Anna Edmonds, Executive Assistant for the Vice President, Finance and Support Services (VPFSS) was selected as the Texas State Employee of the Month for July 2021.
The VPFSS office is busy under normal circumstances, but this past year has been unprecedented in terms of the workload and activity passing through the office, with Anna managing most of the day-to-day functions. As Anna took over as the Executive Assistant a year ago, little did she know that she would do so during a pandemic, and with the other two Administrative Assistant positions in the office being vacant for the majority of the year. While facing a steep learning curve, Anna simultaneously helped fill the gaps left by the two other vacant positions and kept communications flowing across the university with many employees working remotely. She tackled these challenges with unmatched steadiness and dedication, stepping in and stepping up wherever she was needed.
If Anna ever felt overwhelmed, no one noticed. Even in stressful and chaotic situations, she never wavers with her professional demeanor and can-do attitude, and she always projects calm assurance. Anna organizes important large meetings and events at the university, including the Board of Regents meetings, and does so seamlessly. Anna covers all the aspects of an event, thinks through what could go wrong, and has a plan in place to smoothly guide the event back on course whatever may happen. She regularly deals with issues in such a way that the attendees often never realize anything was amiss. Her sense of calm under pressure is infectious.
Anna regularly takes on new challenges and is always seeking ways to improve both her personal work and the processes that are in place. When confronted with a request, no matter how trivial, she jumps in right away to help. She researches issues, provides understandable explanations, checks in, and makes sure there are no follow up issues days or even weeks later. She is an active listener and is often regarded as a go-to person in JCK for questions and help from other units and offices.
Congratulations Anna, on your dedication and hard work, and being recognized as the July 2021 Employee of the Month!