Staff Advisory Council
College of Food, Agricultural,
and Environmental Sciences
EnVision Articles

Staff Advisory Council Shifts Leadership

by Cathy Zirkle

With less than six months remaining in their terms, the executive team members of the College of FAES Staff Advisory Council (SAC) have undergone leadership alterations.  Thad Welch, Council Chair, resigned as Coordinator of Admissions for the college on May 1, 2000 to take a job outside the university.  In accordance with SAC bylaws, Vice Chair Christine Nielsen (Research Assistant II in the Food Animal Health Research Program at OARDC) planned to slide into the council’s Chair position in September.  However, she will step up to head the council this spring, leaving the vice chair slot vacant.  At their April meeting held at Thorne Hall on the Wooster campus, council members sought volunteers to serve on a Nomination Task Force to fill the vice chair opening now and later receive nominations for upcoming officer elections next September.  The task force (TF), composed of Christine Nielsen, Janice DiCarolis and Barbara LaMoreaux,  accepted and distributed three council nominations for the vice chair position: Debra Gallagher (Animal Sciences), Ted Gastier (Huron County Extension Office), and Kathy Mohler (Southwest District Extension Office).  The council agreed that the vice chair elect will serve the remainder of this year’s term and continue in the position through September, 2001.  To expedite the election process, the council chose to elect the new vice chair via secret electronic ballot by May 8, 2000.

To ease the transition in council leadership, Christine and Thad scheduled a meeting with Dean Bobby Moser and SAC Sponsor, Dean L.H. Newcomb on April 28, 2000.  The two college administrators were presented with a report written by SAC Task Force chairs.  The documentation outlined all council task force accomplishments and objectives to date.  These comprehensive summaries provided the deans with a historical and visionary perspective about each council task force:  enVision (submitted by Cathy Zirkle),  Listserv (composed by Ann Lighthiser), Membership Directory (created by Barbara LaMoreaux), Web Site (written by Susan Sommer), Promotional Display (drafted by Cathy Zirkle), Staff Development (presented by Shelley Whitworth and Jim Karcher), Survey (prepared by Marjorie Dellinger and Mark Erbaugh) and Employee Rewards (offered by Regina Vann and Christine Nielsen).  

The long awaited staff survey was mailed during the first week of May to all Civil Service and Administrative and Professional CFAES Staff.  After months of perseverance and dedication, the Survey Task Force (made up of Co-Chairs Marjorie Dellinger and Mark Erbaugh, Rita Bowers, Carol Bunn, Sherri DeCant, Ted Gastier, Kathy Mohler and Carol Sowers) completed the survey to obtain feedback on the quality of staff work life in the college.   The SAC takes this opportunity to graciously thank Dr. Marilyn Trefz, Co-Director of  Project Reinvent for the College and Dr. Dale Safrit, Associate Professor in Human and Community Resource Development, for contributing their invaluable expertise and time to the survey project. Results obtained from the survey will be used on the SAC's next charge from the Dean:  to research the staff reward system.