SoBran is delighted to announce a tie! Both Melissa Valliere and Standish Wheeler were chosen as this past quarter’s recipients of the Employee of the Quarter Award (January – March 2026)
Melissa has been employed with SoBran for over 15 years. She works as a Research Technician II at our Macon and Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences site located in Norfolk, Virginia. During this past quarter, she displayed an exceptional awareness of the welfare of the animals for which she was responsible, such as recognizing illness in animals related to post novel implant procedures. According to her coworkers, Melissa also consistently created workable solutions to existing and potential issues, while demonstrating an eagerness to support her team and the project as well. One example was her creative food-based animal enrichment ideas. Her resourcefulness and value-added approach are highly respected by her team and is a much-appreciated representation of SoBran.
Standish has been with SoBran for just over 3 years. He has supported 3 SoBran projects. Standish currently works as an Animal Caretaker I at our USDA Animal Research Site located in Beltsville, Maryland. During this past quarter, his performance has been outstanding and well representative of SoBran. Standish was originally hired to support the mouse house population at this USDA site; however, during this period he transitioned to supporting a variety of species, especially Tom turkeys. In fact, he became the go-to employee for specific processes related to Tom turkeys and their studies. He exemplifies the meaning of a team player, always willing to assist his coworkers and clients in any way possible.
Congratulations to Melissa and Standish!
In recognition of their outstanding performance, dedication, and professionalism, they will each receive a plaque, $250.00 Visa card, and one paid day off.
In addition, both Melissa’s and Standish’s selection makes them eligible for the 2026 Employee of the Year Award. As a reminder, the recipient will receive $1000.00 and a plaque recognizing their selection. Only those employees selected as Employee of the Quarter during the 2026 calendar year will be eligible.
We are so proud to have Melissa and Standish as members of the SoBran team. We certainly hope they continue the exceptional work in the years to come.
Thank you both for all that you do!