MMI’s Jacqueline Hankins honored with Gold U

Jacqueline Hankins of the Munroe-Meyer Institute is the Gold U winner for January.

Hankins has been at MMI for seven years, and although she had worked in other UNMC departments since joining the med center in 2012, MMI is where she found her home.

“MMI fits my personality,” she said. “Helping people. Being a resource for people. Being a sounding board and just caring. That’s what MMI does, and I love being a part of it.”

Nominators called Hankins the consummate team player.

“She is willing to collaborate and execute as a member of the team,” said her supervisor, Melonie Welsh, director of community engagement for MMI. “She provides leadership and mentoring to others as part of a team while soliciting and valuing the opinions of others. She provides both personal and professional support throughout the MMI community of faculty, staff, individuals served, community partners and stakeholders.”

In fact, she does a little bit of everything. Hankins, officially an administrative associate for the community engagement department, has made “other duties as assigned” a kind of art form.

For example, Hankins was integral in bringing therapy dogs to MMI and oversaw the first year of MMI’s “Letters From Santa” program, which was a big success. She also helps with community outreach efforts such as MMI’s popular “Trunk or Treat” event, an accessible Halloween event that has become a tradition in the Omaha community, while serving as the conduit between MMI and its supporting boards.

She also serves on UNMC’s Institutional Review Board and the Black History Month Committee.

“MMI provides many different opportunities to make a positive impact, to the university as well as in the lives of the people we serve,” she said. “Whether it’s helping at the planning or organizing stage, participating in an event and directly interacting with our clients and their families, or taking part in a UNMC board or committee, I enjoy the chance to make a difference.”

And Hankins has embraced those opportunities, earning a reputation as a go-to professional both in her department and throughout the entire institute.

“I can start something and trust Jackie to keep it going,” Welsh said. “That trust has been a big part of the department’s success.”

Hankins said she enjoys being a person Welsh can call when she needs help with a big idea. And Welsh said Hankins isn’t afraid to take a big idea and run with it.

“Jackie has shown repeatedly that she does not hesitate to jump in and tackle situations that others avoid,” Welsh said. “We are proud to have her on our team.”