Meet-and-Greet with Dawn M. Rhodes, DBA, Chief Business and Finance Officer and Senior Vice President

We are so glad you are part of Administration and Finance! All new employees are invited to a meet and greet with both Vice President of A&F Dr. Dawn Rhodes and Nicole Palmore, Executive Director of the Office of Employee and Organizational Success. This informal gathering will help new hires learn about A&F culture, meet new colleagues, and jump-start your career. New employees are strongly encouraged to attend and will receive an email invitation from Dawn. Virtual and in-person options are available. Please contact Nicole Palmore if you have questions or missed your opportunity to attend.

UPCOMING SESSION ANNOUNCEMENT: March 25, 2025 | 9:00 - 10:30 AM.

A&F OPTIMIZED FOR SUCCESS SEARCH PROCESS

All A&F search committees should complete this training before beginning any new recruitment. This single-session, hourlong search kickoff empowers A&F team members with the knowledge and skills needed to create a successful search process. The training helps mitigate biases and create collective norms to optimize the search process to helping each team to identify, interview, and hire the best candidates.

For more information or to schedule training for your next hiring effort, please contact Nicole Palmore.

The Inclusive Conversations Series for Leaders

Based on the Book Inclusive Conversations by Mary Frances Winters, this lecture series explores the critical components of an organizational culture that facilitates meaningful dialogues around our collective similarities and differences, helping to create a strong culture of success. Please inquire about a complimentary copies of the book if interested. 

Next Session: TBD.

Employee Resource Groups and Affinity Spaces

A&F Employee Resource Groups are currently under development. The goal is to provide safe spaces for employees to be together, share experiences, and gain resources.

A&F members have initiated the creation of the following groups. If you are interested in joining one of the following groups or have another idea for a group, please contact Nicole Palmore.

Please note that these are YOUR groups. If there's a support group that you might be interested in but don't see it listed, please ask.

ALL ARE WELCOME!

• A&F Women
• Women of Color
• LGBTQIA+
• Neurodivergent and Mental Health
• Caregivers of All Kinds
• Grief Support Group
• Mature Professionals 
• Young Professionals 

A&F Advisory Committee

Your voice matters! The A&F Office of Employee and Organizational Success helps inform and advise on plans and initiatives that will help support all A&F employees. The committee meets monthly, helping ensure that every A&F employee thrives.

If you are interested in getting involved with the committee, contact Nicole Palmore.

Goodwill Excel Center High School Diploma Program

Exclusively for A&F employees, the Goodwill Excel Center helps you earn a tuition-free high school diploma. Through this program, employees will receive time off from regularly scheduled work to attend classes at the Excel Center near the UMB campus. During the program, participants will develop relationships with staff and fellow students to encourage your progress and academic progress. UMB currently has 5 scholars who are earning their degrees and will begin graduating in 2025. 

The program offers drop-in daycare, embedded job training, transportation assistance, and life coaches to help you manage your work/class/life balance. To take the first step, please reach out to Nicole Palmore.

FREE Camp Hippodrome EXCLUSIVELY for A&F Kids!

A beloved tradition for two years and counting, Theatre Day from the Hippodrome is open to Administration and Finance employee kids aged kindergarten to 12th grade. This FREE one-day camp is held at at the world-famous Hippodrome Theatre! This highly sought-after summer camp introduces kids to theater, music, dance, improv, performing, and more. The participants put on a brief show at the end of the day!

Who: Any A&F child, siblings, or grandkid, ages 5-17
What: A&F Day CAMP HIPPODROME
When: TBD, July 2025
Where: The Hippodrome, 12 N. Eutaw St.
Why: Because every child is a superstar in the making

This opportunity is always reserved for A&F families. You can enroll as many children as you want. The camp will provide free lunch. Plus, you can drop off, pick up, and attend the show without using any leave time! Watch this space for additional details. 

WISER Together for A&F Employees

WISER Together is an interactive program for all A&F employees where we explore the tents of our Guiding Principles. This series serves as foundational learning in order to create a more successful workplace where every employee in A&F thrives. 

The WISER Together initiative will officially roll out in early 2025. There will be more exciting information to come soon.