Three PNWU employees were recently elected by their peers to serve as officers on the University’s Staff Council. The new slate of officers was announced during the Council’s May 5 meeting.
The following individuals will serve in their newly elected roles from July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023: The officers will rotate forward in subsequent years, with a new secretary being elected annually.
- Ann Acob, PNWU Staff Council Chair
- Lizzie Lamb, PNWU Staff Council Vice-Chair
- Catherine “Cat” McCulley, PNWU Staff Council Secretary
All PNWU staff are automatically members of the newly formed council, which aims to provide a forum where — within a spirit of respect and frankness — staff representatives and invited colleagues will discuss and address cross-University topics with respect to community-building, job fulfillment, work process improvement, and other issues, with the ultimate goal of contributing to PNWU’s mission, values, goals, and culture.
“I saw how well we did this first year for the council,” explained McCulley, PNWU’s student assessment manager. “We wanted to keep pushing things forward and continue getting the results that we, as a staff, are wanting.”
Lizzie Lamb, MPH, PNWU’s research development facilitator, decided to seek election in hopes of helping the university achieve the vision of shared governance, she explained.
“Staff are valuable contributors to PNWU,” said Lamb, “and we are more effective at getting recognition for our efforts and making our viewpoints heard if we do it collectively.” As Vice-Chair, she hopes the group will continue to work with others on campus to develop an equitable telework policy, engage with the results of the enterprise risk assessment, and pursue community service and engagement opportunities that support PNWU’s mission.
As the Staff Council’s new Chair, Ann Acob, academic coordinator and executive assistant to the provost, expressed similar enthusiasm, and hopes to continue the momentum of the Council’s current executive team.
“It is an honor to be elected to serve as the Staff Council Chair for the upcoming year,” explained Acob. “As we operationalize shared governance and work alongside faculty and student leadership, the Staff Council role will be vital to continued fulfillment of the university’s mission and vision.”