Peggy Chatfield, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (VKC) coordinator of facilities and reservations, has announced she will retire on Nov. 1, 2023. The date marks 33 years in her position.
Chatfield’s attention to detail and determination have fueled her work at the VKC, where she has provided oversight for the distributed spaces assigned by the Center's director. She has worked closely with Vanderbilt Operations to ensure the physical integrity and safety of Center facilities, and has expertly coordinated space renovations, reservations, and purchasing across programs.
In 2010, Chatfield received a Vanderbilt University Commodore Award, the highest staff honor which is awarded annually to two fulltime staff members. The award recognized her exceptional work managing the renovation of the VKC/One Magnolia Circle (OMC) Building lobby and event room with a high level of attention to detail, commitment, determination, and integrity that is characteristic of her performance.
“In addition to Peggy’s exceptional project coordination, her commitment over the years brought real savings to the VKC,” said Tim Stafford, VKC director of Operations. “She is always on the lookout for an unused telephone or voicemail account. She is the master at re-using desks, task chairs, and file cabinets. And during the OMC renovation process, she discovered that, at some time in the past, one of the large air ducts above the ceiling of the lobby had been closed. By replacing this duct, we improved the air flow in our building, which increased comfort and significantly cut energy costs. Peggy has been an excellent and dedicated member of our team. We will miss her.”
Those who have worked with Chatfield also note and appreciate her integrity. There is a story about her that is legendary within the VKC. Once upon a time, when grant submissions were printed and mailed to funding agencies instead of submitted electronically, the VKC printer had issues and the submission deadline for a major grant was fast approaching. Knowing that there was no hope of the grant arriving before the deadline if it were sent via mail, Chatfield volunteered to fly to Washington, D.C. to hand-deliver the grant in person, which is what she did.
“Commitment, determination, and integrity are the three words I would use to describe Peggy,” said VKC director Jeffrey Neul, M.D., Ph.D. “By living these qualities, Peggy has made the VKC a better environment in which to work to fulfill our mission of improving the lives of people with disabilities and their families. Thank you, Peggy.”
Last Updated: 10/31/2023 9:59:35 AM
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