The streak has ended.
Marie Post has been in her job at WVU Potomac State College for nearly 20 years.
And for 15 of those 19-plus years, Post has been nominated as the Outstanding Classified Staff Person of the Year. And for 14 of those years, she was not chosen.
Her coworkers in the Residence Life and Housing Department affectionately nicknamed her the “Susan Lucci of PSC,” referencing the famous soap opera star who was denied the Best Actress Emmy for 21 years before finally winning in 1999. Just like Lucci 27 years ago, however, Post’s streak ended this year when she was selected to be the 2026 Outstanding Classified Staff Person.
“If you know Marie, you know this is well deserved,” says Kara Hotchkiss, director of student life. “I am happy that we finally gave the Potomac State Susan Lucci her Emmy, I mean, the Outstanding Classified Staff Member of the Year award.”
Hotchkiss says she was one of several people who nominated Post for the honor this year.
“She is the backbone of the housing department,” she says of Post. “Her expertise is essential to the operation of the department, and I rely on her heavily to keep things moving smoothly. She is trustworthy and works independently, staying on top of her deadlines and timelines without reminders.”
However, Post came to Potomac State in late 2016 not because of a tactical career move but for more personal reasons. It wasn’t work or a big career move; it was love.
“I met the man who is my husband now, and he lives in Romney and worked in Winchester, and when we decided to get married, he said, ‘I am not moving to Morgantown,’” Post recalls.
She had been working as a housing specialist at WVU in Morgantown for seven years at that time. Figuring she would have to choose true love over her job; she sought similar positions in Winchester.
“But nothing there was a great fit,” she said. “One day, my husband said to me, ‘Why don’t you see if Potomac State College has any openings like the one you are doing?’ And so, I made a few phone calls and found out that PSC actually was looking for a new student housing director.”
At that time, the move to a position like hers in Morgantown to Potomac State College seemed a natural transition professionally and personally. She was familiar with the job description, and her commute from Romney to Keyser was equal to her husband’s commute to Winchester.
“And now, I have been at Potomac State College for 19 years,” she said.
Hotchkiss cautions not to let Post’s calm and Zen exterior fool anyone.
“Although quiet at first, Marie has a hilarious sense of humor, throwing the perfect one-liners out at just the right time to ease tension or lighten unpleasant situations in the office. The professional staff and resident assistant staff know who is really the boss – Queen Marie.”
The selection is considered through a nomination process. This year, Post was one of 12 employees on campus nominated for the distinction.
“Marie worked with me to get the Onity software working,” says Richard Long, who also nominated Post for the award. “The Onity software was outdated, and the company no longer exists. Most of the dorm locks are still on the Onity system. It was critical that we get the system working or new door keys would not have been able to be coded. Marie is always professional in her dealings with students and staff, and she is very good at her job.”
Post says she remembers working with Long on solving that programming issue earlier in the school year. She says it’s just one of the “may hats we all wear” in her department.
“Some of my responsibilities include managing the online housing application, monitoring applications submitted, assigning students to a room after the self-selection period ends, and providing housing data reports to various departments. I also keep the Onity locking system updated with the data of current University Place residents, RAs, and staff members who need access to doors within University Place,” she says. “I maintain inventory of the physical room keys for Memorial Hall. I also maintain an inventory of the resident mailbox keys. At the beginning of each fall semester, I print student ID cards for students who live on campus. For the residents of University Place, I use the Onity software and card encoder to program access onto their ID cards.”
Post said many people are surprised by the scope of work she does at PSC.
“Like many of us on this campus, we may have responsibilities that are handled by different departments at a larger campus,” she says. “For example, residence hall room keys are maintained and distributed by the front desk staff of the residence halls at the Morgantown campus. Another example is the printing of student ID cards. The Morgantown campus has a department specifically designated to complete that task. The residence halls at WVU Potomac State will not operate if I do not complete my job duties properly and in a timely manner. I run various reports on a weekly basis to provide data to several different departments. This data contributes to budgeting and funding for Residence Life and Housing. “
Outside of work, Post enjoys baking, cooking, needlework, fishing, and hunting.
The other nominees for 2026 Outstanding Classified Staff Person included: Shawn Barnes, Jessica Barrick, Gregory Berg, Cole Capaldi, Justin Good, Natasha Henry, Madeline Jackowski, April Jones, Jenny Riegel, Mark See, and Amanda Williamson.