Please welcome Rebecca Withey to University Relations! Rebecca joins the Development Coordinator team and will support Sherita Jackson, Bob Morton, and Shannon Forry.

Rebecca recently relocated from Sacramento, California, where she served as an Instructional Assistant for the Radio, Television, and Video Production Department at Cosumnes River College. During her summer months, she would direct a children’s STEM-centric Technology Camp on University Campuses such as Berkeley and San Jose State University. After working 20 years in the corporate tech sector and media, she went back to school and earned degrees in Communication Studies & Applied Art and Design at Sierra College.

Fun fact about Rebecca – she has written, produced, and directed several film projects that made it into various California film festivals including her award-winning Children’s Short, The Mighty Oak. She has two children who still live on the West Coast: Jonathan (age 27) and Emily (age 22). She currently lives in Elkhart with her fiancé Charles Lane and his teenage son, Reo.

Rebecca’s first day will be Tuesday (6/15). Welcome to Notre Dame, Rebecca!

In recognition of her contributions to Notre Dame, University Relations, and Academic Advancement, we’re pleased to share the news of Kelly Courington’s promotion to Development Associate, effective July 1, 2021. In addition to her ongoing responsibilities, Kelly will now also lead the efforts of our Academic Advancement team in providing a predictable schedule of meaningful and immersive fundraiser experiences, directly tied to promoting fundraising opportunities. These experiences will serve to further inform fundraisers and inspire donors about the University’s ambitions.

Congratulations, Kelly!

-Michael Loungo

It is with bittersweet emotions that I share that Amy Plotkin will be leaving Notre Dame effective July 2. Amy’s
husband, Brian, has accepted the position of Head Soccer Coach at West Point Academy in New York. Amy
has been a valuable member of the Development Coordinator team for the past three years. She has also
served as our liaison to the Internal Engagement committee where she organized multiple volunteer
opportunities and health and wellness initiatives for the entire UR group. Please join me in bidding a fond
farewell to Amy as she enters this next chapter of her life.

Thank you,
Angie Dennig

Congratulations to Development Coordinator Katie Edel on the birth of her new daughter! Casey and Katie welcomed Holland Elizabeth to their family on 6/11 at 7:45am. She weighed 6.11 lbs (matching her bday!) and was 19.5″

Best wishes to the happy family!

Our contact at the Food Bank of Northern Indiana has reached out to ask if anyone can assist them on Friday, June 18 or Monday, June 21 at their 702 Chapin St. location. They will have several people out on those days, including one of their pantry staff. If you can work any of the below shifts or can dedicate any amount of time to help, please contact Agency Relations Director Brandy Love at blove@feedindiana.org. This could serve as a great team building opportunity that will also benefit our larger community.

Friday, June 18
9am – noon
12-3pm

Monday, June 21
9am – noon
12-3pm

Thank you for your service to our Michiana neighbors in need!

Dear Procard holders,

As you are aware, the end of the fiscal year (June 30, 2021) is nearly here. Please take a minute to read the following two important reminders of year-end procedures as they pertain to your Procard statement reports and the underlying Fund/Org to which your Concur account defaults.

Transaction Timing
Remember that because Procard months range from the 26th to the 25th, the Procard year-end is actually June 25th.

To ensure that a Procard purchase is recorded in the current budget year, the transaction must be posted into your June Concur statement. Due to normal posting delays by Chase, please be aware that a Procard purchase made on or after June 22nd will likely be posted in your JULY Procard Statement Report and consequently into Fiscal 2022.

If you intend to make purchases in Fiscal 2021 with your Procard (especially if using unrestricted funds), you should do so before June 22nd.

Procard Statement Report Submission and Approval
It is extremely important that you complete ALL outstanding Procard Statement Reports (and have them approved) before July 6th.

Procard activity is recorded in the University accounting system only after the monthly report has been submitted and approved. Until then, the transactions remain in a clearing account and are not properly applied against the applicable research, discretionary, or administrative account. We will make an adjusting entry at year-end forcing all outstanding reports to be recorded in the current Fiscal Year. HOWEVER, all transactions on this adjusting entry will be to the cardholder’s default FOP and Supplies (72001). To ensure that your transactions are recorded correctly, please submit your Procard statements in June. Then take a moment to remind your Approver to approve as soon as possible, but no later than July 6th.

Please note we are unable to move Procard transactions posted after the fiscal year close back into Fiscal 2021 (the “old” year). If your intent is to make any Procard purchases using current “old” fiscal year dollars, please review your current budget and purchasing needs and plan accordingly.

While restricted account (e.g., research or discretionary) balances roll over into the new fiscal year, it is always best to have transactions posted in the proper period–especially because outstanding report balances will be charged to Supplies in FY 2021, regardless of the underlying transactions.

If I can be of any assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Best regards,
Mike Favorite
Senior Financial Analyst, Office of the Controller

Happy Birthday to all our colleagues celebrating their special days in June! We hope your year is filled with fun and sun!

6/3 – Cristi Ganyard
6/3 – Shayne Murphy
6/3 – Pier White
6/4 – Marcia Hittner
6/8 – Dawn McGrath
6/8 – Megan Andedo
6/8 – Maureen Daday
6/8 – Matt LaFlash
6/8 – Sharon Keane
6/9 – Michael Loungo
6/11 – Bill Ribera
6/12 – Carolyn Lax
6/13 – Mark Futa
6/16 – Rich Reynolds
6/17 – Noel Terranova
6/19 – William Mitchell
6/21 – Brigette Kinney
6/22 – Anastasia Envall-Latowski
6/22 – George Mandarakas
6/22 – Marilyn Bassett-Lance
6/29 – Mark Witucki
6/30 – Jessica Witous

Please see the below schedule of important dates about processing transactions and payments around fiscal year end.

fy21_ye_close_schedule_campus

All aboard the Notre Dame Fund Express! You may have read “Fund” as “Fun” – and both are correct! In this role you will raise $4M by wielding your excellent writing, process management, and data-analysis skills to inspire continued giving to the Notre Dame Fund. Please click this link for more details and to apply. This role closes Tuesday, June 8th at 11:59PM. Reach out to hiring manager Katie Kerby if you’d like more information beyond the job posting.

I am pleased to announce that effective July 1, 2021, James Riley will assume the new role of Senior Director of Internal Engagement, Diversity & Inclusion. In addition to his leadership for internal engagement, James’ role will be expanded to include responsibility for the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Unity efforts across the UR division.

James will lead the DEIU Task Force and the 100+ volunteers serving on various DEIU committees to continue embedding a strong culture of DEIU in UR. Many thanks to Shelby Carroll and George West, who together with James, have led the Task Force for the last 10 months with tremendous passion and huge success! They will continue to be heavily involved in our DEIU efforts.

By including the leadership of UR’s DEIU efforts in James’ role, we ensure our aspirational vision will be combined with the processes and resources to create sustained and proactive change. In this newly expanded role, James and his team will curate and develop DEIU trainings for UR staff, including inclusive management and cultural sensitivity development, collaborate closely with teams and senior leadership on new programs and communication related to diversity and inclusion, participate in building a culture that is welcoming of individuals of all races, ethnicities, religions, national origin, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, parental status, age, ability, and veteran status and frequently assess progress through focus groups and climate surveys, provide counsel on fundraising initiatives, engagement plans, and communication strategies to optimize and adhere to principles of diversity and inclusion, partner with the Talent Acquisition team and Diversity Catalysts to provide guidance to hiring managers and committees to ensure consistent approaches are followed in our hiring process, and more.

James will continue to build and manage a trusted Internal Engagement function that creates programs and processes to support the UR employee experience throughout the entire employment lifecycle, including on-boarding, professional development, talent management, internal communication and engagement opportunities.

Also effective July 1st, Kathryn Valenti will assume the additional role of leadership of talent acquisition and recruiting for UR, as the Senior Director, Resource Strategy and Administration. Tara Gilchrist and Sheri Egendoerfer’s Talent Acquisition team will merge with the Finance Administration and Strategy team. The newly formed team will help streamline processes and bring enhanced focus to the use of University Relations’ resources – people/hiring, finance, athletic and event tickets – as we move into Campaign 9.

-Heather