Updated to give the correct title of Marcie Kirk Holland’s award.

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UC Davis last week presented its annual Faculty and Staff Stewardship Awards, honoring three individuals considered exceptionally dedicated to building the strong relationships that are critical to the university’s fundraising efforts.

This year’s recipients are recognized as leaders in a variety of fields on the Davis and Sacramento campuses:

• Faculty award — Kimberley McAllister, professor of neurology and neurobiology, physiology and behavior; and director of the Center for Neuroscience
• Staff award — Tammy Ainsley, director of UC Davis Health Patient and Guest Relations
• Lifetime achievement award — Marcie Kirk Holland, executive director of the Internship and Career Center

“These faculty and staff go the extra mile in their commitment to philanthropy at UC Davis, inspiring donors and those around them,” said Shaun Keister, vice chancellor of Development and Alumni Relations and president of the UC Davis Foundation, who joined in presenting the awards during an Oct. 7 luncheon. “The passion they have for their work and for building strong relationships has a transformational impact on our campus.”

Chancellor Gary S. May and UC Davis Foundation Chair Cecelia Sullivan ’83 also participated in the awards presentation.

Faculty award

Kimberley McAllister is passionate for neuroscience research and training, and dedicated to the Center for Neuroscience, or CNS, with which she has been affiliated for 23 years, bolstering its research, contributing to its success and inspiring the support of many donors.

Since becoming the director in 2016, McAllister has led several initiatives to strengthen the center, including launching the CNS Director’s Circle, a recognition society aimed at engaging generous donors with the center’s research, faculty and trainees through several popular annual events.

McAllister also leads the center’s annual Brain Awareness Week event, NeuroFest, to bring the community together to learn about neuroscience at UC Davis. With her support, the event continues to grow each year.

A personal touch is key to McAllister’s stewardship. She has traveled throughout California and beyond, visiting many donors, giving presentations, writing handwritten thank-you notes and providing follow-up information about the impact of philanthropy. She cares deeply about each of the center’s donors and is dedicated to making sure that the impact of their investments is maximized in every way possible.

Staff award

Tammy Ainsley has been with UC Davis Health for more than 20 years, building strong relationships within her department and with patients, including those who are donors.

She inspires her team in their commitment to patient care. Ainsley’s priority is always ensuring every patient and family at the UC Davis Medical Center has the best experience possible during their stays.

She led the development and launch of a guest relations team to better guide and support patients and their loved ones as they arrive at the medical center.

Receiving medical services is often a stressful experience, but Ainsley offers wonderful customer care and establishes trust to serve those in need in a timely manner with compassion and kindness.

Ainsley believes that donor stewardship is good for patient and family health and healing, and she leads the way to make it happen. She ensures her team is a compassionate and collaborative partner to development, and that they do their part to help advance philanthropy at UC Davis.

Lifetime achievement award

Marcie Kirk Holland is a longtime advocate of helping students find success in their post-graduation careers and has been a key player in growing and initiating career prep programs across campus.

A UC Davis employee of 30 years, she has served as executive director of the Internship and Career Center since 2014. Her many years of service on campus are fueled by her love of helping students find paths that are meaningful to them.

She is the co-champion for Aggie Launch, the UC Davis initiative to provide comprehensive career preparation resources for all students. Kirk Holland’s leadership was essential to growing the program into a major campus priority, and in inspiring greater giving and engagement from individuals, corporations and foundations.

Always focusing on people and follow-through, Kirk Holland fosters strong relationships with donors and makes herself available to anyone who is interested in supporting Aggie Launch programs.

She frequently speaks at receptions for parents and students and is always looking for new ways to serve the university while providing resources and assistance to others.

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Clémentine Sicard is a communications specialist in the Office of Development and Alumni Relations.