Ameena Kero, foundation relations officer in the Office of Advancement, was named Most Valuable Panther for September 2024.
In announcing the award, the Office of Human Resources said:
“Originally a volunteer, then hired as a temporary employee in the Advancement Office in 2020, Ameena Kero quickly distinguished herself and was promoted to the office’s foundation relations officer where she currently serves.
Known on the advancement team as the Team Mom, she is always kind, helpful and full of advice to promote health and wellness individually and across the team. She often brings in health foods and traditional Indian dishes for the team to try. Ameena takes the initiative to get to know her colleagues and other faculty and staff across campus through both personal and professional efforts. There’s not a person on campus that she is not willing to talk to and help in any way she can. Her calm and positive personality helps maintain a healthy team culture, especially in moments of high activity.
Ameena truly embraces the panther spirit and has from day one. She believes strongly in the importance of education and realized the university’s need for a philanthropic grant writer, so without hesitation, she went to work. She has secured $2.75 million for the College of Aeronautics, the Scott Center and weVenture. This benefits Florida Tech faculty, students and community members.
Ameena puts the needs of the team and the mission of the university ahead of almost anything else. She has gone out of her way to meet with faculty to learn more about their research in order to identify potential grants. She not only coaches the faculty on how to structure their portion of the grant writing process, she also reaches out to the foundations to ensure the grant being submitted is aligned with their process. She also keeps track of all processing and reporting of the grant once received.
She truly is a collaborative partner, always raising her hand to volunteer, participate and learn all that she can with a smile. This makes Ameena Kero our MVP.”
Nominate the Next MVP! The Most Valuable Panther Program recognizes employees who embody the university’s standards for innovation as demonstrated by their excellence and quality service.
Please include specific and concrete details. How exactly does the nominee benefit the organizational unit, department or university?
Providing specific examples, numbers, facts or anecdotes about the candidate’s contributions will clearly paint the picture of why the individual deserves to be recognized. Submit nominations HERE by Oct. 24.
