Becky Jobling Honored With President’s Meritorious Service Award; Will Retire After More Than 40 Years At Texas A&M
Texas A&M is home for Becky Jobling, Class of ’86, who was recently honored with the President’s Meritorious Service Award.
Jobling, senior administrative coordinator II in the School of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts, is set to retire at the end of May after working for the university for more than 40 years.
“I grew up with A&M in my blood, and the spirit of Aggieland is true from within me,” Jobling said. “It was an absolute surprise hearing that I won this award. I cried. I felt honored, excited and shocked.”
Jobling was recognized during the 2024 Staff and Student Excellence Awards Ceremony on April 10 at Rudder Theatre.
The President’s Meritorious Service Award is sponsored by the Office of the President and The Association of Former Students, and is given to those who demonstrate the Aggie Core Values of Respect, Excellence, Leadership, Loyalty, Integrity and Selfless Service.
Sarah M. Misemer, professor and associate dean for faculty affairs in the School of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts, joined Jobling’s previous supervisors from the College of Liberal Arts in making the award nomination.
Misemer said Jobling approached every aspect of her job with professionalism, assisting faculty members with promotion and awards to ensure they were supported.
Jobling is respected and admired for her work ethic, Misemer said. Her work was often conducted behind the scenes to ensure that record-keeping, policies and processes were maintained at the highest levels, she said.
“Most of Becky’s work is unseen by faculty, but she is absolutely a cornerstone in every office that she has worked in,” Misemer said. “She leads by example and does not waver when it comes to taking care of matters that impact faculty.”
Early Days In Aggieland
Jobling, a third-generation Aggie, grew up watching her father, Dr. Murray Milford, Class of ’55, work as a professor in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences and as an adviser to the Corps of Cadets. Jobling recalled joining him at football games and participating in Aggie traditions.
“We loved going to Bonfire and Muster, they were such special traditions,” she said. “I still think of him as I walk past certain buildings on campus.”
Jobling secured her first job on campus in June 1982, just her freshman year began, as a secretary for the Biosystems Group in the College of Engineering. As she pursued a degree in anthropology, she worked in Evans Library and in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences. After graduation, Jobling worked in the Department of Anthropology as a graduate assistant and on the department head’s office staff until 1998.
Jobling transitioned to working with faculty as an administrative assistant and coordinator in the College of Liberal Arts, where she stayed until 2022. When the School of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts began in the fall of that year, Jobling joined as a senior administrative coordinator.
“I worked well with faculty because I grew up around faculty,” she said. “I would go to faculty events in the Soil and Crop Sciences Department with my dad, and I worked in their main office. I loved working with faculty.”
Aggie Core Values
Jobling said she strives to implement the Aggie Core Values in all aspects of her life.
Respect: “You have to have respect for your university, your department and your colleagues,” Jobling said. “You need respect for everybody and for others’ opinions.”
Excellence: “Your work is done to the best of your ability to show excellence.”
Leadership: “You try to be a leader in your office. You teach what you have learned and share that with others.”
Loyalty: “There is loyalty to your university, your unit and your coworkers with respect.”
Integrity: “This is portrayed through your character. Integrity reminds me of my dad. He believed you should lead with honesty and moral principles.”
Selfless Service: “You give everything you have, plus a little extra. If someone needs help, do your best to pitch in. It’s not just about you — it’s the unit and working as a team.”
Jobling said she has followed her father’s lead by emphasizing that people should treat others as they would want to be treated. To exemplify Aggie Core Values, Jobling said do the best you can, follow the rules and love your neighbor as yourself.
“These values should be second nature, and I think A&M does a good job of portraying that — which is where the Aggie Spirit comes in,” she said.
Looking Forward To Retirement
With this chapter closing, Jobling said she is excited for what’s next, including traveling and spending time with her family. In June, she and her husband are traveling to England and Scotland to work on genealogy projects and visit family.
“My husband and I are going to keep active,” she said. “We will try to find things to keep ourselves busy, and we can’t wait to spend more time with our two grandbabies.”
Jobling was also recognized at the end-of-semester all-school meeting in the School of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts. Misemer noted that Jobling was one of the first to arrive in the office and was always prepared to take on new tasks.
“It has been my privilege to spend the past two years working closely with Becky to set up faculty affairs in the School of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts,” Misemer said. “Her extensive experience has been invaluable. Her collegiality and friendship are simply immeasurable.”
Jobling said the President’s Meritorious Service Award was a great way to close out her time at Texas A&M.
“After a number of years, it’s nice to be recognized and know people appreciate you,” she said. “This was a nice way to go out — with a bang.”
Top photo, from left: Damon Slaydon, vice president of Human Resources and Organizational Effectiveness; Becky Jobling, senior administrative coordinator in the School of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts; and Porter Garner, president and CEO of The Association of Former Students. Jobling received the President’s Meritorious Service Award at the Staff and Student Excellence Awards ceremony on April 10. (Abbey Santoro/Texas A&M University Division of Marketing and Communications)
