Celebrating Our 2023 Marc Murray Award

Editor’s Note

In 2004, Terakeet hired one of its first employees, Marc Murray, who swiftly became an integral part of the organization and our team. The following year he was diagnosed with leukemia, which he battled for over seven years and beat twice. In 2011, Marc passed away due to complications from being immunocompromised.

In 2015, Terakeet created an employee-voted, annual award in his honor: the Marc Murray Award. Each year, individuals from across the organization nominate coworkers that they feel exemplify Marc’s spirit and the Terakeet values. Let’s learn about the 2023 recipients and nominees.

“One of us”

As one of the earliest ’Keeters, Marc’s impact on the organization has been profound. When you look at our company’s core values and the traits Marc was known for, it’s clear he remains an enduring part of the fabric of Terakeet and has been a guiding light in the ways we connect with one another.

The lessons we learned from Marc’s story are the framework for the annual award. His journey reminds us that our time is a precious gift we can use to take advantage of the opportunities we are given to make a difference in someone’s day.

The award does more than remember our colleague and a friend — it’s a chance to reflect on coworkers who embody his values and show up for us throughout the year.

Award qualifications

The nomination process asks members of the Terakeet team to consider who among their colleagues does all of the following:

Demonstrates our five core values
Exhibits the “ultimate company person” spirit
Has a whatever-it-takes attitude
Gracefully manages adversity
Is genuine and optimistic

The four employees who receive the highest number of nominations go on to the final round of voting.

Our 2023 Marc Murray Award recipient

woman holds a plaque that reads "Marc Murray Award"

Ashley “AT” Timms

Committed, hard-working, brilliant, vibrant, unstoppable, powerhouse — these were just a few of the words our team used to describe this year’s Marc Murray Award recipient.

AT started at Terakeet in 2020 as a Content Manager. In her time here, she has worked on our largest account teams. She has also recently dedicated some of her time to supporting the Operations team.

This year marks the first time an honoree has been located outside Terakeet’s-headquarter city of Syracuse, New York. AT’s example shows just how it’s possible to build meaningful relationships in a remote environment and that you don’t have to work in person to make an impact on an organization.

After the announcement, I caught up with AT to find out what receiving this award meant to her.

“I’m blown away by this recognition,” she said. “It is the biggest honor at Terakeet to win this award and a testament to how investing in others is an investment in yourself. I’m so grateful to my peers across the organization and am merely an echo of what they bring to the table.”

From the team

When voting for the nominees and making their final decision, the team had the opportunity to leave some remarks. Here’s some of what they had to say about AT:

“AT brings enthusiasm and optimism to everything she does! She is committed to continuous improvement and always brings her best self to work.”

“AT is a force of nature. She’s so incredibly connected to the company and dedicated to improving all aspects of Terakeet. She is compassionate, insightful, and always willing to find time in her crazy schedule for a chat. She really is the perfect example of what TK’s core values look like in action.”

“AT is the very personification of what Terakeet is, in my opinion. She is a great friend, a terrific colleague, a great resource. She deserves this so much.”

“In a crowd of smart and motivated people, she stands out as someone who gets things done. She’s graceful and genuine in the way she interacts and communicates, and she has a sense of humble confidence that inspires me.”

Meet the other nominees

Though our other nominees did not take home the plaque this year, it wasn’t for lack of quality or character. Between them, they have 30 years of dedicated service to Terakeet. Thank you to each of you for your contributions to the team over the years!