Schlicher Named 2026 Employee of the Year

Schlicher Named 2026 Employee of the Year

KUTZTOWN, Pa. - Congratulations to Michael Schlicher, Facilities, on being named the 2026 Kutztown University Employee of the Year.

Schlicher was named the Employee of the Year during KU's Faculty and Staff Convocation and Celebration Friday, Aug. 21. Schlicher, Employee of the Month for August 2025, was 1-of-12 finalists for the annual award.

Schlicher has been with the university since 1999.

As Employee of the Year, Schlicher received a $300 monetary award, an engraved crystal award and reserved parking for one year in their preferred parking spot.

Schlicher is the 10th KU Employee of the Year honoree, following Sharon Young from Information Technology in 2017, Tim Flannery from Intercollegiate Athletics in 2018, Marsha Cressman from Facilities in 2019, William Lendzinski from Clinical Services in 2020, Louis Richuitti from Facilities in 2021, Veronique Vlaun from the Honors Program in 2022, Nancy Schuck from Facilities in 2023, Julie Smith from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in 2024, and Heather Klotz from the Business Office in 2025.

Numerous staff nominated Klotz for Employee of the Month. Their nominations can be found below.

Schlicher's nomination came from several individuals, which can be read below.

Will Meeker, Facilities:
"For years, Mike has been a dedicated, selfless and loyal employee for KU. He always answers his phone after hours and responds to calls overnight and on weekends. He is quick to help, even when the concern is not within his operational area. Mike's knowledge of the campus infrastructure and systems is second to none. Perhaps his most noticeable quality is his customer service skill. Mike treats every customer's concern as if it is the most important concern on campus. He is always driven to do the "right thing."

Recently, there was a 10" water main break near Johnson Hall. This occurred on the Sunday of a holiday weekend. Water poured from the line, ran past Johnson and down the steps to the patio of the South Dining Hall. Thousands of gallons of water washed sediment and stone from the Johnson construction site, depositing from Johnson to the SDH patio. Mike was called late in the afternoon and was notified of the leak. The water tore through the area like a small river. Mike arrived on site within an hour and managed to shut off the water to South Campus, ending the flooding and potential for a catastrophic water incursion in the SDH. He then went to work, contacting vendors and PA One Call so they could begin excavating and make the repair late that night. Mike worked through the night with our contractors and the repair was made around 4 a.m. Monday morning, prior to the campus opening. His quick action likely saved tens of thousands of dollars of damage to the SDH.

Mike's everyday actions and attitude make me proud to have him on our Facilities team. He truly is an invaluable employee and the campus has no idea what he does and sacrifices to keep KU running."

Kyle Mills, Facilities:
"Over the past 19 years, I have had the privilege and honor of working with Mike and watched him grow into the supervisor and person he is today. Mike's professionalism and dedication to the university can only be described as a true pleasure to watch. Mike's friendly demeanor and positive attitude is reflected in the customers and universities feedback of his work. Mike will rarely say no to anything he is asked to do. He consistently exceeds in his problem-solving skills. Mike's focus is on keeping the university up and running, no matter what it takes. His most recent water main repair was just a small example of his dedication. Mike was able to organize and arrange the contractor and excavator while driving to the campus. Mike was able to complete repairs in less than 12 hours and have the water back on South Campus early morning (4 a.m.) and remained on campus to work his normal day shift coverage. Mike has been managing large-scale projects for several years, on top of day-to-day maintenance issues. Mike will respond to any situation at any time of day at a moment's notice.

I'm incredibly grateful for Mike's contributions and his work is truly valued. We are lucky to have him on our team."