Finance and Administration has selected its 2006-07 participants in the F&A Fellows Program.
Now in its second year, F&A Fellows are part of an overarching program to improve the “bench strength” of the division by broadening employees’ knowledge of the diverse functions of finance and administration; building employees’ individual knowledge, skills and abilities; and forging connections for potential career growth and advancement.
Each Fellow spends six months working in two finance and administration divisions (three months in each section). The 2006-07 Fellows are Tamala Foreman, an assistant cafeteria manager II in food services, who will work in auxiliary and administrative services and UGA’s physical plant; Brett Jackson, a senior accountant in parking services, who will work in the controller’s office and the university’s architects office; and Rod Platt, a patrol lieutenant with
UGA’s police department, who will work in physical plant and human resources. The Fellows begin their rotations after Labor Day.
“When I first read about this program, I felt like it was very much in tune with my career goals and aspirations,” Jackson said. “I think I’ll benefit personally from developing my own skills more broadly and from making connections in other departments. Parking services will gain, too, because I’ll share my new knowledge and skills with my colleagues upon my return.”
The inaugural Fellows-Kim Eberhart of Auxiliary and Administrative Services, Chris Kwiatkowski of the Budget Office and Kim Thomas of the UGA police department-were honored at a luncheon with their supervisors and finance and administration senior staff last spring. Thomas said she believes the program helped her to prepare for potential advancement.
“My experience provided me with first-hand exposure of how our division operates as a business,” she said. “I better understand the unique relationship for how we provide the framework for both the academic and student services projects to be carried out in ways that meet the expectations of our students and the larger community.”
In addition to the Fellows Program, two groups of about 60 finance and administration employees are nearing the completion of their enrollment in Training and Development’s Managerial Leadership and Front Line Leadership programs.
These special cohorts include additional sessions on diversity awareness and legal issues in the workplace. Finance and Administration also offers an annual orientation program for its newest employees to introduce them to the scope of the division.
“An investment in the development of our employees is one that yields great dividends,” said Tim Burgess, senior vice president for finance and administration. “Our work environment is increasingly complex, and it is incumbent upon us to prepare our staff members to succeed.”
