Twenty-nine office service employees graduated Feb. 3, as the third class of Foundations for Success, a career development program at UNMC. The program helps employees hone their personal and career development skills.
Linda Cunningham, coordinator of Cultural Competence in the Office of Community Partnership and Multicultural Affairs, said the program came about as a result of UNMC’s Cultural Competence initiative and is highly endorsed by Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D. The collaborative training course was created by Community Partnership, Human Resources and the Center for Continuing Education.
Cunningham said it’s “truly amazing to see how employees have embraced the program.”
“We want UNMC to be a place where all people feel good about being here,” said Cunningham, who assisted in the development and coordination of the workshop series. “To do this, we need to create a workplace dedicated to employee satisfaction. Foundations for Success demonstrates UNMC’s commitment to that effort.”
Participants met on four occasions at the Scott Conference Center for the 24-hour program, which laid the foundation for future success by providing career planning information, as well as presentations on how to use internal resources for career development, exploring management careers, boosting personal skills in financial and stress management, professionalism and dressing for success.
“The wonderful collaborative efforts of Community Partnership, Human Resources and Continuing Education, as well as the entire group of participants, have helped to make Foundations for Success a program of which we can all be proud,” Cunningham said.
Those who completed this year’s course include: Sherry Andersen, vice chancellor for research; Teresa Clark, pathology/microbiology; Michele Creswell, OB/GYN; Suellen Dashner, family medicine; Patty Davis, pediatrics administration; Diana Fisaga, pediatrics/child health policy; Dawn Goodsell, newborn medicine; Evelyn Grixby, human resources; Jolene Gulizia, printing services; Beverly Hamman, surgery; Debra Hoy, mail services; Nellie Ingraham, pathology/microbiology; Darcy Jackson, Eppley Institute; Deborah Jaeger, otolaryngology; Dorothy Knee, library of medicine; Gail Kuper, anesthesia; Rita Laire, surgery; Randy Leister, surgery/emergency medicine; Kathy McCormack, internal medicine; Lynette McKenny, pediatrics hematology/oncology; Linda Medberry, sponsored programs accounting; Sandra Patterson, pediatric dentistry; Lynette Pfaltzgraff, center for biosecurity; Sonja Shonka, internal medicine-oncology/hematology; Lisa Stillahn, radiology; Andrea Taft, College of Nursing; Deloris Valien, psychiatry; Mary West, internal medicine; and Lashai Williams, surgery.