February 2025 A&F Times
February Column
As we move into another spring semester, I’d like to share some updates and thoughts from the past year.
An exciting announcement, CSUBUY Procure-to-Pay (P2P) has officially been rolled out to all departments on campus. Thank you to all of our Administration & Finance colleagues who have participated in the implementation led by our Contracts, Procurement, and Accounts Payable teams. A total of seven campuses and the Chancellor’s Office are now utilizing P2P: Bakersfield, Chico, Fresno, San Marcos, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly Humboldt, and Sonoma. The remaining 15 campuses will be operating on an accelerated timeline to implement P2P on their respective campuses within the next year. Once all campuses across the CSU system are processing in P2P, we will see an even greater increase in collaboration across the CSU. Additional next steps in the Multi-University Collaboration Initiative aim to save costs and improve efficiencies, streamline and simplify processes, enhance customer service, and increase economies of scale within the CSU system.
Secondly, I am pleased to share that the team at the Chancellor’s Office was so impressed with the success of the implementation here at Sonoma State that they have asked Carrie Schmidt, our Accounts Payable Manager, to help guide other campuses through the process. She will be joining the systemwide team to assist the remaining campuses with implementing and enhancing P2P over the next two years.
Additionally, we continue to make improvements to our student finance and financial aid systems to better leverage automation and enhance our students ability to more easily understand their student accounts, financial aid packages, and provide a better overall student experience.
Lastly, I’d like to share that our accounting team won another award from the Chancellor’s Office this year for excellence in financial reporting. It’s a great honor for our campus to be recognized in these ways, and is a testament to the great work our team does.
I’d like to end by acknowledging that a university can be a pretty wild place to work. While some of the work we do can be repetitive, the campus seems to always have a new surprise, obstacle, or opportunity in store. One day you could be working with IT to solve a standard (or not-so-standard) systems issue, another you could be joining forces with students and colleagues from across campus to plant trees at Seawolves Dig In, and on another day you could receive a message about a pipe bursting in a building. We’ve faced more than our fair share of challenges in the past few years, but I’m grateful to work with such a collaborative and dedicated group of people, and I’m hopeful things will only go up from here.
What's Happening on Campus
UCS Serves Up Fun
The University Culinary Services team is starting the semester off hot with a series of special events!
First up, is the 6th Annual Chili Cook-Off taking place in the Kitchens on February 5th from 11am-2pm. Stop by to try the personal recipes of the Culinary Staff and vote for your favorite!
Next, say "Ahoy, Matey!" and experience a dining experience like no other with the Pirate Themed Dinner at the Kitchens on March 6th! This themed dinner will feature a special, one-time menu and decor - you won't want to miss it!
To join either event, guests may pay for a meal at the door or use a meal plan swipe.
Conversations with Black & Brown in Blue
Join us for a dynamic Conversation, with award-winning serial entrepreneur, innovation pioneer and humanitarian Shelton Mercer III, to explore the profound impact Artificial Intelligence is having on our world and everyday lives. We will delve into the societal, economic and ethical influences of AI and highlight ways it is being harnessed to transform humanity’s present and future.
Mr. Mercer will be on campus on Monday, February 10, 2025 at 7pm at the Student Center Ballroom for a one-on-one conversation with Nader Oweis, Chief of Police for Sonoma State University. The Conversation is part of Sonoma State’s commitment to hosting dynamic and important speakers who foster understanding and learning to our students, employees, and the surrounding community. Everyone is encouraged to attend in person or via Zoom. There will be a Q&A portion at the end.
Conversations with Black and Brown in Blue is a lecture series that seeks to increase knowledge through open and honest dialogue for a more inclusive community environment. The program was designed to reduce barriers and misperceptions. For more information on this lecture series please contact Chief Oweis at oweisn@sonoma.edu.
Get Red-y for National Wear Red Day!
Join SSU’s Employee Wellness Program, along with staff, faculty, students and friends in raising awareness for heart health by wearing red on Friday, February 7th in honor of National Wear Red Day. We invite you to gather at 1:15pm in front of LoboVision for a quick group photo of everyone wearing their red. This is a great opportunity to show our campus’ support for the American Heart Association and its efforts to promote awareness, research and prevention of heart disease and stroke. Save the date, wear your red, and help us make a bold statement for heart health!
Reminder: Share Your Input for the Project Management Foundations Training!
The IT Project Management Office is launching a Project Management Foundations Course in 2025, designed to help SSU A&F employees develop practical skills for managing project tasks and achieving goals more efficiently.
What’s in it for A&F participants?
- Master the Basics: Learn project management fundamentals in a hands-on, interactive 3-hour session.
- Build Transferable Skills: Gain practical skills for managing project tasks, whether you’re leading or supporting them.
- Boost Team Productivity: Apply strategies that enhance communication and efficiency.
👉 Call to Action: Please complete the Learning Needs Survey by February 7th to help tailor the course content to your needs.
Your input will ensure the course is relevant and impactful for your work. The IT PMO team will provide more details about the course and specific dates once the schedule is set. Thank you for helping us shape this career development opportunity! If you have questions, contact pmo@sonoma.edu.
Shoutouts!
Plumber I: Jason Carrillo, Electrician I: Jack Ell and Maintenace Mechanic: Eanna McBrien installed a new water bottle filling station in Sauvignon Village at the Cooperage. Water bottle filling stations such as these promote the use of reusable water bottles, significantly reducing plastic waste. They also provide easy access to clean, filtered water- leading to increased hydration as well as cost savings compared to buying bottled water. The Facilities Management team is proud to support our residential community and the campus commitment to sustainability through the installation of filling stations like these.
Mark Utarid gave a shoutout to Maintenance Mechanics Robert Grant and Keith Tucker who recently completed the task of repairing and cleaning the gutters around the Facilities Management Corp Yard. This work is an important part of our regular campus maintenance to make sure the gutters are both operational and efficient - especially during the winter season.
Shawn Potts shared a shoutout for the Unit 6 employees who installed new, energy-efficient water heaters in the Grenache Mechanical Rooms. Jack Ell - Electrician, Jason Carrillo - Plumber, Kenny Russum - Maintenance Mechanic, and Scott Derum - Plumber, completed the work of swapping the old units, which had been failing, with these newer models. In addition to the increased energy-efficiency, the team also saved 50% on labor costs by completing the job in house!
The Landscaping Team has been busy this winter clearing storm drains, removing more than 1,000 yards of leaf litter and storm debris, abating pests, fixing potholes, maintaining fields, and removing tree hazards all within our campus and housing community. Landscaping finished off January by teaming up and cleaning out and reorganizing our Landscaping Yard to better accommodate workflow and increase efficiency.
Celebrated Anniversaries in January
| Name | Department |
|---|---|
| Alec Rich | Environmental Health & Safety |
| Brian Wichert | Conference & Event Services |
| Jason Carillo | Operations & Engineering |
| Tracie Schroeder | Purchasing |
| Ann-lise Fitting | Financial Aid |
| Kristin Hillman | Accounting/Financial Reporting |
| Raymond Tantarelli | Operations & Engineering |
| Tomio Endo | Landscaping |
| Monir Ahmed | Administration & Finance |
| Nicholas Courter | Payables |
| Travis Vining | Housekeeping |
| Violeta Murillo Gonzalez | Housekeeping |
| Honami Jordan | Mail & Receiving |
| Ivonne Mejia Berzunza | IT Project Management Office |
| Jeffrey Floyd | University Police |
| Cristian Leon | Housekeeping |
| Maria Alves | Housekeeping |
| Edward Wandrey | Landscaping |
| LJ Rader | Landscaping |
| Eanna McBrien | Operations & Engineering |
| James Doherty | Landscaping |
| Saul Razo Aguilar | Kitchens |
| Debra Gordon | Talent Acquisition & Workforce Management |
| Erin Taylor | Employee Relations Compliance Services |
| Leslie Johnston | Receipts Receivables |
| Carmen Diaz Misa | Financial Aid |
| Frank Nides | Capital Planning Design & Construction |
| Christopher Hendry | Entrepreneurial Activities |
| Johna Shiflet | Accounting/Financial Reporting |