Lincoln, Neb. — IANR employs about 1200 staff members, many of whom are forward deployed throughout the state. While there is a great diversity in staff member roles and responsibilities, all are engaged in advancing the teaching, research, and extension missions of the Institute, and in contributing to the impact that we are having on the state, nation, and world.
IANR will be launching a staff council. The mission of the council will be to enhance the work environment for current and future staff members. The council will do this by:
- Providing opportunities to staff members which allow them to grow professionally,
- Bringing ideas and concerns that affect the culture and climate of IANR to the attention of IANR leadership, and
- Facilitating communication and meaningful connections among IANR staff.
The following individuals have been working with Associate Vice Chancellor Rich Bischoff since September to explore the advantages of a staff council for the Institute:
- Kristin Beede (Research Laboratory Manager II, Food Science and Technology), kristin.beede@unl.edu
- Eric Buck (Office Associate, Nebraska Extension), ebuck3@unl.edu
- Anjeza Erickson (Research Laboratory Manager II, Industrial Ag Products Center), anjeza.erickson@unl.edu
- Kara Heideman (Communications Specialist, Agricultural Economics), kara.heideman@unl.edu
- Jacqueline Herrick (Office Associate, West Central Research, Extension and Education Center), jacque.herrick@unl.edu
- Marissa Kemp (Financial Associate, AEM Business Center), mkemp2@unl.edu
- Kay McClure-Kelly (Administrative Associate, Agronomy and Horticulture), kmcclure-kelly2@unl.edu
After talking with representatives from other staff councils on campus and obtaining feedback from staff across IANR, this committee presented a strong proposal to create a staff council in IANR. The deans, associate vice chancellors, department heads/school directors are very supportive. We are committed to helping it be a useful resource for staff members throughout the Institute.
CLICK HERE to submit a nomination for yourself or for an individual that you think would be good candidate for the IANR staff council. Self-nominations are acceptable and encouraged. The nomination period will close on Friday, Feb. 21, 2020 at 3 p.m. CST.
The council will consist of nine individuals from across the Institute representing a variety of staff positions. The exploratory committee has been charged with selecting the inaugural staff council from among the nominations. They will strive to achieve a committee membership that reflects the diversity of IANR. The committee members will be announced in early April via email and on the website.
Additional information can be found at https://ianr.unl.edu/ianr-staff-council. Please let any member of the committee or Rich Bischoff, rbischoff2@unl.edu know if you have any questions or comments.