The Sharp Record - KUMC edition!
Friends:
This newsletter is long overdue! I have a habit of putting off newsletters so I’m not junk in your inbox. That habit gets me into trouble because now there is SO much good news to tell!
You’ll see about my cool new job in Personal Activities below, but I also wanted to update on Dan and Anna. Some of you know Dan changed jobs earlier this year. As an engineer at Harley-Davidson for seven years, he decided it was time to move into management. He was offered a job as engineering manager at Pentair Water (you may know it as Fairbanks-Morse) in KCK. They manufacture HUGE water pumps, mostly for municipalities (and recession-proof!). New Orleans-huge, to give you some context. He loves it there and the commute is much shorter. Plus, I love not paying the taxation-without-representation KCMO tax for working there!
Anna just turned 1 and there are a few pics on my FB page: www.facebook.com/4stephaniesharp. She’s so fun right now and is very into animals and talks up a storm whenever she sees or hears them. We’re taking her to Deanna Rose for the first time today, so that will be a hoot!
Announcements – COOL stuff going on at JCCC
Personal Activities – my new job!
Board Activities
HR Committee
Foundation Board
Where's Waldo
Kansas Quiz
Resources
Announcements
I always want to highlight some of the cool things going on. JCCC is frequently talked about as a “hidden gem” so I’m trying to un-hide it!
The Culinary School’s pastry team shares their wares on Friday afternoons in OCB 145. If you park in the new parking garage on the east side of campus, OCB is directly behind the Billington Library.
If you’re really in the doghouse, you can also get flowers at the same place! The Horticulture department sells student floral arrangements in the hallways just outside of the pastry shop.
If you aren’t in the mood for a Redbox at your house but want to catch a just-released movie on a big screen, come to campus! Movies and 2 bags of popcorn are just $0.50 for students and $1 for the public! This is just another great opportunity to take advantage of your community resource – JCCC. For more information, check out http://www.jccc.edu/home/depts.php/5201/site/Movies
Personal Activities
Yep, you read that right. After more than 2 years with CommunityAmerica
Credit Union, I have joined the team at the University of Kansas
Medical Center (KUMC). My role at KUMC will basically be to make sure
all of YOU know the great things that are going on at the Medical
Center. As the Director of Community Relations, I will work with
community leaders and organizations, Chambers of Commerce, and health
care stakeholders to strengthen our role in the communities we serve
(aka Kansas). Dr. Marci Nielsen is my new boss, she was previously the
head of the KS Health Policy Authority.
I am very excited to be back in the health care industry, especially with KUMC’s focus on cancer and achieving National Cancer Institute designation as a Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCC). There is a lack of available treatment programs for Kansas as a whole, but rural Kansas especially. To get to an accredited CCC, Kansas have to drive a minimum of 250 miles. Many of you know this because you’ve been to M.D. Anderson in Houston or Mayo in Rochester.
That’s unacceptable when you could have the opportunity to seek state-of-the-art treatment in your own backyard, within reasonable traveling distance for your family and friends. You get the idea – you’ve heard my sermon before! Hold onto your hats – we’re applying for designation in Fall 2011!
Check out the video, Driven to Cure license plate, and clinical trials information on the application countdown page: http://www.cancer.ku.edu/
Disclaimer: If you’ve ever faced cancer up-close, you’ll need Kleenexes for the video.
Board Activities
It has been a very exciting few months as a new Trustee. Although I was elected in April, I did not take office until July 1. So at this point, I have participated in four meetings, all of which have been an astounding example of what an amazing resource JCCC is to this community. Just about the time I think I’ve wrapped my head around most of the great offerings, I hear about even more (like the movies mentioned above).
- In December, we will break ground on an Allied Health building that will house the nursing program. The astonishing growth of the college overall, but specifically in the nursing and culinary (see #3) programs have necessitated this next step. Due to the generous donation of land from the Olathe Medical Center, and the support with your tax dollars, we are able to train more health care professionals for our community’s growing health care demands.
- Over the next few years, we will be considering a new facility for the Culinary Arts program. Recognized as one of the top culinary programs in the United States, students leaving JCCC’s school are quickly launched into the upper echelons of the global restaurant community. Many of these students start out in the $50,000+ salary range! Kansas City’s burgeoning foodie community is due in large part to the skill and creativity of JCCC chefs.
- As you’ve read in the press, our student enrollment is up about 8-10 percent from last year, which exacerbates the need for more classroom space. Both of these programs will free-up space in the main campus buildings, allowing more sections of more classes. This availability will reduce the lines and server overloads while trying to get into limited sections of classes needed to graduate!
HR Committee
Each Trustee has faculty/staff committees they sit on to represent the Board. I sit on the HR and Foundation committees.
As for HR, I can’t tell you or I’ll have to kill you… It’s not really THAT bad, but I can’t really talk much about it because the committee deals with faculty and staff hiring/firing issues. We have also dealt with contracts regarding health, retirement, and EAP benefits, as well as the recent controversy about the Request for Proposals (RFP) for legal counsel. The last RFP was postponed and the applications have since expired. Our committee decided to reissue the request and take up consideration of the legal contract again. That should happen by early next year. I will keep you updated!
Foundation Board
It has been an exciting season for the Foundation. We are currently working on a strategic plan that dovetails with the JCCC strategic plan: http://www.jccc.edu/home/depts.php/001000/site/StrategicPlan. The Foundation was just restructured due to some tax law changes and there are fewer board members and a separate Executive Committee. There have been A LOT of meetings, dinners, presentations, and focus groups for the Foundation. All I can say is that Joe Sopcich and Kristy McDaniel should star in a reality show about being half superhero. I’m convinced they must have more hours in their days. Or they don’t sleep. Or eat.
The marquee event of the year is coming up – Some Enchanted Evening. It is an AWESOME event. Even Dan doesn’t complain about wearing a tux to this one because the food is so incredible. I think there are 25 coursesJ. Plus, the best part is hearing the student stories about how the scholarships raised through that event helped turn around lives. Wear waterproof mascara.
If you can, I would highly encourage you to come to this event: http://www.jccc.edu/home/depts.php/003200/site/calendar/enchantedevening
Where's Waldo?
China
It has been a crazy few months. I mentioned in my previous newsletter about going to China. As an alumni of the American Council of Young Political Leaders (ACYPL), I was selected to join a group of 20 other alumni to celebrate ACYPL’s 30th anniversary of exchanges with China. I was very humbled to be included in this group. The group included a UNICEF and Peace Corp director, a Roe v. Wade lawyer, a national political party leader, and National Federation of Republican Women chair, etc. You get the idea.
It was a fast (4 days on the ground) and rewarding trip. We met with top Chinese officials, including the 4-time Olympian for table tennis, and toured the Beijing Olympic facilities (Bird’s Nest, Water Cube).
England/Scotland
Dan and I took a “grown-ups” trip to the UK in September. We first went to Edinburgh, which was a lovely, friendly city. We rented a car and headed for Stirling Castle and Tillicoultry, which is my ancestral home. We checked out a church where my family were Elders, had a pint in a pub owned by my ancestors, and browsed through gravestones. We also enjoyed some of the Highland “water” at a few distilleries and ended up in Dufftown at the Speyside Scotch Whisky Festival. Then on to London. It was Dan’s first time, so we checked out all the tourist sites and great restaurants. I convinced him to go to the theater (it was my birthday after all). We saw Lion King and were very impressed!
Besides that, I’ve had at about one JCCC meeting per week, plus transitioning out of my old job and into my new one! I’m in the middle of a phone switch, so my phone and computer aren’t syncing, or I would add a complete list!
Kansas Quiz
Last Question:
- In my last newsletter, I shared about Café Tempo. Did you pay a visit and if so, what did you think? If not, what are you waiting for?! (no wrong/right answer)
- Who promoted the Sharp Record on a local radio talk show?
- Give one example of other videos available on the JCCC video website?
- 2009 is JCCC’s 40th birthday. Name just one other Kansas City institution celebrating the same anniversary this year (there are a few correct answers).
Answer: The correct answers I received first from Jim Quigley: 2) “Roger from Overland Park”, 3) candidate forums, and 4) the Kansas City Royals.
Jim got to pick from his choice of Carlsen Center events to attend!
Question: Instead of a question, I want to reward those JCCC alumni readers!!! If you earned a degree or certificate from JCCC, reply to this email. The first TWO to answer will win their choice of Carlsen Center tickets, and recognition in the next edition of the Sharp Record.
Resources
JCCC Board of Trustees meetings on video: http://video.jccc.edu/board.htm
KS Legislative Research: http://skyways.lib.ks.us/ksleg/KLRD/klrd.html
Johnson County Election Office - www.jocoelection.org
Upcoming Board of Trustees meetings: http://www.jccc.edu/home/depts.php/000001/site/BoardMeetingInfo/Board_Meeting_Dates
Find your long lost CASH!!! http://www.kansascash.com/prodweb/up/disclaimer_page.php
Please do not hesitate to contact me about these or any other issues of interest to you. I appreciate the opportunity to represent you on the Board of Trustees.
Stephanie Sharp
Trustee
Johnson County Community College
12345 College Blvd
Overland Park, KS 66210
www.facebook.com/4stephaniesharp
www.twitter.com/4stephaniesharp
913-579-4376
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