UTEP Employees Raise Over $98,000 for State Employee Charitable Campaign
Last Updated on January 28, 2022 at 12:00 AM
Originally published January 28, 2022
By Laura L. Acosta
UTEP Marketing and Communications
Whether they contributed $5 or $100, faculty and staff from The University of Texas at El Paso came together in 2021 to raise more than $98,000 for local and regional charities through the State Employee Charitable Campaign (SECC).
“UTEP is one of the largest state employers in our region and is a very critical part of our regional SECC campaign,” said Marc Cox, Ph.D., 2021 SECC Committee chair.
Since 2012, the SECC has raised funds for local, statewide, national and international charitable organizations that support a wide variety of health and human services. The campaign is a convenient way for employees to donate to their favorite charity. Employees can choose to have their donation deducted from their paychecks over nine or 12 months, or they can make a one-time donation.
“We as an institution have led by example year after year to raise more funds than any other state-funded employer in the region and this past year was no exception,” Cox said. “Because of the generosity of our faculty and staff, state and local nonprofits will be better positioned to continue to offer critical services to support the health and wellness of our community.”
Last year’s campaign, which focused on the theme “Together We are Stronger Than Ever,” ran through October 2021.
Each year, the campaign recognizes the UTEP unit with the most SECC spirit with the Traveling SECC Spirit Award Painting. The School of Pharmacy was awarded the honor for having the highest level of participation in 2021. José O. Rivera, the pharmacy school’s founding dean, accepted the award on Jan. 25, 2022, on the school’s behalf. The School of Pharmacy will display the painting throughout 2022.
The campaign encourages employee participation through events and weekly giveaways. Denise R. Nemiroff, payroll operations analyst, was one of three Apple Airpod winners. Nemiroff has been contributing to the SECC since 2015. She said the campaign makes it easy for her to donate $20 a month to the Diocesan Migrant and Refugee Services and El Pasoans Fighting Hunger.
“I know that many of these organizations have limited funds and my $5 or $20 a month can buy food, or legal resources, or whatever might be needed,” said Nemiroff, who joined UTEP in 2014. “If you combine my donation with others, it can add up!”
Mick Martinez, director of enrollment marketing and strategic communications in UTEP’s Division of Student Affairs, will serve as the 2022 SECC chair. Martinez plans to continue Cox’s momentum and encourage more faculty to participate in the campaign. He also hopes to encourage all UTEP departments and divisions to get involved and give back to the community. Martinez said the SECC is a good example of the University’s strategic goal to foster community impact and public service.
“I also want to be able to encourage those departments and divisions on campus that don’t traditionally give and get them more involved and understand that their roles and what they do even in small ways plays a big part in UTEP’s mission,” said Martinez, who served as the 2021 SECC Committee vice-chair. “The SECC allows us to give back in meaningful ways that help out those in need.”
