Bay College honored its 2026 Outstanding Staff during an awards banquet that was held Tuesday, April 29. Any Bay College employee, board member, student, alumni, or community member may nominate a full-time or regular part-time exempt or non-exempt employee for the Bay College Outstanding Staff Award. These individuals must have completed three years of employment at Bay College. Nominees are judged by their job knowledge; respect and enthusiasm toward colleagues, students, and community members; creating a positive influence within the work environment; collaboratively working with colleagues and staff.
The 2026 Outstanding Staff are as follows:
Marie Johnson
Marie Johnson began her Bay College journey as a student worker for financial aid
while earning her associate in arts in business administration in 2019. She then continued
her education at Northern Michigan University, completing her bachelor’s degree before
returning to Bay College in June 2022 as the records and registration assistant. A
colleague shared, “Marie is always very professional in her communication with faculty and students.
She not only values input from others; she seeks it out. She is very committed to
her position and is willing to go above and beyond to make sure students are well-served.”
Kyle Schaeffer
Kyle Schaeffer has served as Bay College’s academic success manager since fall 2022, bringing a deep passion for student support and success to his role. A Bay College graduate himself; Schaeffer continued his education at Northern Michigan University, earning both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education.
Schaeffer’s colleague shared, “Kyle treats everyone with genuine respect, no matter who they are or what they’re coming in for. You can feel his enthusiasm when he talks with students or works with coworkers—he truly enjoys helping people, and it shows. He’s friendly, down-to-earth, and never too busy to stop and listen. That kind of attitude goes a long way, especially in a college environment where students often need reassurance, and staff rely on one another.”
For open positions at Bay College, visit Bay College’s website at careers.baycollege.edu.
About Bay College
Bay College is the community’s college with a mission of: Student Success, Community Success, and Culture of Success. Bay is devoted to each individual’s achievement in the classroom, on-campus, online, in the community and into the workforce by providing career certificates, associate degrees, transferable university credits, industry certifications, trainings, and professional development programs which develop skillsets, enrich individuals, and advance careers. #BayIsTheWay