Name: Pat Zimmer
Title: Administrative assistant in charge of the Copy Center for the Moore School of Business

How long have you been with the University? I've been at the University since 1994. For the first six years, I worked in the economics department as an administrative specialist. I loved working there. However, when there was an opening at the Copy Center for an administrative assistant in December 2000, I was hired for my current position. I've been here almost six years now.

Tell me about your job. We're a support service facility for the business school. Faculty and staff bring their syllabi, tests, etc., for us to copy. We try to have a 24-hour turnaround time. We have one high-speed copier and a backup copier. We also supply and maintain the overhead projectors in the classrooms. I am also responsible for ordering the supplies and other printing needs for the Copy Center and dean's office. I think we are the only school that has a facility of this size besides the major copy center for the University. Basically, our job is taking care of any of the printing and faxing needs the faculty and staff might have. We're open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday. We're kind of like a little Kinko's.

Do you have a staff? Yes. I'm the only full-time employee. I manage a staff of undergraduate students who work part-time for me. I schedule them around their class times. Most of them like the fact that they are able to work between their classes to make a little money, yet they have no evening or weekend work. Right now I have a nursing student, two physical therapy students, three business students, an advertising student, and a hotel/restaurant student. I like hiring students as freshmen, so, hopefully, they'll stay with me all four years. I don't have much turnover until they graduate. For the most part, my kids love working here. You hear me saying "my kids." That's because they become my kids.

What's the best part of the job? Working with all the people in the business school. I feel like I'm very much a people person. I loved the people in the economics department, but I really didn't know other people in the building. Now, I've gotten to know so many people. I also really enjoy working with kids. The students are always interesting and fun and sometimes challenging. They keep me on my toes.

You work with the Harvest Hope Food Bank? How did you get involved? It started in 2002. We have a Staff Advisory Council (SAC) to represent the staff in the building. The SAC does many different things to support the staff (e.g., get-togethers, luncheons, recognition awards), and they also interact with the administration on staff issues. I joined the committee in 2002. At the beginning of the new session, we were all thinking of things we could do. I suggested that maybe we could select a charity that the business school could help. We have so many caring and giving people, I felt sure we would have great support. It was my thought that we're all so blessed in this building that it would be nice to give back. I suggested Harvest Hope. Ninety-eight percent of all the monies Harvest Hope receives goes back into the community. We were quite impressed by this, and we all agreed Harvest Hope would be a very worthy charity to support. When I completed my term on the committee, I offered to continue heading up the food drive in the building. The donation boxes are in front of the Copy Center. I send "gentle reminders" to the faculty and staff asking for their donations. I try to deliver our donations about once a month. The people in the Moore School are wonderful, very generous, very thoughtful, and they have been very supportive in our continuous food drive, which has now gone on for four years. Harvest Hope is always very appreciative for our help. This is a project we do year-round. Everyone is always eager to give at Thanksgiving and Christmas. It is great, but I also try to emphasize that hungry people are hungry year-round and that we need donations year-round. There is a special need in summer. Children who have been depending on the free breakfasts and lunches at school for sustenance might not receive the nutrition at home without the help of Harvest Hope. So, I encourage our faculty and staff to bring peanut butter and similar items for these little children who are home during the summer without the free meals from school.

Any outside interests? I support the Red Cross on a regular basis by donating platelets. I have an adorable granddaughter that I spend a lot of time with. I also enjoy gardening, doing needlework, baking, and spending time with family.

10/06