Dee Ellingson
Department of Psychology, 308.865.8235
Ten University of Nebraska at Kearney staff members have been selected to participate in the fifth annual Leadership UNK,
according to Dee Ellingson, a Leadership UNK coordinator.
Leadership UNK, which is sponsored by the Professional Development Committee of Staff Senate, meets every month for 10 months, beginning in August. Among the sessions are the Board of Regents meeting in October, Links of Communication in November, and Deans and Campus Leaders in January.
“The goal of Leadership UNK is to get participants acquainted with the leadership levels at UNK,” Ellingson said. “We bring in the Chancellor, vice chancellors, deans, affiliated staff and others.” Linda Clark, UNK Human Resource generalist, co-coordinates the program.
Leadership UNK also works to acquaint participants with the various leadership opportunities on campus and in the Kearney area, and encourage them to accept leadership roles in the future
“For example, we teach them how to do introductions by assigning each person speakers to introduce,” Ellingson said. “Leadership UNK will not only enhance leadership skills, but it can also increase the participant’s knowledge of the university system. The program gives participants an opportunity to network with the UNK community, classmates, speakers and others to discuss issues pertinent to the campus.”
“We try to teach them basics they may have to do, depending on their job,” Ellingson said.
“Although I’d worked at UNK for several years, it wasn’t until I participated in the Leadership UNK program that I understood the truly cooperative nature between all of the different units at the university,” said Rochelle Krueger, lecturer/user services librarian, Calvin T. Ryan Library. Krueger was a member of the Class of 2007-08.
Also, members of the leadership class must complete four hours of service to the university, are assigned a speech to share with the group about a time they had a problem in the workplace and how they solved it. Each class helps plan the next year’s agenda.
Participants go through an application process to be selected for Leadership UNK. As part of the process, applicants are asked why they want to take part in Leadership UNK and what they see as the biggest issues facing the campus. The applications are reviewed by a selection committee.
“Normally, we try to stick to one person per department,” Ellingson said. “It depends on the size of the department, but the most (participants) that we have ever selected from the same department is two.”
Graduates of the program help plan the sessions and lead meetings for the next year’s class.
Individuals selected to participate in the Class of 2011-2012 Leadership UNK include: Jamie Emal, directory assistance services supervisor, Nebraskan Student Union; Brette Ensz, admissions counselor, Admissions; Colleen Ferguson, human resources technician, Human Resources; Terry Grossman, custodial leader, Facilities; Kimberley Orcutt, supply control assistant, Facilities;
Paul Sucha, associate director, Telecommunications, Business Services; Brooke Terzi, office associate, Department of Communication Disorders; Barb Wayman, office associate, Department of Management; Janice Woods, director of Experiential Learning, College of Business and Technology; and Lenore Yaeger, Academic & Career adviser, Academic & Career Services.
