September 2024 Staff Senator Spotlights

Kedong Da is the Director in the Plant Transformation Lab in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS). He joined the Staff Senate in 2023 because he wanted to serve the NC State community for a better future, and is a part of the Resources and Environment Committee. Kedong is especially proud to represent NC State presenting his research in national and international meetings. Outside of work he enjoys hiking and fishing.

Gabriella Ferguson is an IT Trainer & Instructional Material Design in the Office of Information Technology. She serves on the Diversity and Inclusion Committee and joined the staff senate in 2023 because she wanted to be a part of something bigger, and had heard so many lovely stories from past senators about the changes they were able to make for campus. She wanted to be involved in those movements, and felt she had a unique set of skills that would help in supporting, representing, and advocating for her district, and is grateful that her district felt the same. She is proud and honored to have been nominated and awarded the Rising Star Award as part of the 2022 IT Community Awards. To have a group of amazing folks feel as though she has made any significant contributions to OIT and the university community is such an indescribable experience. Outside of work, Gabriella lives by the motto “adventure is out there.” Sometimes these adventures mean she is spending the day painting, creating graphic designs or cuddling on the couch with her cat Momo watching anime. Other times these adventures mean finding local pop-up markets, traveling to music festivals, or trying new breweries/restaurants. Then sometimes her adventures take her on a crossroad trip from North Carolina to Oregon in four days. She truly enjoys trying to find the “adventure” in everything.

Ryan Hutchinson serves as Administrative Support in the Athletics department. He is a part of the Staff Senate’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee and joined the staff senate in 2023 because he thought it would be an interesting look into the staff input into NC State University. He is particularly proud to be working at the university, and likes going on walks around lakes and green spaces, as well as going to game days when he is not in the office.

Tenille Naumann works in the Business Office of External Affairs, Partnerships, and Economic Development (EAPED). She joined the Staff Senate for a second term in 2023 after a few years off, as she truly missed all of the outreach and community service opportunities offered by the Staff Senate and wanted to get more involved again. She also enjoys being the voice of her constituents. When issues arise, she hopes that her constituents at least know her name and who to contact should they have a staff-related issue to voice. Tenille has won the Wolfpack Award as well as being an Award for Excellence Nominee on two different occasions in different positions here on campus and is especially proud of these accolades from her peers. She believes hard work and determination should be recognized and is proud to be included in that group of winners and nominees. Outside of work she is a cheerleading coach with Cleveland Pop Warner who loves teaching young girls and guys the fundamentals of cheer and watching them grow within the program. She is very proud of a prior cheerleader who now cheers here at NC State; watching him fulfill his dream is what it’s all about for a coach. GO PACK!!! She also has three grown children she enjoys visiting and spending time with, just waiting on those grandbabies one day!!