Vice President for Administration and
Finance, Monir Ahmed
Happy New Year! While we've been back from the winter recess for almost a month, many of you remained campus bound during the break to attend to emerging issues with the planned preventive maintenance, and then our unplanned winter storms. Please join me in thanking the Administration and Finance colleagues for their hard work and dedication supporting the campus community.
Special thank you to those who helped make the Stevenson Building renovation and the wonderful opening celebration a joyous occasion to close 2022. Our faculty, students and staff are using the building and have expressed their appreciation and gratitude.
The Facilities team is continuing to make steady progress toward the electrical feeder to the campus to stabilize our power supply. This summer we hope to break ground for our solar system to further our sustainability initiatives. Campus has completed all necessary permitting works to start construction at the Fairfield Osborn Preserve this summer. At completion this initiative will continue to open doors to area students and residents to continue to enjoy the natural beauty of the area, conduct learning activities and research. More information on the preserve is available at Fairfield Osborn Preserve.
Campus continues to make steady progress with stabilizing our enrollment and associated budget impact. I appreciate the ideas, thoughts and inputs many of you have provided over the past year to continue to support our faculty, staff and students. The CSU leadership appreciates the governor’s strong commitment to California higher education and his support of the compact with CSU. Please be on the lookout for the upcoming campus budget forum to learn more about fiscal planning that is underway and to provide valuable input.
Let us work together in the coming months and take care of each other as we continue to make SSU the best it can be.
In December, Missy Brunetta was awarded the Sonoma County Operational Area Special Recognition Award presented by the Department of Emergency Management for her collaborative efforts and community partnerships in emergency management during COVID-19, LNU Complex, and Glass fires.
Neil Markley dons the cover
of "college services" the
NACAS periodical.
Recognition abounds for Administration and Finance. Neil Markley, in addition to his duties as AVP Administration & Finance, has taken on the role of President for the National Association of College Auxiliary Services (NACAS). Neil has served in a variety of leadership positions with NACAS, as President for the Western Region of NACAS, and also on the national board. Neil's belief in the organization and the work it's members accomplish will only enhance his new role as President. You can learn more about NACAS and Neil's philosophy in the Winter 2022 issue of NACAS' e-zine "College Services".
And to our COVID Monitoring team... "A special thanks for their excellent service. The responses were so thorough and fast! I wish all units on Campus can be as good as you are! Superb!"
While the past month we were hit with quite a bit of rain, it begs the question, when will we have enough? The reality is, with climate change, we will likely need to adjust to a drought/flood cycle, as weather patterns become more extreme. And since the rains of late December/early January, we haven't haven't seen much more rain. What if that's all we were going to get this year?
While the campus water supply is supplied by a well we still need to be considerate of our water usage here. A drought will affect the amount of groundwater that is fed into a water table and how deep a well must be dug to provide water. According to the Santa Rosa Plain Groundwater Sustainability Agency "Climate change models predict longer, hotter summers and more erratic precipitation patterns, a combination which is likely to increase demands on groundwater during dry periods. Careful monitoring and management of groundwater and surface water is needed to ensure a sustainable, reliable supply of water in our wells, creeks and streams."
Would you pour a gallon
of milk down the drain
each time you washed
your hands?
Here are some ways you can help reduce your water consumption on campus:
When washing your hands: Wet your hands then turn off the water while lathering. Turn it back on to rinse. The amount of water lost during the 20-30 second lathering period can amount to 1/2 to nearly a full gallon! That adds up to a lot of water! Imagine dumping a 1/2 to full gallon of milk down the drain. Would you? Then imagine the number of times you wash your hands, how many people are on campus, etc. It starts to add up fast!
Wait t run the dishwasher when it's full
Report leaks as soon as you see them. The Facilities crews rely on your eyes and ears to notify them as soon as you see something's not working right.
Lunchtime yoga continues this Spring four days a week. Classes are open to all experience levels, including those who have never taken a yoga class before, and are a great opportunity to meet employees from other units, while also taking a break to stretch and enjoy a midday reset!
Mondays and Thursdays (12:05 - 12:55pm, Ives 80): Meditative Yoga with Jeanne Janae
Tuesdays and Wednesdays (12:05 - 12:55pm, Ives 80): Yoga Flow with Kim Purdy
Blood Drives
In partnership with SSU Student Involvement and Student Clubs, Vitalant will be hosting multiple on-campus blood drives this spring. All blood drives will be held in the Denali Gym in the Campus Recreation Center from 10am to 2:30pm. Employees interested in making a donation are encouraged to sign up for one of the slots on the Vitalant donation portal. The next one is scheduled for February 14, 2023.
American Heart Association: Go Red Day
Join SSU’s Employee Wellness Program, staff, faculty, students, and friends to bring awareness to heart health by wearing red on Friday, February 3rd, as part of national Go Red For Women Day. If you can spare five minutes of your time, join us at 1pm on February 3rd to take a quick group photo of all of us wearing red in front of Lobo Vision to show our campus’ support for the American Heart Association and its work to bring awareness and research to heart disease and stroke!
CSU Wellness Challenge: Right On The Money
In partnership with the California State University and Kaiser Permanente, we are excited to announce “Right On The Money”, the 2023 systemwide wellness challenge. Right On The Money is a 4-week financial education program wrapped in a game played on your desktop or mobile device. This challenge allows you to choose topics most relevant to your life stage and financial interests. You’ll be surprised how much you learn, and the confidence you gain
, just by playing a game. The challenge is divided into two 2-week rounds called Money Round and Double Your Money Round where you earn virtual dollars by completing topics most important to you. Begins February 6 and runs through March 5. Registration, and the option to join a team, closes February 10, 2023.
Name
Department
November Anniversaries
Tara Bogart
Facilities Administration
Timothy Sullivan
Operations and Engineering
Tony Gutsch
Operations and Engineering
Bertha Avila Sanchez
Housekeeping
Scott Braccialini
University Police
Douglas Boyington
Culinary Services
Michael Nackord
Athletics
Trudee Herman
Purchasing
David Crozier
Financial Services
Hazel Tyndall
Operations and Engineering
December Anniversaries
David Gatten
Culinary Services
Diego Ascencio Villarauz
University Police
Melissa Castro
Conference and Event Services
Timothy Fowle
Capital Planning Design Constr
Nader Oweis
University Police
Chelsea Hennan
Athletics
Evan Roehrig
Athletics
Evan MacKay
Financial Aid
Noah Fell
Operations and Engineering
Jenna Hennessy
Student Center Operations
Hayley Avery
University Budget and Planning
Karl Mortenson
University Police
Tony Machado
Landscaping
Deanne Brunetta
Risk Mgmt & Safety Services
Larry Stone
Landscaping
Mark Harlin
Accounting/Financial Reporting
Newly Hired
NameDepartmentNovember Hires
Donald Hubacker
Housekeeping
Cristian Ascencio
Housekeeping
Antonio Santa Cruz
Parking
Zachary Seifert Ponce
Student Center Operations
December Hire
Ryan Fasano
Entrepreneurial Activities
We always appreciate your feedback, comments, suggestions, requests and we welcome you to contribute to the newsletter. If you would like to get involved or have anything to share, please email hodenfie@sonoma.edu.
