Five Questions with...

November 2023

• Christie Ellis

  
  Christie Ellis is the senior coordinator of employment in the HR department and a member of the OspreyRising Implementation Team.
  
  What part of the OspreyRising project do you feel you have been able to contribute to the most thus far?
  I have been a part of the Recruiting aspect of Workday. This includes developing what our job requisitions and postings will look like going forward and then testing what we configured to make sure it will meet our needs.
  
  What aspect of the OspreyRising project do you feel will be the biggest benefit to the University?
  From an employment perspective, being able to do all of our recruiting in one system. This will be a tremendous help to streamline our processes. No more OASys (& EPAFs) for new hires and EPAFs for rehires. Everyone will be able to see where their items are in the process. I am very hopeful this is going to make getting our new hires in the door much quicker than we can now.
  
  What advice would you give to someone who is nervous about the change coming with the OspreyRising project?
  Change is scary because of the unknown. We will make sure that everyone has the training that they need to become successful with Workday. I think once our employees can get hands-on training with Workday, they will realize that this investment is there to help them do their jobs better and easier.
  
  What is one thing you can accomplish that helps make a day a success for you?
  Making sure I have my morning coffee. 😊 On a more serious note, being able to help the wider campus community with their employment questions. I love explaining how a process works, or explaining on how to make the process work better for them.

  What do I have planned that energizes me?

  My oldest son is moving in early 2024 to Switzerland to complete his PhD in Physics at CERN. I am so excited for him to have this opportunity and know the hard work he has put in to make it happen. We are already planning our trip to visit him next year. And the next year and the next year until he comes home with his PhD and we can call him Dr. Ellis.

October 2023

• Pansy Tapper

  
  Pansy is the associate director for DSO Accounting. She recently celebrated her 30-year milestone anniversary at UNF in September 2022.
  
  What part of the OspreyRising project do you feel you have been able to contribute to the most thus far?
  I have been able to contribute the most to the Training and Services Institute, Inc. (TSI) Data Model Project. I am excited about the configuration to get Workday to fit my department's needs.
  
  What aspect of the OspreyRising project do you feel will be the biggest benefit to the University?
  The biggest benefit to the University will be one system. TSI has always used a different nonprofit accounting system. Being on the same system will streamline/narrow job responsibilities. Workday will replace database and Excel spreadsheets, merge financial reporting, and simplify intercompany transactions, etc!
  
  What advice would you give to someone who is nervous about the change coming with the OspreyRising project?
  The advice I would give to someone nervous about the change coming with the OspreyRising project is change is good. You will have your fellow co-workers across campus to help you along your journey. Training will be provided, and you will not fail.
  
  What is one thing you can accomplish that helps make a day a success for you?
  The one thing I can accomplish that helps to make a day successful is to empty my inbox by the end of the business day.

  What is something- either industry-related or not — you are excited about this month?

  My daily routine is to watch the Today Show. I am looking forward to flying to New York City and going to Rockefeller Center to get on the plaza of the Today Show.

September 2023

• George Boston

  
  George is a 2022 UNF graduate and is currently the graduate operations coordinator for the graduate school. He is the Lead Ambassador for the OspreyRising Ambassador Network.
  
  What part of the OspreyRising project do you feel you have been able to contribute to the most thus far?
  It has been such a privilege to serve as the Lead Ambassador for the Ambassador Network! Hopefully, folks across campus have gotten the opportunity to hear from one of our 60 ambassadors over the past several months! Helping get the Ambassador Network started and empowering our colleagues to communicate about Workday has been a personal highlight of the OspreyRising project.
  
  What aspect of the OspreyRising project do you feel will be the biggest benefit to the University?
  With OspreyRising, I feel that our campus community is having meaningful conversations about the importance of efficiency. We're being scrutinous and asking tough questions about why we do certain things the way we do them. I personally believe that the most significant benefit of the move to Workday for UNF will be saving time. As we continue to refine our business processes and redefine the way we work, UNF will become better than ever.
  
  What advice would you give to someone who is nervous about the change coming with the OspreyRising project?
  Change can be scary, but I firmly believe that the fear of change can be alleviated through empowering yourself with knowledge. Most of us tend to worry about things we don't fully understand, and while there is still a lot of uncertainty about the specifics of Workday, something as simple as asking questions and being curious can alleviate a lot of concern.
  
  What is one thing you can accomplish that helps make a day a success for you?
  To me, no day is ever truly successful unless I've helped at least one person with at least one thing. Sometimes, I have days where I feel that I may not have accomplished everything I've set out to do, but so long as I have helped at least one Osprey, I consider my day to be a success. It doesn't matter if it's a student, faculty member, or colleague; the most important thing I can do in my role is to help others succeed.

  Have you learned any time-management tips in your career that help you manage various projects and systems?

  One thing that works for me is sticky notes. Each sticky note is an action I can't forget to complete, and when I have something I need to accomplish, I simply write it on a note and stick it on my computer screen. Then, once I complete the task, I get the satisfaction of crumpling up that piece of paper and throwing it in the recycle bin! However, my tip is to find what works best for you and your work style.

August 2023

• Erin Davis

  
  Erin is the Associate Director for Foundation Accounting, Training and Services Institute.
  
  What part of the OspreyRising project do you feel you have been able to contribute to the most thus far?
  I have been able to contribute the most on the Foundation Data Model project since I can re-build the Foundation’s chart of accounts and incorporate it into the University structure.
  
  What aspect of the OspreyRising project do you feel will be the biggest benefit to the University?
  Since I work exclusively with Foundation funds, I think it will be a huge benefit for the colleges and departments to go to one system to see all their funding sources.
  
  What advice would you give to someone who is nervous about the change coming with the OspreyRising project?
  Everything will work out, we will do the same business processes as before Workday, just more efficiently.
  
  What is one thing you can accomplish that helps make a day a success for you?
  Crossing things off my to do list for the day and starting my to do list for the next day.

  What do I have planned that energizes me?

  Planning my post Workday implementation vacation. It will be the first vacation I’ve ever taken in the fall, all other vacations have been during the summer when my kids were off from school.

  Adding the OspreyRising implementation to an employee’s current project and workload can be stressful. Have you learned any time-management tips in your career that help you manage various projects and systems?

  I am fortunate to have coworkers that are more than capable of taking on some of my pre-Workday responsibilities.

July 2023

• Eric Dickey

  
  Eric Dickey has been with UNF for seven years and became Chief Procurement Officer in July 2022. In FY22 he helped guide the Procurement Office into generating $9.5 million dollars in savings for the University
  
  What part of the OspreyRising project do you feel you have been able to contribute to the most thus far?
  Obviously, Procurement, Supplier, and Expenses as I am the most familiar with those areas. I am also excited to start getting into the system more and begin some of the testing of workflows to ensure nothing has been missed.
  
  With the Architect & Configure phase underway what Workday feature are you excited about the most?
  If I had to pinpoint one thing, I would say that I am looking forward to the punchout catalogs as they are going to make shopping easier and more streamlined for the campus.
  
  What is one thing you can accomplish that helps make a day a success for you?
  I keep a running to-do list as it helps me stay organized. I appreciate the fact that every day that list gets longer and longer. However, it is also extremely nice to be able to cross things off. I find it rejuvenating and allows me to stay focused on the next task at hand.
  
  What is something- either industry-related or not — you are excited about (or looking forward to) this month?
  Our oldest daughter (Sarah) has been performing in the Alhambra Theatre & Dining production of Beauty & the Beast since June 7th. On July 30th she will wrap her 60th show and will turn her attention to becoming a Freshman in college at Missouri State University this fall where she will be studying to get her BFA in Musical Theatre. Not sure what the Youngest (Allie), my wife (Angie), and I will do without having to hear Sarah belt Broadway musical selections in our house all day and night. I definitely think we are in for a change!

June 2023

• Rosalyn Gilbert

  Rosalyn has been at UNF for over 38 years and works as an office manager within the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs.
  
  What aspect of the OspreyRising project do you feel will be the most significant benefit to the University?
  The OspreyRising project will allow cross-unit conversations that will lead to a cohesive transition to positive changes in how UNF does business. “I need to know your department’s processes, where they connect to my department’s processes, and what outcomes we are getting. The OspreyRising project will allow the campus to open communications to determine what is working and what is not. Now is the time to make sensible changes.
  
  What advice would you give to someone who is nervous about the change coming with the OspreyRising project?
  Take a deep breath, exhale, and open your mind! There will be enough training opportunities to make the transition smooth. Before you know it, you will have adjusted without even realizing it.
  
  What is one thing you can accomplish that helps make a day a success for you?
  My day is a success to me when I can review my “to-do” list at the end of the day and I have checked off at least 60% of what I hoped to complete! 
  
  Name someone at UNF who has had a meaningful impact on your career or the University:
  Naming someone who has made a meaningful contribution to my career or the University is a difficult decision since there have been so many. I have been working at UNF since 1985 and I have been impacted by many from Dr. Bernadine Bolden (former VP for Student Affairs), Dr. Curtis McCray (former president), Dr. Joyce Jones (first Director of Research at UNF) to Dr. Cheryl Fountain, Dr. Tom Serwatka, Dr. Cheresa Boston, and many others. They all have something in common, they represent excellence and used that excellence to better UNF. Their leadership was invaluable in the shaping of my career. The demand for excellence and accomplishing it as a team is the reason I have remained at UNF for so long, the faculty and staff work hard to make the University the best.
  
  Adding the OspreyRising implementation to an employee’s current project and workload can be stressful. Have you learned any time-management tips in your career that help you manage various projects and systems? 
  “Compartmentalize, Compartmentalize, Compartmentalize!” Multitasking across projects is not effective for me. I break down the projects into small tasks and prioritize, then I work on one project at a time as much as possible. I also apply the “touch once rule,” If I am touching a task, I need to complete it before moving to the next one. I know this is not always possible but if applied as much as possible it really moves you along to completing pending projects.

May 2023

• Robert Parnell

  Robert works in the payroll office at UNF. He is part of the OspreyRising implementation team.

  What aspect of the OspreyRising project do you feel will be the biggest benefit to the University?
  I would have to say that the payroll department is one of the aspects of the Osprey Rising Project that will be the biggest benefit to UNF. I say this because wages and salaries are what employees rely upon the most. Wages and salaries foster trust between the University and its staff, faculty and student employees who are committed to carrying out the goals and mission of the Osprey community. That trust can easily be broken, along with the many systems that help UNF to work efficiently, without a reliable payroll processing system in place.
  

  What advice would you give to someone who is nervous about the change coming with the OspreyRising project?
  First, I would remind that person that they are not alone and share the same reservations as other fellow Ospreys regarding change in general and within the OspreyRising Project. However, that person should know that change within the OspreyRising Project does not have to mean an elimination of opportunities and resources. Change in this case should mean increased transparency and efficiency to better serve our students..

  What is something you are excited about this month?
  Wow, as a former college athlete who was dedicated to Track and Field, and who won his share of medals lol, I am super excited that UNF is hosting the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. This upcoming event has already gotten my adrenaline pumping. Hosting such an event will allow us Ospreys to swoop up the city of Jacksonville.

  Name someone at UNF who has had a meaningful impact on your career or the University:
  I can answer this question but with three people in mind: Associate Controller / Payroll Miguel Gabertan, Assistant Controller Leanne Thomas, and Assistant Vice President / Controller Valerie Stevenson. Each of these individuals has managed my growth and development within the Controller’s Office. Their hands-on approach was never overwhelming, which allowed me the freedom to explore my contributions to UNF as Payroll Coordinator and transition into an Osprey leader.

  What do I have planned that energizes me? 
  Working out and staying healthy is what energizes me right now, and so I look forward to my daily workouts at the gym or playing soccer (football) with my friends on the weekend.

April 2023

• April Johnson

  April is the Director, Enterprise Applications for Information Technology Services. Her team is responsible for the administration of university-wide and line of business applications, plus the managing of third-party technology solutions, including Canvas, the myWings portal and other applications. She is part of the OspreyRising implementation team.

  What part of the OspreyRising project will you be able to contribute to the most?
  There are three areas I will impact. 
  Exporting the accounting data from Financial Edge for the OspreyRising data migration. 
  Utilize our document imaging platform OnBase to continue to create digital forms and workflows that streamline business processes all over the university. The OspreyRising project will require an immense amount of time from the university. I hope the time saved will help support the OspreyRising project.  
  Creating new integrations with OspreyRising for our Enterprise Applications that currently source data from Banner. 

  What aspect of the OspreyRising project do you feel will be the biggest benefit to the University?
  The OspreyRising project provides the University an opportunity to take a look at our processes and creatively imagine new ways of operating. This will set us up for success to grow and support our students sustainably.

  What is one thing you learned in the last month?

  While watching Captain Phillips with my Dad, he casually mentioned he was involved in a similar situation. His Navy ship, the USS LaSalle, was mistaken for a commercial vessel and attacked by pirates in the Persian Gulf. Navy ships are typically painted grey. His ship was painted white to reflect the Middle East Sun.
  
  The pirates fired automatic weapons at the ship. They return fire with .50 caliber machine sinking one boat. A nearby aircraft carrier sent F14s for air support, and the other boat fled. I did not expect the story of Captain Phillips the to hit so close to home.

  What is something exciting you recently were part of?

  I went to my first tennis tournament, the Miami Open. I got to see some of my favorite players and jam to Earth, Wind, and Fire.

  What is one thing you can accomplish that helps make a day a successful for you? 
  Meditating and a cup of coffee or tea in the morning really sets me up for a successful day. .

  What do I have planned for today that energize me? 
  Bowling a five-game practice session. Ball + Pins + Music with noise-canceling headphones = one of my happy places.

March 2023

• Megan Porter

  Porter works in Human Resources where she is the assistant director, pay, leave and records. She is part of the OspreyRising implementation team.

  What part of the OspreyRising project will you be able to contribute to the most?

  I believe I will be able to contribute the most with testing the new system and helping to train others once we get further along in the process. With my experience as the Associate Director of Operations in the College of Education and Human Services, I understand the process as the functional end user. This will be a huge plus to help Human Resources as we work with Accenture to develop the best processes for UNF. I also love helping others learn new things. I am looking forward to building the manuals and streamlining as many processes as possible.

  What advice would you give to someone who is nervous about the OspreyRising project?

  Change can be scary, but it can also be exciting. This is a great opportunity for everyone on campus to give their ideas on how we can make processes better and more efficient. Over the past few months in HR, I have had the opportunity to get to know more people around campus and so many people have great ideas on how we can improve not only HR processes, but processes in general around campus. My best advice is do not be scared to share your ideas! We will only be successful in this project if we all work together, and we need everyone’s feedback to make it happen.

  What is one thing you learned in the last month?

  I play trivia with a group of friends every week. Sometimes I surprise myself with random information that I know and sometimes I learn something completely new. This week I learned that Canada is the country with the longest coastline.

  What is something exciting you recently were part of?

  Spring Break! I went on vacation to South Carolina for the week with my family. We rented a lake house and I am enjoyed spending some quality time with everyone. We were able to eat lots of good food, play games, go on some adventures, and just relax.

  Name someone at UNF who has had a meaningful impact to your career or the University?

  I have been incredibly fortunate at UNF to work for strong female leaders in every role that I have had. These women have not only helped shape my career, but they have made me a stronger and better person in every aspect of my life. I would not be where I am today without them. A huge shout-out to Carrie Guth, Laura McCloskey, Jennifer Kane, Diane Yendol-Hoppey, and Lola Argalas. Thank you for your leadership, your support, and your encouragement over the past 8 years.

February 2023

• Mike McGuire

  McGuire is the Assistant Director, Planning Reporting and a member of the OspreyRising Implementation Team. His role with the Planning and Budget Office consists of auxiliary and project budgets, NSF reviews, and chart of accounts management.

  What part of the OspreyRising project will you be able to contribute to the most?
  Other than my normal functions with budgets, finance and capital projects, I hope to support the project by leveraging technology for more efficient processes and enhancing reporting tools for the campus community. If we are able to leverage technology to automate, or at least speed up, repetitive or low value-added tasks employees will have more time for more meaningful tasks and strategic thinking. I also plan to focus time to help the campus community transform to new and enhanced reporting tools that will help units have a clearer picture of their financial and budgetary standing.

  What advice would you give to someone who is nervous about the OspreyRising project?
  We should look at this project as a major opportunity to transform our business operations in a positive way. Think of all the times you have come across a process and said, “why do we do it this way?”, or “I wish we could do it that way.”. Well, now we can review those processes and update them with fresh ideas, lessons learned and with today’s technology. I would also say, everything is manageable in small parts. While the project is a huge undertaking for the University, if we each accomplish one small task at a time it will be just as feasible as any other project we encounter.

  What are you looking forward to with the OspreyRising Project?
  I am looking forward to the (BPA) Business Process Alignment process.  It may sound nerdy, but I have always enjoyed taking things apart and rebuilding them in different ways, whether it be bikes, gadgets, electronics, or business processes. I can remember one time as a kid when I took apart the TV remote, moved around some circuits around and put it back together. Unfortunately, that was above my skill level at the time and the remote no longer worked. Needless to say, my mom was pretty mad. I’m pretty sure a new TV remote came out of my allowance. The BPA process is just a fancy name for the structured way of pulling apart our business processes, learning how all the pieces fit together, and restructuring them in a more meaningful, efficient, and helpful way that is better aligned with our organization today.

  What is one thing you learned in the last month?
  Ospreys can fly more than 200 miles a day when migrating from Massachusetts to South Africa. They fly the equivalent of over 103 marathons over 13 days. That gives me confidence that our UNF Ospreys will be able to successfully navigate through marathon-length meetings and training's in order migrate to new technological systems over the next 18 months.

  What is something you are looking forward to?  
  My wife and I very excited to be traveling to Honduras in the next month. We try to take international trips as often as possible, as we enjoy experiencing different cultures and especially other countries foods. I am particularly excited about this trip because we get to scuba dive the second largest barrier reef in the world and swim with sharks.

  What is one thing you accomplish that helps make a day a successful for you?
  I really get enjoyment out of helping people learn new things and assisting them with making their job easier. If I can show someone how to access information that will quickly and accurately solve their questions, teach them a quick new skill, or help automate a time-consuming report providing them with additional time to focus on more productive parts of their job, I have had a successful day.