by Dan ReedJanuary 17, 2024

It’s not easy launching an international division when your team is to be scattered across two continents, in five countries, spanning eight time zones. Then you add in the challenges surrounding local customs and circumstances, the ever-changing legal and financial regulations that must be carefully followed, and of course the constant state of flux of the world in general. But such is life in the International Operations (IO) division in Administration and Finance (A&F) at the University of Maryland, Baltimore.

Recently, the entire IO team had the opportunity to gather in Baltimore for the first time since the division’s inception in July 2022. Growing from its initial four to now 11 full-time employees, the gathering represented the first in-person meeting for most members of the team.

The IO team members traveling to the United States included Isabel Nshimbi from Zambia, Aisha Rashid from Kenya, David Ng’onamo from Malawi, Chris Nyirongo from Malawi, and Richard Nzinyangwa Tassani from Tanzania. Local team members include Atiq Abbas, Herty Cortez Diaz, Dan Fabbro, Danielle Hill, Ken Nisbet, and Anna Schowengerdt, who are all living in the greater Baltimore-Washington, D.C. region.

Moving Beyond Virtual

After a year of connecting virtually, the plan was to gather together and reflect on what they’ve accomplished and learned, to assess their challenges and opportunities, and consider plans for the future. And, of course, to get to know one another in a way that was impossible through virtual meetings.

The gathering eclipsed expectations, and all involved were effusive in their feedback.

“The visit and experience were enriching and broadened my knowledge of UMB,” said Nshimbi, international IT manager. “Most importantly, I was able to appreciate the role of our department in providing a service that many would find intimidating and uncertain to navigate, and the potential it has to cover more areas within UMB.”

Ng’onamo, international procurement senior specialist, found the people, and certain aspects of American life, captivating. “Meeting Dawn Rhodes [chief business and finance officer and vice president] gave me an opportunity to speak and listen to her. I asked her some questions, and all that came out is that she is an altruistic person. I also noticed that Americans use a lot of ice in their beverages, and how big things are in the America, especially the cars and trucks,” Ng’onamo said.

When asked what stood out to her, Rashid, international human resources manager, said, “I gained a better understanding of UMB in general and an appreciation of the role of the A&F department in driving UMB’s vision. I was also surprised by how big the campus was compared to our local universities.  Walking from the hotel to the campus on the first day was a bit intimidating, but I quickly got used to it.  I even discovered a food truck that sold Halal food, which become my favorite food vendor.”

The team had several granular objectives for the retreat, including taking stock of what International Operations has accomplished during this first year, identifying ways to improve its support to UMB’s work outside the U.S., building individual and collective knowledge and skills on a wide variety of topics, and team building and getting to know each other better, something that doesn’t happen very easily through a webcam.

“As a part of UMB’s Administration & Finance department, we pride ourselves on delivering outstanding service ‘one interaction at a time,’ ” said Anna Schowengerdt, assistant vice president, IO. “It was a busy week! We made quite a number of interpersonal connections between IO team members and their counterparts and customers across campus, which I believe will open doors for better cross-learning and communication.”

Coffee and Conversations 

One event during the week that helped strengthen those interpersonal connections was IO’s Coffee and Conversations reception with select UMB guests. Atiq Abbas, manager, international finance and procurement, made sure the reception attendees had a taste of the flavors of his home country of Afghanistan. His contribution to the feast table included kulcha (a shortbread cookie), namak paray (a salty snack), and gunzakhi (another cookie). He also included a traditional Afghani cake.

While the group achieved all of its objectives, it also came away with a robust set of objectives for the coming year and beyond, including the continued improvement of its resources and services, building its expertise in new operational sub-specialties relevant to UMB’s international work, and partnering with the Center for Global Engagement (CGE) to ensure the jointly led Global Hub continues to meet the University’s evolving needs and strategic priorities.

“This in-person retreat was an investment in us – not just in terms of my department budget, but in terms of everyone’s time away from home and family – and I believe we made the most of it,” Schowengerdt said. “Hopefully we will be able to make it an annual event. If you’re curious about UMB’s international efforts, please visit globalhub@umaryland.edu to learn more about what we’re doing, and what both IO and CGE can do for you!”