Annette Baldwin

Annette Baldwin, this year’s President’s Excellence in Staff Service Award winner, has always looked up to those who have served the university beyond what was necessary with the university mission in mind. She has worked at the university in counseling for 18 years.

“I owe my professional development to the University Counseling Center, the Department of Student Affairs, key campus faculty members, students I have worked with, and consulting universities, as well as opportunities through professional organizations,” she said.

Outside of her job as a counselor, Baldwin’s service to the Southeastern community includes initiating and developing the Terrell Conference, which provides continuing education to licensed mental health professionals throughout the area. It also provides an opportunity for UCC counselors to network with community mental health resources that can assist in providing complete mental health care for Southeastern students, faculty and staff, said Director of the University Counseling Center Peter Emerson.

“The fourth year of the conference was a tremendous success. It provided the opportunity for 60 hours of free CEU’s for the University Counseling Center counselors,” Emerson said. “This resulted in about $4,000 in savings for UCC counselors. The conference also generated $5,700 in revenue for the UCC’s general budget and expended about $3,600 on campus to host the conference.”

In addition to the Terrell Conference, Baldwin has also been instrumental in building a strong coalition between the local community and Southeastern. Her work with Tangipahoa Reshaping Attitudes for Community Change (TRACC) bridged efforts with prevention between the campus and the local community, Emerson explained.

Baldwin’s role has changed over the last two years to more of a focus on substance misuse intervention, as well as collegiate recovery programming. She has been recognized nationally by the Association of Recovery in Higher Education for her work with TRACC, as well as her work on campus with Lion Up Recovery, a collegiate recovery program that is the first of its kind in Louisiana and one that she helped to establish. Baldwin’s work with the program has been commended by Allison M. Smith of the Board of Regents, and University of Louisiana System President Jim Henderson recognized the program as a “model program for the state.”

“In the short time that I have been able to foster the growth of the Collegiate Recovery Program, I have heard so many touching accounts about the difference the program has made, not only on students in recovery, but on the campus climate,” she explained. “Besides being a mom to my daughter, securing a Collegiate Recovery Program for the students of Southeastern will most likely by my favorite accomplishment.”

Baldwin insists that her successes would not have been possible without the opportunities presented to her on campus and hopes her accomplishments can serve as a model for others.

“I hope I am a model for integrity and service to others,” she said. “My work intention is to continue to build on what I have done so far. The best is yet to come.”