Civil Service Employees Council

2021 Employee of the Year, Ann Friederichs

Civil Service 2021 Employee of the Year - Ann Friederichs

Western Illinois University Program Coordinator, Business Advisor Ann Friederichs, of the Small Business Development Center (SBDC), has been named the Al and Elaine Goldfarb 2021 Civil Service Employee of the Year.

Friederichs, who was named the Civil Service Employee of the Month for June 2021, received an engraved clock and a $500 stipend from the WIU Foundation. She came to WIU in 2017, as a faculty assistant in the SBDC. In 2019, she transitioned to Civil Service and her current title.

Her nominator said Friederichs has helped several small businesses flourish during the pandemic, including Tamales for Hope, Tacos Al Vapor and Curry Out. These businesses have been detailed on the WIU Quad Cities campus as food trucks and/or vendors, and have added convenient options for meals for students, faculty and staff.

"During the pandemic, she continued to work regular hours, both from home and at campus, and also put in many hours beyond the customary workweek, fielding quadruple the call volume, assisting small business owners in completing grant paperwork, finding businesses emergency funding, and advising how to weather the COVID-19 storm," said her nominator.