Employees recognized

Rhonda Black: January classified
employee of the month

Started at KU: Rhonda Black joined the KU staff in 1987 as an office assistant III in Watkins Student Health Services.

Current title: She now is a classified senior administrative assistant.

What that means: Black serves as the laboratory office manager, overseeing and performing all lab office functions—patient registration and instruction, sample intake, test requisitioning, report processing and staff scheduling.

Notable: Black is committed not simply to getting her job done but to doing it well and completely so that both patients and providers have the lab results they need when they need them.

Recent feat: Some time ago, Watkins embarked on a comprehensive program to improve customer service. Carol Seager, Watkins director, invited supervisors to nominate their customer service stars to help plan the program, and Black was selected. The RISE program was implemented in January 2004.

Karla Williams: January unclassified
employee of the month

Started at KU: Karla Williams began her KU career as a classified office specialist in the University Registrar’s Office.

Current title: In 2002 she became business manager in the School of Law.

What that means: Williams is responsible for compiling and analyzing the financial data needed to develop and implement the annual budget for the School of Law, the law library and other entities.

Notable: Williams is fast, accurate and always prepared to meet deadlines. Williams completed a dual degree in business and accounting over an eight-year period while working full time.

Recent feat: Williams worked with the dean’s office to complete the fiscal section of the annual American Bar Association questionnaire. Having been exposed to the process the previous year, she anticipated what information would need to be tracked and produced. The result was a more accurate picture of the school’s financial status.