Ms. Stethem with CRRD deals with several university and community persons visiting the office, meeting with office personnel, seeking information and advice, and initiating and implementing arrangements for RRD’s programming activities. Ms. Stithem deals with all parties and responsibilities with grace, respect, and efficiency. The nature of university outreach programs requires the staff to be the “face” of the college and university. However, Ms. Stithem has added new dimensions to that “face” by actively pursuing connections with business persons throughout the state of Nebraska. For example, at a recent conference she developed business connections with several Nebraska business owners who have now been plugged into the academic curriculum as guest speakers in classrooms and business, clients of class projects.
While not a part of her job description, Ms. Stithem has developed several speaker series into major events for the university. She actively pursues and develops relationships with potential speakers from throughout Nebraska and then determines who, when and where they should speak to university audiences, including promoting the event, making the arrangements for the event, and hosting event. The success of the Baldwin Series and the Nebraska Agency Director Series are due o Ms. Stithem’s abilities and enthusiasm to connect, coordinate, and implement.
Ms. Stithem has contributed immeasurably to UNK and to CRRD. CRRD was a new office on campus when Ms. Stithem was hired. Ms. Stithem physically organized the office, including a huge assortment of my disorganized files. She took on the supervision of two student employees. She initiated promotion and marketing schemes to advertise our programming. She quickly gained an understanding of the policies and procedures that govern our operations within the context of a public university, and she carries out her responsibilities respectfully and in accord with the university policies and procedures. The result of this combination of knowledge, intelligence and high level of interpersonal skills, coupled with her extremely strong work ethic, has been a major actor in ensuring CRRD’s rapid progress toward being an effective unit within the university and regional community.