Danae Polemi recognized for Talent, Teamwork, and Leadership

Many of this year’s recipients of the University of Virginia’s Hoos Building Bridges Awards have been noticed for stepping up the pandemic and helping provide much-appreciated assistance across Grounds. The awards celebrate cross-disciplinary partnerships and projects among UVA employees, and honor recipients for their leadership, collegiality, and efforts in establishing strong relationships that help get things done. It is truly no surprise that UVAFinance’s Danae Polemi, Travel & Expense Program Analyst, received one of the awards.

“Danae is a rockstar! She is extremely organized, detail-oriented, conscientious, and kind. I can always count on Danae to step up and do a great job! Also, she is an excellent communicator,” says Raegan Harouff Gay, Travel & Business Operations Manager.

Polemi stepped up as the main point of contact for TravelUVA and worked with travelers and travel assistants across Grounds to help them navigate the complex, ever-changing, and often frustrating travel industry.

“Her background in travel allows her to understand where the issues are and help our customers work through whatever roadblocks are in their way,” Harouff Gay says. “She has developed relationships with fiscal leaders in schools and units while managing about $350,000 in unused ticket credits, which we accrued when tickets had to be canceled due to the pandemic.”

 Even in the midst of managing travel issues in the pandemic, she is also an Expense Project Associateon the Finance Strategic Transformation Project, which has helped her become an even more valuable member of the Travel, Expense, and Business Operations Team.

Polemi has been at UVA for almost two years and enjoys the people she works with and the supportive and collaborative environment of her team.

Of the award, Polemi says, “It was unexpected, but I was excited that my work is having an impact across the university. I look forward to continuing to build connections with others across Grounds and promoting the TravelUVA program!”

When not building bridges across Grounds, she enjoys exercising, reading, cooking, and spending time with family and friends.