Ovall named July’s Civil Service Employee of the Month

Shianne Ovall, program assistant II for the South Dakota State University College of Nursing, has been named SDSU Civil Service Employee of the Month for July. 

She will be honored at a reception held from 11 a.m.-noon Wednesday, July 24, in Wagner Hall 236/238. 

Ovall has been a full-time civil service employee with the College of Nursing since February 2018. Overall, she has worked for SDSU for 25 years, starting with the Physical Plant (now known as Facilities and Services) before joining the former Department of Apparel Merchandising and Interior Design. 

In her current position, Ovall coordinates College of Nursing interviews, events, and technology acquisition and troubleshooting, conducts orientation and training for new college employees and serves as a resource for employees. She distributes and monitors affiliation agreements with facilities across the United States, distributes and monitors preceptor agreements and assists graduate nursing students. 

Amanda Mitchell, director of nursing operations for the college, praised how Ovall consistently performs at a high level to support the dean’s office and the nursing graduate program. 

“She has been instrumental in implementing processes to improve efficiency in day-to-day work in these areas. She is always willing to learn and help implement change when needed. Ms. Ovall is an exceptional employee, and her contributions to the College of Nursing are highly valued,” Mitchell said. 

Mary Anne Krogh, the Roberta K. Olson Endowed Dean of the College of Nursing, said Ovall is a highly visible and valuable employee for the college who supports many faculty and staff needs. 

“Over the past two years, Ms. Ovall has taken on program assistant duties for all the graduate programming. In this role, she deftly works with students, alumni, faculty and advisors to assure a smooth and excellent experience. This is particularly important for our alumni and students,” Krogh said. 

“In this new role, she has spearheaded a project to move all graduate files to electronic formats to ease data acquisition and assure safety and backup of information. This project allows the college to respond more nimbly to alumni who need information from SDSU to seek licensure and certification in their specialty areas.” 

Krogh noted that Ovall is well organized and plans for unforeseen circumstances. 

“Her problem-solving ability really shines when she is planning events in her efforts to make sure they run smoothly. Ms. Ovall is highly deserving of CSA Employee of the Month due to her consistent high-quality work, people-centered approach, great problem-solving skills and excellent communication.” 

Cami Veire, graduate specialist and nursing advisor for the college, called Ovall a dependable support person who is focused and cooperative. 

“Shianne is one who has a focus on the future of the College of Nursing while maintaining a positive attitude; she is more concerned about the opportunities of tomorrow rather than the problems of the past. I believe Shianne can do this because she always understands the needs of the situation by looking at the bigger picture and is always student-centric,” Veire said. 

“She is focused on her personal and professional goals, she is focused on the needs of her team, and she is always providing suggestions of how we can ‘do it better.’ … She listens to ideas for different approaches to accomplishing a goal, which makes you feel understood. And when someone feels understood, they are more likely to cooperate,” Veire added. 

Ovall and her husband, Darren, have three children — Kayla (Brandon) Broyhill and Chase Ovall, both of Sioux Falls, and Karsyn (Ty Kenyon) Ovall of White — and are expecting their first grandchild this fall. She enjoys spending time with her family and partaking in “lake time.” 

“I am honored to accept this recognition. I enjoy working for the College of Nursing, and I work with a great team,” Ovall said. 

All SDSU Employee of the Month selections are determined through a nomination process by the Civil Service Advisory Council. Each civil service employee of the month receives an appreciation monetary gift from the F.O. Butler Foundation. The trustees of the foundation recognize the importance of civil service employees and take this opportunity to thank them for their exemplary service.