This server is now a small community and the staff still treat it as if it is the big server it was two years ago.
You create a divide between player and staff, and while that's the case, nothing will change.
This very statement is one that supports my point. In these cases, a staff member helping the player would cause little to no work given the tools that they are provided, it would be a simple task that would help the player out and keep them happy.
Evolving into being more community orientated would be a good move for Nerd, and now that he is gone, there's a very good opportunity to do that.