Her Story
About Kelly
I accidentally stepped into this field 28 years ago. I was pregnant and needed a job, so I started at KU Med Center as a medical record assistant. From there, I moved my way up to a senior coordinator, which is like an office manager position. My main area of expertise is process and procedure improvement. In my current role, I handle budget management, the graduate student program coordination, and event planning. I actually got denied a promotion because I didn't have a bachelor's degree, so I went back to school and got a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Management and Leadership at Friends University, graduating in 2004 as a full-time mom, which I was pretty proud of. In 2023, I received the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at KU Staff Appreciation Award, called Best of the Bunches. Only two people are selected, so I was very honored. Getting Employee of the Month at KU Med Center when I was in the School of Medicine made me realize that I was actually good at what I do and that this was what I was meant to be. I originally wanted to do education and specialize in special education, and I wanted to get my master's in teaching, but life got in the way. I found my niche and found what I'm good at.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Kelly
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to having a bad manager. I learned from him on what not to do. That experience taught me how to be a better leader by doing the total opposite of what I experienced. When I make a mistake, I'm the first one to run to my boss and say, hey, I did this, and this is what I'm doing to fix it. I learned that from working in environments where others would tell my boss about my mistakes before I could, which used to drive me nuts. Now I take responsibility immediately and focus on the solution.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received is to give yourself grace. It's okay to make mistakes because you're human, but just to hear you're human is just blah, but give yourself grace. I even tell my daughter this - I'm like, give yourself some grace, child! I also believe in continuing to learn so you don't go stale. Keep learning and growing throughout your career.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would tell young women entering this industry to give yourself grace, but also learn from your mistakes. Admit them. Take responsibility for your actions. I'm the first one to go to my boss when I make a mistake because I had one person in my office that would always tell my boss when I did something wrong before I could tell her, and it used to drive me nuts. So now, first thing I do, if I make a mistake, I run to my boss and say, hey, I did this, and this is what I'm doing to fix it. Don't let someone else tell your story - own it and show how you're going to make it right.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge in my field right now is the changing of technology. It's constant - keeping up to date on software, graphics, and branding. Oh my god, it's a lot to stay on top of.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
In my personal life, family is most important to me. At work, my relationships are what matter most. I've worked in a pretty hostile environment before, so being in a friendly, cohesive, appreciative environment makes a total difference in the world. That kind of positive workplace culture is everything to me now.
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