Barbara Amundson was precisely the type of person the department of Family and Consumer Science needed as secretary. For some time before she arrived a number of changes had occurred in secretarial and administration staff. Faculty and staff needed someone to take charge of the office, and organize and run it effectively. She has done just that with what appears to be little effort and a friendly "take-charge" manner. Her re-organization of the office filing system immediately upon arrival was fast, thorough and efficient. Dated items and items of no importance were purged from the system, and new organization was applied to the system for easy access and maintenance.
The department includes a Food Preparation Lab, and Interior Design Studio, a Clothing/Textiles Lab and a Child Development Lab with an outside play area. To maintain and support the activities in these special facilities, in addition to the normal classroom activities, requires a wide variety of demands on the secretary's time. Barbara has quickly and easily adapted to these special demands, even to the tasks of volunteering to take the test and qualify for CPR so she might cover emergencies in the Child Development Lab.
In a very short time frame, Barbara has been able to obtain strong support from a very diverse and demanding faculty. Absolutely every faculty member at some time during her first few months with the department commented on the exceptional way she has adapted to the new department and successfully met the needs of a new group of faculty. She operates the office in an efficient, businesslike manner enabling timely response to all. The chair works between two offices, and relies upon Barbara to manage many day-to-day activities on her own. She has done an outstanding job of this task. Barbara knows when to "lighten up" and when to be serious.
Barb's ability to communicate with a diverse faculty and group of students is exceptional. She is able to work with all to accomplish tasks through cooperation of effort. For example, since she has joined the department deadlines for schedules, reports, etc. are met by all. Paperwork is now complete and correct when it is filed. And throughout the process, no-one appears to be hassled or harried. Barbara is able to define and outline so all understand the expectations of the tasks.
Barbara is an exceptional employee and very deserving of the University of Nebraska at Kearney's award for Employee of the Month for February 1997.