All UR employees are encouraged to fill out their self-evaluations in Endeavor by April 30. Please note, completing the Endeavor process is a key component of securing a potential merit increase if you qualify. If you need additional assistance with any of the Endeavor steps, please visit the links below.

1. Set My Expectations
2. My Manager approved Expectations
3. Complete my Self Assessment
4. Review Performance with my Manager
5. Sign My Review

Colleagues,

It is with great excitement that I share that Helen Rajkumar has been promoted to Senior Office Coordinator for the 405 Main office. In this important role, Helen will serve as the primary receptionist and first point of contact for the Office of the Vice President for University Relations and the Office of the Vice President for Public Affairs and Communications and will manage the overall operations of the office suite.

A trusted and valued colleague, Helen has served Our Lady’s University since 2015, first as the Eck Visitors Center Customer Service Representative and most recently as the Office Services Coordinator for the Notre Dame Alumni Association. Before joining Notre Dame, Helen worked at Clay United Methodist Church and the Samaritan Counselling Center.

Originally from India, Helen has been a Michiana resident for 27 years. Helen, along with her husband, and two children reside in Granger. In her free time, Helen enjoys acrylic painting, gardening, reading, and cooking.

Helen’s first day in 405 Main will be Monday, May 9. Please join me in thanking and congratulating Helen for taking on this new role in service to Notre Dame.

My best,

Gavin

Tenants of the Eddy Street office who will be working events in conjunction with the Garth Brooks concert on May 7th and need parking in the ESC garage, make sure to submit your BEAT request before Tuesday, May 3, 2022 at 1:00 pm EDT. Please Note: we will be unable to add parking requests after the deadline.

To request parking in the ESC garage (you must have an ESC garage card), enter your name into BEAT, choosing “choosing “2022 Concerts (Garth Brooks (Sat, 5/7)” as the event, “Parking” as the activity and “ESC – Staff” as the parking preference. To qualify for parking on this date, you must be working a Development-sponsored event.

There is an identifying dashboard sign that will need to be displayed by anyone requesting parking for the concert. The dashboard signs are available at the ESC front desk.

Please note – all access cards will be inactivated for Saturday, 5/7/22, except for staff who have submitted a BEAT request.

If you have any questions, contact Dawn Smith or Lana Taylor.

Colleagues,

Today I write with bittersweet news, as Abbie Spica will be transitioning from her current role and relocating to Grand Rapids, Michigan preceding her wedding this summer. Abbie was an incredible teammate and representative of the University and we will miss her dearly. Abbie’s last day on the Annual Giving Team was last Thursday, April 14th.

While we are sad to see Abbie go, we hope to make this transition smooth, and have exciting news to share! We would like to introduce you to Anna McKeever, who will be our new Associate Director for Law and Graduate Business Annual Giving. Anna comes to us from University HR where she served as the HR Communication Program Director. Anna is a double domer, having earned both her MBA and her Bachelor’s degree from Notre Dame. I am confident that Anna will be a fantastic addition to our team. She will officially begin in this role on May 9, 2022. Please join me in welcoming Anna!

In the interim, please feel free to contact me with any questions relating to the Order of St. Thomas More, or the O’Hara Society.

Best,
Kasey O’Connor

We have some fun surprises in store for the ninth annual celebration of Notre Dame Day! This April, the Notre Dame Family will compete to raise money for their favorite areas of campus, and a live broadcast tells amazing stories of students, professors, alumni, and friends of Notre Dame who are making an impact all over the world.

Tune in to hear powerful Notre Dame stories and enjoy entertaining performances from student clubs across campus, and share in special moments that are created on our award-winning live broadcast from the Duncan Student Center. Tune in live:

• April 24 2022: 6:42 PM – 12:11 AM ET
• April 25, 2022: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM ET
• April 25, 2022: 6:42 PM – 12:11 AM ET

View the broadcast schedule here.

Dear Colleagues,

The Special Events team is beginning to plan the various events that will take place during the 2022 Commencement Weekend. As you know, Commencement is an “all hands on deck” weekend for our team, and yet even with all of us involved we still need the help of our Development colleagues. Some of you have blessed us in the past with your kindness and willingness to volunteer your time and we write to ask if you are able to volunteer again for this weekend.

We need assistance with the following events:

• May 14: Saturday Mass in Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center. We need volunteers from approximately 3:15 p.m. until 6:30 p.m.
• May 14: Saturday President’s Reception in Club Naimoli at the Joyce Center. We need volunteers to stay post Mass. Shift would begin immediately after Mass and ending at approximately 8:00 p.m.
• May 15: Sunday Commencement Ceremony. We need volunteers from approximately 7:00 a.m. until 9:30 a.m. to assist with seating in Development’s Preferred Seats and with the movement of the Platform Party.

Please click here to provide us with your availability.

We will provide specific details in the weeks closer to Commencement. Please know if you are a non-exempt staff volunteering, you will need to have your supervisor’s approval. If you can let us know by Monday, April 25th, that would be great!

Thank you for your selfless dedication to Our Lady.

In Notre Dame,
Scott Graham

Colleagues, 

In response to questions, we wanted to let everyone know that parking in the ESC garage on Saturday, April 23rd will not require any special request through BEAT.   

Parking is being handled on Saturday 4/23 as a normal business day. Anyone on campus this weekend, can use their parking access card to enter & exit the ESC garage. Kite will still require anyone using an access card to follow employee guidelines by parking on the second (2nd) floor or higher.  At a minimum, parking must be above the “bump” 1st floor ramp.

If you have any questions, please contact Dawn Smith (dsmith34@nd.edu) or Lana Taylor (ltaylor1@nd.edu)

Go Irish!

We are thrilled to announce that Kevin Vaughn has joined University Relations as the Corporate and Foundation Relations Research Analyst. For the first time, this position will be a member of the Prospect and Research Strategy team, though Kevin will be embedded in Corporate and Foundation Relations and fully dedicated to supporting their work. We anticipate a number of synergies will stem from Kevin’s presence on both teams.

Kevin comes to the Department of Development after almost five years in Graduate Enrollment Management. Previous roles include Graduate Studies Coordinator in the Department of History and, most recently, Assistant Director for Doctoral Studies at the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies. Kevin holds graduate degrees in organ and sacred music, including the Doctor of Music Arts in organ performance, from Notre Dame and serves as Director of Music and Organist at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in South Bend and accompanist for the South Bend Chamber Singers. Organists are good with details and data, so he’s looking forward to working in University Relations as a research analyst.

Please join us in welcoming Kevin to the division!

Andrea Swanagan and Amanda Retartha

Bernadette Suzanne Witous passed away peacefully, surrounded by nothing but love on Wednesday, April 13th. While we had hoped for a longer time with Bernie, we are beyond grateful for what we did get and and most importantly, that we were able to take her home before going home to the Lord.

There will be a Catholic service on Thursday, April 21st, at 11am with visitation at 10 at St. Pius X in Granger.

Memorial contributions can be made to the Center for Hospice https://foundationforhospice.org/donate/ or SJHS NICU project https://www.sjmedgiving.com/donate.

Thank you for the continued love, support, and prayers. We are forever grateful.

Jess, Mike and Michael

We are in the final week of planning for the True to Her Name recognition event to be held on campus on April 23, 2022. At this time, registration is closed. Invitations were launched on February 23rd to qualifying benefactors, and a reminder email was sent on March 14th to non-responders. The RSVP list, inclusive of the most recent portfolio assignments, may be accessed here. Benefactors will receive a detailed confirmation on April 18th, outlining their event attendance and how to access the electronic Blue-Gold tickets (if applicable).  

Schedule of Events for Saturday, April 23, 2022
10:00 a.m. Student Conversations: God and the Good Life
Featuring Meghan Sullivan, Wilsey Family College Professor of Philosophy and Director, Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Study
Location: Forum, Nanovic Hall

11:30 a.m. Pre-Game Hospitality
1:00 p.m. Kick-Off Blue-Gold Game
Location: Rasmus Family Club, Notre Dame Stadium

5:00 p.m.   Mass for the Second Sunday of Easter
Location: Basilica of the Sacred Heart

6:15 p.m.  Reception
Location: Morris Concourse, Stayer Center for Executive Education
6:45 p.m.  Dinner of Impact
Location: Commons A&B, Stayer Center for Executive Education

Please contact Tory Grimes with any other questions about this stewardship event.

It is my pleasure to welcome Laura Ruiz to the Gift Planning team as our newest Gift Planning Officer. Laura is an alumna of St. Mary’s College where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Political Science, and then earned her Juris Doctor from Loyola University in Chicago. Following her graduation from law school, Laura was a member of Northwestern University’s Development Department, where she drafted all gift agreements and interfaced directly with benefactors to explain gift agreement acceptance terms and limitations. Most recently, Laura served as an Associate at KPMG in Chicago, where she provided tax counsel to non-profit organizations.

Laura and her husband Bob are currently house hunting and are looking forward to calling South Bend home. Please join me in welcoming Laura to the team!

-Rich Naponelli

Colleagues,

I am writing to alert you of two updates to our Athletics Advancement & SRD Teams:

• Earlier this month, Kim Borza Donaldson and her husband, Adam, moved to New York City where Adam started a new role leading Business Development at a media startup. After two years of leading the Athletics Advancement team, Kim will be transitioning out of her current role at the end of the Fiscal Year.
• Please join me in celebrating the promotion of Riley Koval to Senior Director, Athletics Advancement. Riley started in Development in 2016, working as a Major Gifts Officer on the Annual Giving Team, before transitioning to Regional Development and serving benefactors in Phoenix, Denver, and San Francisco. Riley is a 2016 graduate of Notre Dame’s Law School, where during his tenure he worked for Notre Dame Football, the Minnesota Vikings, and the Athletic Department of the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill.

Kim will be working closely with Riley to transition this role prior to June 30th. Congratulations to Kim on her move, and to Riley on his new position!

Sara

Dear Colleagues,

It is my pleasure to welcome Kate Strieker to the Sorin Society team in Annual Giving as the new Giving Society Service Coordinator. Kate’s first day will be Tuesday, April 19th, and we are excited to welcome her to the team the week of Notre Dame Day!

Kate is joining the OnwardND team after serving as the client service associate at a boutique wealth management firm in the Chicago area for the last year. A graduate of Wheaton College, Kate also has a passion for the Young Life mission which is an organization she worked for following graduation. We are excited that Kate will bring with her a contagious enthusiasm for the Notre Dame mission and through her leadership, join us in serving our students through the thoughtful engagement of our giving society members.

In her free time, Kate enjoys the outdoors – either running, walking, or playing yard games – meaning she is sure to enjoy campus in the coming months! Also, and most importantly, congratulations are in order as Kate’s relocation to the South Bend area is coupled with the news of her engagement to Wynn Brown, a Notre Dame graduate, and former UR intern! Welcome, again, Kate!

With gratitude,
Pablo

Bernadette Suzanne Witous was born Saturday, April 9th. In January we learned that baby was a carrier of the same double dominant gene as Margot, so we regret to share that our time with this little bundle will be short. We are all home now, settled with “Bernie” under Hospice care.

Bernadette, “brave bear”, is proving to be just a strong and we hope she has a long fight in her before she joins her sister, Margot, in heaven.

Thank you for the continued support, we could not do this alone.

-Jessica Witous

Colleagues,

I write today with bittersweet news. Our wonderful colleague, Shayne Murphy, has accepted an exciting position as VP of Operations with Tosca managing 19 plants and over 1,000 employees.

It has been my great privilege to work alongside Shayne as a member of the East Coast team. During his time with our team, Shayne was disciplined and dedicated to the families he’s served in the DC/Baltimore area and we are grateful for his efforts and commitment to furthering Our Lady’s University over the past 2.5 years.

I know I speak on behalf of the entire team when I share he will be deeply missed. Due to the start date of his new position, Shayne’s last day with UR was yesterday. I encourage you to reach out to Shayne with your well wishes.

Thank you,
George

We’ve got some new things cooking over in the team formerly known as Resource Strategy and Administration. First, our new name: Organizational Strategy! Here, you will find a team of dedicated people, working with you to get to Yes! We’ll partner with you to manage your operating budget, get your benefactors the best tickets to football (and other events), find you an office space, and help you recruit wildly talented team members!

It is in this final charge that we have big news to share. Please join me in welcoming Adria Logan as our first-ever Associate Director of Resource Operations and Strategy. Beginning Monday, April 11, Adria will lead our Talent Acquisition team by partnering with managers to find the best talent, clarifying and streamlining our hiring process, and analyzing our hiring/people data to position UR best to reach our goals.

Adria earned a Master of Public Administration degree from Western Michigan University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Grand Valley State University. Adria joins us after a decade of service at Goshen Health where she gained a wealth of experiences through roles as Physician Recruiter, process improvement Coach, Business Manager, and most recently, Director of Revenue Cycle. In our reorganized team, Tara Gilchrist, Sheri Egendoerfer, and Nancy Cole will report directly to Adria.

Adria’s new “home” is 1108 Grace Hall, so please feel free to stop by or drop her a note (alogan3@nd.edu) of welcome!

In addition to this change, a huge congratulations is in order for Sheri Egendoerfer. Sheri has been promoted to Talent Acquisition Associate. In this role, Sheri is taking on additional consulting responsibilities for more roles. Go Sheri!

Tara Gilchrist, Sr. Talent Acquisition Consultant, will spearhead the ever-important sourcing for development positions. Nancy Cole will continue to provide critical coordination for the talent acquisition team as well as manage the assignment of office space and support a variety of financial and position management matters.

Please visit us in 11S Grace Hall! We’d love to see you!

Kathryn Valenti
Sr. Director of Organizational Strategy

Happy birthday to all our UR employees celebrating their special days in April! No fooling!

4/1 – Jessica Rizzo
4/1 – Kathleen O’Friel
4/1 – Steven Sollmann
4/1 – Tara Reilly
4/3 – Michael Connaughton
4/5 – Margriet Kapluck
4/6 – Austin Gammage
4/6 – Cindy Karpovs
4/6 – Ken Johnson
4/8 – Amanda Mckee
4/11 – Matthew Rombalski
4/12 – Joe Dietz
4/12 – Katy Orenchuk
4/15 – Amy Mason
4/16 – Michelle Jones
4/16 – Steve Orsini
4/18 – Dean Ernzen
4/18 – Jeff Faust
4/19 – Kristina Machalleck
4/19 – Rose Michalski
4/20 – Mark Helmke
4/22 – Rachel Parks
4/23 – Kat Gardner
4/24 – Angie Dennig
4/25 – Sarah Wodrich
4/27 – Katie Kerby
4/27 – Marie Labosky
4/27 – Ryan Brennan
4/27 – Sheila McMahon
4/29 – Pete Hlabse
4/30 – Andrew Frye