Volume 48 | January 21, 2022

Business Affairs Bulletin January 21, 2022

The inside scoop on the people and projects that support UNLV Please print and post for those who do not regularly access email.

In this issue: Message from SVP Jean Vock The Interview: Betsy Drellack Spotlight on Service Administrative Faculty of the Month December 2021- Tad McDowell November Employee Appreciation Recipients Fall 2021 Graduates New Hires and Promotions January Work Anniversaries Dates to Remember

Message From SVP Jean Vock

The Spring 2022 semester is underway, and keeping our campus community healthy and safe remains our top priority. Please see below for some reminders about how Business Affairs is modifying operations to slow the ongoing spread of the COVID-19 virus. Vaccination Status The vaccination mandate for the Nevada System of Higher Education employees enacted by the Board of Regents last fall is still in place. Over 96 percent of UNLV faculty and staff are fully vaccinated. If you haven’t already done so, I encourage you to protect yourself from severe illness by getting a COVID-19 booster shot. Health and Safety Protocols Masks Masks remain an important tool in preventing the transmission of the virus. Per CDC guidelines and the Governor’s Emergency Directive 47, everyone in offices, meeting rooms, and other indoor public settings must wear a mask or face covering.   Recent studies suggest that surgical masks or N95, KN95, or KF94 masks offer better protection to the wearer than single-layer cloth masks. KN95 masks are available for order through the Business Affairs administration web portal. For instructions on how to place an order see the Headlines announcement published on Jan 12.  Self-Monitoring Before coming to work, faculty and staff are encouraged to self-monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 by performing a self-screen using one of the tools available through the CDC Self_Checker or the RebelSafe Mobile App Covid-19 Assessment Tool.  Reporting Positive Cases We ask that anyone in the campus community with a positive test result report it through the online portal. Working with the Southern Nevada Health District, the UNLV contact tracing team will track and log cases of COVID-19 that have been positively identified and take appropriate action to notify contacts. This data provides a good overview of how the COVID-19 infection rate is affecting our campus community. Remote Work / Virtual Meetings I encourage managers to remain flexible and allow remote work where business needs permit. It’s important that we support the health and well-being of our employees while continuing to provide service to our campus colleagues. Temporary schedule adjustments do not require an updated flexible work arrangement. Consider holding meetings virtually when possible.   Thank you for your patience and understanding as we continue to navigate this pandemic together. Stay healthy and safe.  Sincerely, Jean Vock

The Interview: Betsy Drellack Growing up, Betsy Drellack dreamed of being a teacher. The idea of helping others discover something they are truly passionate about led her to earn a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education and eventually a master’s degree in business administration. As assistant director of purchasing and contracts, she supports students pursuing their dreams by helping the university purchase the proper materials for student success. While her approach to helping educate students may not be direct, her passion to make a difference through education has not changed. Read the full article on the UNLV News Center

Spotlight on Service

“Thank you to Marlon Ratliff for your work on the floor in System Computing Services (SCS) LV-Room 113. “It looks fantastic! Thanks for your quick response to our request.”

“The fix on the Lied Library louvers is working well! Despite the cold, we are not freezing in Lied Library as we did last year. Please thank your (HVAC) team for developing a solution and creating a better working environment for our employees and more comfortable for our students.” - Dean of Libraries

Administrative Faculty of the Month - December 2021

Tad McDowell, Parking and Transportation Services Congratulations to Tad McDowell, director of Parking and Transportation Services who was recognized as the Administrative Faculty of the Month for December. This recognition honors exemplary administrative faculty who have excelled in their positions.

November Employee Appreciation Recipients

Heidi Welniak Grounds Maintenance Worker 2 Grounds Maintenance Heidi was recognized for her excellent work at Homecoming. She exemplified customer service by personally asking patrons if they were enjoying the event and if she could take their trash. She monitored the event to ensure the environment was safe and clean. Heidi goes above and beyond to ensure that campus is beautiful, welcoming, and safe for campus visitors and at major events.

Caleb Abad Enforcement Manager Parking & Transportation Services Caleb was recognized for his responsiveness under pressure. To accommodate a high-level meeting, he quickly arranged “reserved” meters for off-campus guests close to the meeting site so they didn’t have to walk far. Caleb even provided a helpful map for the guests to find their spots. Not only did he provide this level of service with a short turnaround time, but he also did it with a smile and a positive attitude that was very much appreciated by his colleagues!

Employee Appreciation nominations are open for January! To recognize an outstanding employee for their work, complete the nomination form.

Fall 2021 UNLV Graduates Congratulations to the Business Affairs employees who graduated from UNLV in fall semester of 2021! John Estrada, Work Order Control Unit, Bachelor of Science - Kinesiology Katelyn Brooks, Facilities Management Business Office, Master of Science - Accounting Liliana Garcia, Work Order Control Unit, Master of Public Administration  Kittisak Promsakha Na Sakonnakon, Facilities Management, Bachelor of Science - Mechanical Engineering Daniel Enberg, Facilities Management, Bachelor of Science - Mechanical Engineering

New Hires Darryl Colvin, Facilities Management Jennifer Engle, Office of the Senior Vice President Thomas Monticello, Parking and Transportation Services Bruce Fox, Financial Services Rana Ghosn, Facilities Management

Promotions

Lori Church, Financial Services Ian Watters, Risk Management and Safety John Treston, Planning and Construction Michael Kwiecien, Planning and Construction Patrick Castellano, Planning and Construction Kate Shapiro, Business Affairs Communication Katelyn Brooks, Facilities Management Kimberly Case-Nichols, Office of the Senior Vice President Karen Gonzalez, Facilities Management Mari Soto-Valdez, Financial Planning, Budget & Analysis

January Work Anniversaries Congratulations to the Business Affairs employees celebrating work anniversaries in January! Years of service have been determined using the UNLV hire date - first employment date without any breaks in service here at UNLV regardless of job type or full-time status. If you notice an error in your listing please contact Heather or Kate.

Michael West, 16 years Michelle Ommen, 14 years Zhanlei Yao, 11 years Elfie Catalan-Lezama, 6 years Elizabeth Deveraux, 6 years Sang Yi, 1 year Belia Guzman, 2 years Michael Hicks, 3 years Sharrie Mayden, 22 years La Tonya Atkinslang, 2 years Kathy Schreiber, 9 years Eric Compton, 4 years Bob Mcinerney, 14 years Jason Halgas, 5 years Mike Bailey, 9 years Daniel Davis, 9 years Michael Means, 18 years Ana Lopez, 7 years Nathan Freiders, 7 years Doug Mclean, 15 years Rebecca Paulson, 14 years Amy Carito, 4 years Darby Britt, 6 years KuuipoKahealani Nihipali, 5 years Scott Miller, 1 year Erik Loera, 6 years Michael Kwiecien, 3 years Cindi Redus, 2 years

Dates to Remember February - Black History Month February 1 - Chinese New Year February 2 - Groundhog Day

Content for the Business Affairs Bulletin is driven by employee input. If you have a story idea, email Kate Shapiro at kate.shapiro@unlv.edu or Heather Ortiz at heather.ortiz@unlv.edu.