

2026 Meeting Schedule (3rd Monday of each month 2 p.m.-3 p.m.): January 12, February 16, March 16, April 20, May 18, June 15, July 20, August 17, September 21, October 19, November 23, and December 21.

Did you know that the GW library provides access to services for streaming and news?

Through the library, staff have access to both Kanopy and Swank streaming platforms with thousands of movies at your disposal, perfect for a cozy night in for the winter. Follow this link for more information on Swank and Kanopy.

The library also provides subscriptions to The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal so staff, faculty, and students can access reliable news sources. Follow this link for more information on digital news subscriptions.

Turn growth into a habit, not an event: give staff one small stretch task each month, pair it with a quick check-in for feedback, and celebrate what they learned—not just the result. This keeps development practical, visible, and motivating.

The GW Center for Career Services supports students through career education programming, student employment opportunities, and employer engagement experiences that span industries and career interests. Our work focuses on creating meaningful, accessible opportunities for students to explore careers, connect with professionals, and build confidence in their next steps.

Together, these initiatives reflect the GW Center for Career Services’ ongoing commitment to innovative programming, strong employer partnerships, and student-centered career development.

We want to recognize and appreciate the amazing work staff across the university do every day. This feature was designed to highlight one department, office, or team each month, allowing us to get to know our staff and how they contribute to GW’s success. We hope to celebrate achievements, support initiatives, and find new ways for staff to stay connected with each other and the community.

If you’d like to nominate your department, office, or team for Community Connections or would like to see another department, office, or team featured, please email your nomination to staffcouncil@gwu.edu with a brief description of the fabulous work they’re doing.

The Staff Council is seeking new representatives from the following divisions:

Representatives must, at a minimum, join at least one Staff Council committee and attend Staff Council meetings. Most committees meet monthly and Staff Council meets on the third Friday of every month from 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. All meetings are virtual. You can find a full description of the Representative position in the Staff Council Bylaws. 

Per the Staff Council Bylaws, GW Representatives must: 

If you are interested, please email a statement of candidacy (why you are interested in the position) to staffcouncil@gwu.edu by Friday, February 13. The Staff Council will review candidates and vote on the nominees at the Friday, February 20 meeting in accordance with the Staff Council Bylaws.

The guest for the February Staff Council meeting is Jonathan Post. Post serves as George Washington University’s Vice President for Board Relations and Secretary of the University. In this role, he is the administrative liaison between the Board of Trustees and university leadership, serves as a member of the president’s cabinet, and oversees the office of the board of trustees. He previously served as the Assistant Vice President for Board Relations managing the day-to-day operations of GW's board office. 

Prior to joining GW, he served as the director of programs at the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, and held multiple administrative positions at American University in the College of Arts and Sciences and Kogod School of Business. He received his master’s degree from the University of Michigan and bachelor’s degree from the Johns Hopkins University.

Future and Past Meetings: You can find meeting minutes from past meetings on the Staff Council website, along with information on upcoming meetings. Registration is required so please be sure to register for any upcoming meetings you’d like to attend.

If you have any questions or topics that you would like to be addressed, please send them to your Staff Council Representative in advance of the meeting. 

The GW Staff Council meets on the third Friday of each month from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. EST. GW Staff Council meetings are held via Zoom and are open to the GW community. Please direct any related questions to staffcouncil@gwu.edu.