Volume 47 | January 7, 2022

Business Affairs Bulletin January 7, 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: Department Highlight: Custodial Notes of gratitude part three October employee appreciation recipients Classified staff employee of the month Upgrade your digital literacy: Zoom and Adobe Spark Celebrating Headlines from Business Affairs’ 100th Edition! Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day New Hires and Promotions January Work Anniversaries

Department Highlight: Custodial

Every day, a custodial team member is inside our 100 campus buildings cleaning floors, emptying trash cans and sanitizing surfaces.  The role of the custodial team is to provide a clean and safe environment for learning, teaching, and research. Over 100 team members are divided into 14 custodial crews. One crew works during the day servicing, touching up restrooms, pulling trash, and answering emergency calls for things like spills or overflowed restrooms. The remaining 13 crews consist of approximately 10 custodians each and a custodial supervisor. The night crews do the heavy lifting when it comes to deep cleaning. They are assigned to specific buildings on campus. Some crews are assigned to one heavily-trafficked building such as Lied Library while other crews maintain multiple smaller buildings. Custodial is the eyes and ears of campus. Team members take pride in the buildings they are assigned to and often notice things that other people don’t. If there is a wet spot on a ceiling tile, a custodian puts in a work order with the plumbing shop to fix problems before they become problems. They also work with public safety to make sure buildings are locked and secure after hours.  Jason Nibert and Gilbert Gallegos are the lead custodial supervisors and in their own words they “make sure the Earth doesn’t explode and the walls don’t fall down.” This includes solving issues, training crew supervisors, walking through buildings to ensure everything is clean, managing major projects like stripping floors or shampooing carpets and ordering supplies. One of the reasons students and faculty were able to return to campus last fall is because custodial staff work tirelessly to disinfect classrooms and offices. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Nibert ensured that his team and the rest of the university had access to critical supplies like disinfectant, gloves, trash bags, spray bottles, N95 masks, surgical masks, and hand sanitizer at a time when supply chains were tight. They also rigorously researched the newest disinfectants approved by the CDC and EPA so all our supplies meet the highest quality standards in the fight against COVID-19. They are one of the only teams who never left campus during the COVID-19 pandemic, keeping the campus’ heart beating during remote operations. Now, if somebody on campus tests positive for COVID-19, the custodial team uses electrostatic sprayers and disinfectant with a 30-second kill time to disinfect the room for future use. We can be on campus doing our jobs because custodial did theirs first. The custodial team typically works after hours and their hard work is often overlooked because of this fact. If you see a custodial worker-- a hello and thank you in the hallway goes a long way to making them feel appreciated. For CSB, the first-floor custodian is Dee Douangprachanh and the second-floor custodian is Kim Goss. There are also little things you can do every day to show your appreciation: Be careful with your coffee Use common area trash cans as opposed to office trash cans Wipe down surfaces after a spill or when you leave for the day so that stains don’t accumulate Don’t drag heavy furniture or bags with wheels down hallways-- this leaves a mark and undoes the meticulous work of stripping and waxing floors

Notes of Gratitude This is the final batch of the notes of gratitude we collected in November. Thank you for your overwhelming response!    “Chelsea Meggerson, I am grateful for your patience when I need something about Workday explained to me multiple times.” - Betsy Drellack “Alex Nikolich, I can't even begin to say how wonderful you are, but I'll try! Thank you for being a welcoming person, for your willingness to dig into a project, and for your can-do attitude! Thank you for your endless coordination efforts, knowledge-sharing, and problem-solving all while being personable and easy to work with! I enjoy working with you and you make work a great place to be!” - Susan Wynn   “Michelle Ommen, I am grateful for how quickly you respond when I need something for PCard.” - Betsy Drellack “Karlie Passey has been an invaluable HR Business Partner and mentor who brings a tremendous level of energy, insight, level-headedness, and problem-solving to every discussion and engagement. I view her as a valuable supporter and change agent who is a fierce advocate for my department and who helps me solve sometimes intractable problems with professionalism and finesse.” - Musa Pam

“I am grateful to Karen Sanchez for helping me to be organized, for editing our first FM Newsletter, and for bringing a positive can-do attitude to work every day.” - Musa Pam   “I am thankful for the way and manner that Amy Carito has helped me in my transition to UNLV. From my interviews in May to the current period, she has opened doors, made me comfortable, connected me with campus leaders, offered advice, and exchanged notes on developing our 'green thumbs.'” - Musa Pam   “Kathy Schreiber, I am thankful for your working knowledge of UNLV and for your knowledge of great places to eat and shop!” - Betsy Drellack “Chris Viton is always available and very responsive. He makes time from his busy schedule to come down and address issues that we may encounter in our department.” - Veronica Labrada “Nick Carelli is a dependable employee that is always on time and ready to help.” - Veronica Labrada “Thank you, Rebecca Paulson, for your positive, reasonable, and equitable presence! I very much appreciate you and the amazing work that you do! You are kind, patient, brilliant, and exceedingly well-organized. I enjoy working on projects with you and look forward to more!”- Susan Wynn

“Toni Woods, I appreciate your willingness to pitch in with whatever is necessary in the office and the support you provided as we returned to campus.” - Betsy Drellack   “Alex Nikolich, I appreciate you for keeping us on track with the Business Affairs agenda and the many other projects we are part of!” - Betsy Drellack   “Chad Philips, thank you for getting things done! I appreciate your positive can-do attitude and your depth and breadth of industry knowledge! It's great working with you!” - Susan Wynn   “Doug McClement, I am grateful for your knowledge of the department when we are submitting NPI.” - Betsy Drellack “Thank you, Rebecca Barber, for your brilliance and dedication to excellence! I greatly appreciate your support and advocacy for growth along with problem-solving and experimentation. You make my world a better place to be in!” - Susan Wynn

“Carolyn Arita plays an essential role in our department and she is always willing to support our team any time we find technical difficulties. She goes above and beyond to make sure the system is working correctly.” - Veronica Labrada “Elora Paik, thank you for your voice, your help, and for lending your experience! I've enjoyed our conversations and I very much appreciate your dedication to excellence and getting to the root of the issues! It's great working with you!” - Susan Wynn   “Jean Vock has been a most amazing leader and mentor. In the 106 days since I arrived at UNLV, she has taught me a great deal, introduced me to higher education leaders and stakeholders on and off-campus, supported my growth and development, and always has words of encouragement and support. I learn something valuable from every engagement with her, whether it's a 15-minute touch base or a 4-hour leadership team retreat.” - Musa Pam “Kelly Owsley, I am grateful for your calm and thoughtful responses when I ask you questions.” - Betsy Drellack “Betty Nielsen is always willing to help and automate processes for our department with a positive attitude. She is a great asset in our department and UNLV is lucky to have her.” - Veronica Labrada

“I admire Lori Church's leadership abilities. She is fair and transparent with her team and always has her customers' best interests in mind. Her leadership qualities and courage to do the right thing, despite obstacles, have earned her much-deserved respect.”  “Thanks so much for being there when I needed help, Belia Guzman. You are an amazing co-worker!” - LaShawnda Childress   “Betsy Drellack, thanks for leading the charge for good vibes with your ideas for team bonding, daily check-ins, and most of all your jokes!!!” - LaShawnda Childress   “Toni Woods, thank you for all of the support you give to our Dept.” - LaShawnda Childress    “Dana Tasso is always very responsive and helpful any time I reach out to her with questions.”- Veronica Labrada   “Grace Scheidt, I am grateful for your willingness to pitch in when questions are asked of the group.” - Betsy Drellack

October Employee Appreciation Recipients

Belia Guzman Purchasing Analyst Purchasing & Contracts Belia was nominated for her positivity and wealth of purchasing knowledge. When the COVID-19 pandemic began, she had been with the university for less than three months! She rose to the occasion by helping campus acquire key safety products such as face coverings and hand sanitizer at an affordable price when supply chains were tight. She approaches her work with dedication and a collaborative spirit. This work ethic has quickly made her a key part of the purchasing and contracts team. Congratulations, Belia!

Garrett Hedges Facility Supervisor 2 Facilities Management Garret was nominated for consistently going above and beyond his regular duties to complete important projects. For example, he recently constructed a lockbox when Human Resources needed one to safely store confidential documents. Not only did he construct the lockbox by hand, he did it within an hour of receiving the request. This creativity and problem solving is what makes Business Affairs the office of “how” not "no". Congratulations, Garrett!

Classified Staff Employee of the Month

Congratulations to Toni Woods from the Purchasing and Contracts team who was named Classified Employee of the Month for May! This recognition honors an outstanding classified staff employee who has gone above and beyond their normal duties.

Upgrade your Digital Literacy These tips and updates from The Office of Information Technology (OIT) will help you work more efficiently and securely.

Update your Zoom Software To ensure you have the latest security features, Zoom users should update their software to the latest version (5.8.4): Zoom Update Older versions of Zoom post a security risk. Although Zoom is not an officially-supported product for the campus, anyone who needs assistance with the security update may contact the IT Help Desk. Google Workspace Jamboards Jamboard is a digital whiteboard that lets you collaborate in real time. This feature allows you to: Write and draw using a mouse or trackpad. Drag and resize text and images. Present your jam to a Google Meet video call. Adobe Spark is now Adobe Creative Cloud Express Adobe added new templates and intuitive features so users can easily create multimedia content. Use the new domain to access the website: express.adobe.com. This product can help users with all levels of design experience make beautiful content for social media, newsletters, or other communications. The products are now named: Adobe Creative Cloud Express (K-12 and consumer version)  Creative Cloud Shared Device Access for Higher Education  For more information about the change, view the Adobe Creative Cloud Express blog or visit express.adobe.com. Please contact the IT Help Desk with any questions.

Celebrating Headlines from Business Affairs’ 100th Edition! Wednesday, January 5 marked the 100th edition of the Headlines from Business Affairs newsletter! The two-year anniversary of the first newsletter is right around the corner on January 21!  The newsletter, sent to around 2,300 administrators and departmental decision-makers, has maintained an open rate of roughly 60%, well above the industry average. 89% of respondents to the annual Headlines from Business Affairs satisfaction survey would recommend the newsletter to a colleague. In particular, they liked that the newsletter was timely, concise, readable, and consistent. A few readers put it best: "As a newer employee, Headlines from Business Affairs helps me learn faster and feel more connected with what the rest of campus is doing." "Headlines is an easy way to see new processes and updates that can sometimes be lost in the mix of information overload." "The newsletter is organized in such a way that it is easy to read and find the information you need most." This tool was especially invaluable in getting information from Business Affairs and Human Resources during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic when guidance was constantly evolving. The newsletter went from a monthly to weekly distribution to ensure campus had up-to-date information– something campus appreciated even after information flow stabilized.  This collaborative effort between the Business Affairs communication team and subject matter experts from each department has kept campus in the know– demystifying Workday processes, breaking down new business processes, publicizing training and professional development opportunities, and so much more. Thank you so much for your help in making this publication so successful! Please continue to utilize it as a communication vehicle. The following content is especially relevant to Headlines readers: Workday updates Updated business processes/procedures New policies New campus-facing hires Training and professional development opportunities New or redesigned websites To submit a message for inclusion in the Headlines from Business Affairs newsletter and associated website, please contact Kate Shapiro at kate.shapiro@unlv.edu, Heather Ortiz at heather.ortiz@unlv.edu, or submit a formal request.

Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day  Martin Luther King Jr. Day is January 17 and campus will be closed. However, this federal holiday is not just about taking a day off work, it’s observed so that Americans can honor the late Civil Rights leader. A great way to do this is by volunteering in your local community. AmeriCorps helps coordinate service in communities around the country for MLK day. Enter your zip code on their website to find a volunteer opportunity in your area. If you can’t get out, you can serve your community by donating to the UNLV Food Pantry or the Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth.

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 January 17: Martin Luther King Jr. Day January 18: Spring semester begins

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.