Volume 51 | March 4, 2022

Business Affairs Bulletin March 4, 2022

Happy Employee Appreciation Day!

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: Accessibility Ambassador Celebrating Women’s History Month Employee Profile: Andrea Mower Spotlight on Service  Professional Buyer’s Day Upgrade Your Digital Literacy: Sharing Google Drive Files With Non-Google Users CCSD Career Fair Opportunity Retirement: Tessa Jacobs Dates to Remember New Hires Promotions

Congratulations to the Business Affairs Accessibility Ambassadors!

The Business Affairs Accessibility Ambassadors recently completed the first module of their ongoing training program. To recognize their service, they received an “Accessibility Professional” LinkedIn badge and a certificate of achievement. Congratulations, ambassadors, and thank you for your hard work and dedication!

So far, these individuals have completed nearly 20 hours of training in digital accessibility. They learned about creating accessible documents, spreadsheets, presentations, forms, and maps during bi-monthly training sessions. The accessibility ambassadors training program helps accomplish the university’s Top Tier 2.0 mission to build a diverse and inclusive community by making documents available to all individuals, regardless of disability.  If you have a question about accessibility or want to offer appreciation for their hard work, reach out to your area’s ambassador: Sang Yi, administration technology services Rebecca Paulson, administration technology services Heather Ortiz, communication Elena Brokaw, communication Kate Shapiro, communication Myke Molina, cashiering & student accounts Craig Topple, electronic document services Maisara Abebe, facilities management Tina Burnam, financial planning, budget & analysis Kahaunani Hernandez, financial services Patrick Castellano, planning & construction Alberto Munoz, planning & construction Bridget Hahn, real estate Tessa Jacobs, risk management & safety New additions to the program will be recognized at the end of each training series. If you would like to join the accessibility ambassador program, please contact kate.shapiro@unlv.edu.

Celebrating Women’s History Month

Women's History Month honors women's contributions to American history. UNLV Libraries maintains a database of women-focused research resources and photographs, like the one pictured below. Here are a few events to help you celebrate:

On March 18 at 12 p.m., the university is hosting a lecture on Jan Jones, the first female mayor of Las Vegas. She helped the city develop a master plan and dedicated efforts to eradicating homelessness and rebuilding the deteriorating downtown area. Jones faced these problems all while navigating gender stereotypes and constantly proving herself as a female leader. This lecture, hosted by Rebel Recharge, is open for registration. The Women’s Council is hosting an annual membership meeting on March 31 at 11 a.m. in the Student Union. If you’re not a member, consider joining. Leaders will discuss accomplishments and upcoming goals. Lunch is provided.

Be sure to check the UNLV events calendar for a complete listing of events.

Employee Profile: Andrea Mower

Andrea Mower, Surplus Center supervisor, grew up in Tooele, a small town in Utah bordered by the Oquirrh Mountains and the Great Salt Lake. Growing up in a small town taught her to love the outdoors and look for the opportunities and potential of everything around her–- a philosophy that she’s carried throughout her personal and professional life

Andrea moved to Las Vegas with her husband and four children in 2014. She joined UNLV in 2015. “I remember seeing the job posting for the on-campus Mail Center while working at the Cosmopolitan and immediately thought this could be my chance to go back to school.” Andrea knew that one of the benefits of working for a university was tuition assistance. She took a chance and in 2020 graduated with a bachelor's degree in psychology and a minor in criminal justice. She plans to pursue a master’s degree in the next few years.  Once Andrea transferred to the Surplus Center in 2017 she immediately felt at home in the ever-changing environment. “Every day is different here. I’m not an office or cubicle person. I need to move and interact with people.” She also enjoys the business challenges of her position. As a supervisor at the Surplus Center, Andrea oversees employees and student workers, handles day-to-day operations, and ensures that university property is properly recorded before it is sold, donated, or recycled. “We are the last destination for any item purchased by the university with state funds. It’s important that we keep accurate records for audits and to make sure that taxpayer money isn’t going to waste.”  Another part of her job is to ensure that the campus community knows how the Surplus Center can help the broader Las Vegas community. “We have a retail space on the corner of Maryland Parkway and Flamingo, but we also work with several non-profit organizations to provide supplies.” The Surplus Center has also worked with various elementary and high schools to provide low-cost furniture or donations. They also partner with The Shade Tree, an organization that offers women, and children shelter and resources in times of crisis. “I love how community-oriented my job is. It's important to look for ways to help others.” One of Andrea’s upcoming projects is helping with the Surplus Center’s Pop-Up Shop & Donation Drive event on April 30. The pop-up allows local small businesses, artisans, and campus / community organizations to set up booths at the Surplus Center store to sell their goods or offer community outreach. The event is in partnership with KUNV 91.5, who will co-host and provide music for the event.

When Andrea is not busy making inventory control decisions at the Surplus Center, you can find her spending time with her family or walking through Sloan Canyon National Conservatory on the southwest side of the valley. “Being in nature helps me to meditate and focus on my wellbeing. There are some really beautiful areas around town; you just have to see the opportunities.” You can also find Andrea immortalized as one of the faces of the Surplus Center art mural.

Spotlight on Service

“No matter how many times I reach out to Heather Stinnett, she is always so gracious, helpful, and eager to be a resource. I know multiple people from facilities management reach out to her on a daily basis, and her response time is always so impressive. I truly appreciate everything she does to help get all our positions posted and filled, her amazingly welcoming personality, and her overwhelming desire to be helpful. I appreciate all of Heather's support!” - Staci Bueno, Facilities Management “Mail Services is excellent in coming to our side of campus to pick up and drop off mail. Property Control and the Surplus Center have also been great in providing the support we need when we inquire about sending items to surplus or updating information in AssetWorks. Moving Services is also great in the service and support they have provided when we used them for our moving needs.”

Professional Buyer’s Day

The National Procurement Institute recently proclaimed the second Wednesday of March as Professional Buyer’s Day to recognize the important role procurement professionals carry in the organizations they serve. This year, Professional Buyer's Day is March 9. In honor of this new holiday, we're sharing a few highlights from a robust list of our Purchasing and Contracts team's accomplishments this past year.  Executed a new contract for NSHE Banking Services, resulting in a cost-savings of approximately $750,000 over the initial five-year term of the contract Earned the 2021 Excellence in Procurement Award for the 14th consecutive year, which recognizes public and non-profit organizations for excellence in innovation, professionalism, e-procurement, productivity, and leadership Procured items amounting to nearly $2.5 million in CARES Act funding for campus improvement projects that include improving VPN access and WiFi availability on campus. Facilitated research procurement activities for microscopes, spectrometers, gasses, and specific lab equipment to support the Top Tier Research mission of the university. Secured a contract with JP Morgan for procurement card banking services that will result in $390,000 cost savings over a five-year period.  Thank you, Purchasing and Contracts for working hard and making a difference.

Upgrade Your Digital Literacy: Sharing Google Drive Files With Non-Google Users

Google Workplace allows you to collaborate on Docs with non-Google users. To share files: Select the “share” option for the file or folder Enter the email address of the recipient, choose what access you would like them to have, and select “send” Recipients will receive an email to verify their address and a pin code

Note: Non-Google users are not able to upload content to shared drives but can collaborate on existing files. For more Google tips, visit G Suite Tips

CCSD Career Fair Opportunity

Clark County School District (CCSD) is hosting its annual spring career exploration events and is seeking UNLV faculty, staff, and students for guest speakers (via video or in-person) and to share information with students about their careers.  If you or someone you know is interested please review each school’s information for specific needs and sign up to volunteer.

Tessa Jacobs Retirement Announcement

Risk Management & Safety (RMS) would like to announce the retirement of Administrative Assistant Tessa Jacobs. For more than seven years, Tessa has made valuable contributions to the RMS team, including managing the department’s budget and daily operations. Tessa’s work was especially critical during the university’s transition to Workday. Her last day is March 14. Tessa’s dedication and commitment are worthy of admiration, and she will be greatly missed.  Stop by CSB 129 on Friday, March 11, between 10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. to say goodbye!

New Hires

Diego Sotelo, Facilities Management Jorge Guevara, Facilities Management Alexander Goodwin, Facilities Management Heriberto Moreno, Facilities Management Alex Henriquez, Facilities Management Gaeul (Dylan) Kim, Facilities Management

Promotions

Juanita Saucedo, Financial Services Kahaunani Hernandez, Financial Services Belia Guzman, Financial Services Jorge Vargas, Facilities Management Terry Miligan, Facilities Management Marlon Ratliff, Facilities Management Donni Rincon, Facilities Management Colin Switalski, Facilities Management Sinn Yahsin Armstrong, Facilities Management Frank Rossana, Facilities Management Gary Gray, Facilities Management Sam Ealy, Facilities Management

Dates to Remember March: Women’s History Month March 4: Employee Appreciation Day March 6: March 12: Mountain West Conference Basketball Tournament March 8: International Women's Day March 9: Professional Buyer’s Day March 12 - March 20: Spring Break March 17: St. Patrick's Day