Eighteen inches of snow is no match for Robin Mays.

About 10 years ago, central Virginia was blanketed with snow when the Prothro baker’s assistant left her home in Lowesville at O’dark-thirty and drove to Sweet Briar, just to make sure the students had fresh homemade breads, pastries and desserts.

That afternoon road conditions were so bad she had to pull over and walk the remaining mile home. Early the next morning, undaunted, Mays walked the same mile back to her car, shoveled it out and drove to work.

“I just get in the car and go,” Mays said, shrugging her shoulders and adding she’s usually the first of her neighbors to make tracks after a snowstorm.

For more than 20 years, Mays has been a loyal employee of Sweet Briar College, and on Wednesday, April 26, she and several of her co-workers were honored for their years of service with a banquet in the Wailes Lounge at the Florence Elston Inn and Conference Center.

Pictured (left to right) are Wanda Vest, Gene Branham, Robin Mays, Cindy Ponton, Jan Campbell and SBC president Elisabeth Muhlenfeld.Cindy Ponton, director of purchasing, was also recognized for 20 years of service. “Cindy always has her eye on saving money for the College,” Sweet Briar President Elisabeth Muhlenfeld said. “She tries to get the best value for the price and will not give up until she is satisfied. I never saw anyone who got such a big kick out of getting a good deal.”

Muhlenfeld, who emceed the event, also recognized the following employees for 10 years of service to the College: Gene Branham, Jan Campbell and Wanda Vest.

Branham, a stable assistant at Rogers Riding Center, “goes the extra mile,” Muhlenfeld said. “Whether it’s raining, snowing, sleeting, freezing, boiling, etcetera, Gene goes cheerfully about his job.”

Sometimes, Branham’s fun-loving attitude comes back to bite him, though, as was the case at Wednesday’s banquet. “Not long ago, at Anne Matuszak’s retirement party, Gene was caught posing as a joke,” Muhlenfeld said as she unrolled a large photo depicting Branham playfully holding a bouquet of hot pink flowers.

“However Shelby [French, riding program director] was quick with the camera and caught this picture. The original is in a safe place for blackmailing purposes.”

In recognizing Jan Campbell, a cashier and accounting assistant with the business office, Muhlenfeld said Campbell does something that would “drive most accountants crazy.”

“Jan’s previous work experience and performance at Sweet Briar allowed for reorganization of the business office and Jan’s position grew from cashier to cashier [and] accounting assistant, with Jan assuming full responsibility for accounts payable,” she said. “Every day after lunch, Jan switches her hat and goes from taking in the money to paying out the money.”

Bookkeeper Wanda Vest started out in security, but has been with the development office for the past five years. There, in the early morning hours – the phrase “well before dawn” was used – Vest enters data on gifts to the College.

“Her strong work ethic often gets her teased by her co-workers, particularly when she showed up to work the morning in January that her twin grandsons were born, after spending a sleepless night in the hospital with her daughter,” Muhlenfeld said.

— By Suzanne Ramsey, SBC staff writer