What area do you work in within the VPFA portfolio?
I have worked in Payroll within Business Affairs for almost four years.
I have worked in Payroll within Business Affairs for almost four years.
What is your current position, and what are your job responsibilities?
I am a payroll accountant.
I set up payroll deductions and make sure payments are made to vendors for those deductions. I also teach the EPAF (Electronic Personnel Action Form) class to campus Banner users.
What has been your career path; how did you end up in your current position?
I have a B.S. in Business with an emphasis in accounting and a minor in geology from Oregon State. My first job in accounting was as an accounts payable clerk for a go-kart manufacturer. This job sparked a love for accounting and resulted in me returning to school to study accounting. After earning my degree, I began working for the Oregon Employment Department in 2004 as an accounts payable accountant. I was promoted in 2007 and spent six years as an Unemployment Insurance Tax Auditor with OED, working with local businesses.
The thing I like most about my current position at UO is my co-workers. I work with an incredible group of people. As an auditor, my co-workers were located in offices around the state and I would only see them once a quarter at meetings. It was difficult to feel like a part of a team when we did not spend much time working together. Much of what we do in Payroll requires collaboration with co-workers and I feel blessed that the people here are so good to work with. I feel like an important part of the team in Payroll.
Share a little bit about yourself personally.
I am a newlywed. My wife, Annaliese, and I were married in September, on the beach in Yachats. I have three kiddos from my previous marriage, two boys and a girl. They are 23, 20, and 16. We also have a 7-year-old Chihuahua named Lucky that we adopted last year. I am an avid knitter, baker, and reader. I make lots of hats and shawls that help keep people warm. I am currently working on my first attempt at a sweater. Bread is my preferred baked good, especially yeast breads. I read a lot of memoirs and biographies as well as mysteries and true crime. I spent six years trying to skate with the Sick Town Derby Dames before knee injuries forced me to retire from roller derby. I skated under the name Cat Scratch Cleaver, number 9 Lives. I still enjoy skating, but don’t get many opportunities. I love hiking in the high Cascades and try to get into the woods at least once a month.
(January 2019)