Develops mutually respectful relationships with team members
In this section, I will be exploring ways I have developed mutually respectful relationships with my team members. My key examples for this section are my relationships with the Advancement Team, Business Office, Facilities, Dining Services, Administrative Staff Council, and the Tech Team.
“Many times she has made herself available to help me while I run to find someone or get something. I’ve seen her when there are events being set up, volunteering to get or do whatever is needed to complete the project. She is always friendly and cheerful! Her sense of humor helps everyone get it done with more than extra enthusiasm!” -Scott Hockert
Advancement Team
Like many other teams at EPS, the Advancement Team is composed of a small but mighty team of two employees. The colleague that I collaborate with the most on a monthly, weekly, and daily basis is Vickie Baldwin (Director of Advancement). Over the years, we have been able to refine our team collaborations as I have continued to develop my professional skills. Our mutually respectful relationship has been well established in both formal and informal ways. Formally, we have a meeting once a week to go over current projects, look ahead at the next couple of weeks, and work through any issues we have run into with our projects. I use our team meetings as an opportunity to identify issues I have seen with our projects and propose solutions. Informally, the close proximity of our offices allows us to build our relationship through quick chats, check-ins, and the occasional exchange of humor or a joke (which is core value of EPS culture). Over the years, we have come to respect and trust one another as we have navigated professional “wins” and “losses” together. Beyond our work tasks, I know that Vickie and I truly care for one another as people, which allows us to have deeper trust and effective collaboration in our work, which we rely on during our most hectic seasons.
“Katie is a team player and problem solver. I have seen her adapt multiple times in the context of a task or and large school event.” -Matt Delaney
Facilities and Dining Services
For our meetings, small group gatherings, and special events, I work closely with the Facilities and Dining Services Teams. An important focus of my role is developing and maintaining mutually respectful relationships with these teams. This process begins when I create an entry in FMX, which is the official communication platform for Facilities and Dining Services. I use FMX to reserve space, parking, and make requests for Facilities and Dining Services. Next, I plan and facilitate meetings with these teams to go over the FMX requests, discuss details, and answer any additional questions. I find out which plans are most feasible for Facilities and Dining Services and make edits to the FMX entries accordingly. Collecting RSVPs and keeping accurate headcounts is an important piece of information to communicate with Dining Services to make sure we have the proper amount of food and reduce waste. Evaluating and communicating changes to event setup, tear down, and facilities needs is important for showing respect to the Facilities Team. Over the years, I have grown in my ability to provide detailed information and communicate in order to facilitate respectful and effective collaboration with the Dining Services and Facilities Teams.
“When it came to replacing the failing espresso machine, Katie was very supportive of the new unit. I asked if she would be willing to help us monitor the new unit, and she has been very helpful in restocking the fridge, alerting us when it needs service, and ensuring it’s working smoothly. This is an example of a seemingly small thing that could easily fall through the cracks (“it’s not my job”). But because Katie was willing to assist with it, espresso enthusiasts have enjoyed hot beverages on the 4th floor all year without interruption.” -Jordan Lettau
Business Office
Another domain of my position is fundraising and database management. I enter every pledge, gift, and matching gift that EPS receives into our database (Generations), generate acknowledgement letters and send them to our donors. I work closely with the Business Office Team to make sure our donation records match. Every month, I collaborate with Lani Bowker (Accounts Receivable) to make sure all gifts have been properly recorded and make adjustments as necessary. When we receive complex gifts such as split gifts, advance payments, or endowment donations, I communicate with Lani to make sure the donations are allocated correctly in both the Advancement and Finance record keeping systems.
During financial audits, the Business Office receives a list of gifts that the auditors need reports for and I collect that information and submit it to the team. The auditors also ask for contact information for selected donors, which I am able to provide from Generations. I also make an effort to submit my monthly expense reports on time to Dhivya Ramanujam (Accounts Payable). Though communication, attention to detail, and timely submission of my work, I have been able to develop mutually respectful relationships with the Business Office Team.
“I’ve observed Katie willingly contribute her ideas, observations, and opinions during team collaborations, meetings, and/or school events. She is confident, intelligent, willing to help where needed, and a team player. “ -Lani Bowker
“Katie is respectful and collaborative during staff/team meetings. She listens, asks GREAT questions and offers helpful and respectful feedback.” -Dona Hunter
Technology Team
Another team I have worked with closely over the years is the Technology Team. Derek Clarke (Director of IT Operations) has trained me in new skills including navigating WordPress, MailChimp, Filezilla, and the daily slides. I have grown in my tech competencies by taking over small edits on the website, such as adding new faculty to the website in the summer. After the weekly Friday email communication goes out to EPS families, I archive that information on the website using WordPress. I work closely with Derek when our team needs support with MailChimp, the email tool that we use to send mass email communications to our families. I use MailChimp for important communications to families including grade level emails from Class Reps and Graduation communications. Derek trained me in how to create a weblink of a PDF that can be included in an email (using a tool called FileZilla), since MailChimp does not support email attachments. When I’ve run into issues with the Generations database, I’ve worked closely with Jannell Denhart (now Ellie Ciot) to problem solve and run through testing. I’ve learned a lot about the TALI 4th floor printer over the years by working with Jack Nolan (Tech Support Specialist), who is our resident printer expert. I’ve worked with both Derek and Ellie on working out issues with the daily slideshow, which is an important source of information for the EPS community. Through all of these projects, I have worked to respond in a timely manner, persevere when finding solutions, and approach issues as a learner while collaborating with the Technology Team.
“If you were to look at the Tech Team on the website or in the Opening Meetings slideshow, you would see a small team consisting of Jack Nolan, Ellie Ciot, Jonathan Briggs, and myself. However, that’s not the full picture. While Katie may officially work under the umbrella of Institutional Advancement, in reality, she is an integral part of the larger Tech Team. Over the past few years, she has taken on increasing responsibility for our forward-facing website, social media presence, outbound digital communication, and internal signage.” -Derek Clarke
“Katie has been great at collaborating in dealing with tech issues that arise in the Admin offices. She’s willing to learn new “tricks” and then uses those to keep things running smoothly. She’s very smart and picks up new strategies as well as figures things out on her own. She’s been great to work with.” -Jack Nolan
Administrative Staff Council (ASC)
Another team that I communicate with and support regularly is the Administrative Staff Council (ASC). As admins, we work together and support one another during peak busy seasons, which may happen at different times of the school year. I have been able to support other members of the ASC in their projects and they have always supported me with mine. I have worked with Randi Peterson (MS Executive Assistant) to support her in preparing for Back-to-School Night by printing nametags and attaching them to student schedules. I have worked closely with Karla Harris (Student Life Coordinator) to complete the senior pages in the yearbook and with grade level coordinator Anne Duffy to make sure important senior deadlines are being communicated effectively.
I have experienced the mutual respect that the members of the ASC have for me when they support me and Vickie in the Graduation event, where we need their help to make the day a success. By helping one another with our projects, I can say that I have developed mutually respectful relationships with my colleagues in ASC and beyond in the full EPS staff community.
“I have seen Katie increase in her role on the ASC, planning and leading PDD sessions. Katie always has a positive attitude about trying PDD session activities and learning new things.” -Jenn Chi
“Katie has developed a good understanding and appreciation for the folks that help support her department.” -Jeff Sternitzky
Affinity Groups
Another team that I have developed mutually respectful relationships with are the EPS Affinity Groups. As an adult facilitator of the MS and US Christian Affinity Groups, I’ve worked with both student leaders and adults over the years to foster belonging for students in this demographic. Affinity Groups are where shared identities come together in one space, while still looking unique in practice and experience.
A few years ago, I work closely with a group of students that helped start the MS Christian Affinity Group. This year, I’ve been working with Alek Edmonds as a co-sponsor on the adult facilitator side, and we’ve been exploring various topics and projects we can bring to the student groups. As I reflect, I can see how working with Affinity Groups has given me the opportunity to develop mutually respectful relationships with both adults and students in the EPS community. Growth often happens when putting ourselves in vulnerable situations and stepping out into facilitating two affinity spaces has been that area of growth for me. I never know exactly what will happen in those spaces; our meetings have been different every time. I believe that the respect that I have been building with the students will continue to bring us together in our shared identity and allow us to navigate those vulnerable areas in order to grow.
“I think Katie has taken on an important position within our school and is committed to high-quality work. I would love to see her better highlighted to students and faculty. I think Katie represents an important subset of our students and finding ways for them to see the values of affinity is so worthwhile.” -Monica Cowdery
“I also appreciate your leadership in guiding an affinity group for students. Your efforts in fostering inclusion and connection across different groups are truly valuable.” -Anonymous
Reflection: Areas of Awareness and Growth
As I reflect, I’ve realized that a key element of being a leader is stewarding healthy relationships, both professionally and personally. In order to influence and guide the community, team, or group I am leading, I need to foster my relationships with those people. My hope is to continue to grow these relationships not just as surface level connections, but as mutually respectful, functional, and beneficial relationships. At the start of my PDP process, I wrestled with my view of myself as a leader. I felt that a real “leader” needed to have the word Director in their job title. My PDP team helped me reframe my definition of leadership and see the ways that I am already leading in the community. In his book Managing Leadership Anxiety, Steve Cuss describes it this way, “Healthy leadership operates out of gifting, not platform, so it operates regardless of your status in the organization. This is why some people can have a huge impact without an official platform – just their very personality and gifting is why you follow them.” (p. 193-194)
With this new perspective on leadership, I have started to see the ways that my relationships are a vehicle for leadership. Throughout my years at EPS, I have had touch points with Facilities, Dining Services, Business Office, Tech Team, ASC, Affinity Groups, and more. Now, I have started to see the ways I can be a leader from my current position, regardless of my position in our organization. In the future, I want to continue to grow as a leader by continuing to focus on my role in teams, collaborations, and relationships, as well as leaning into mentoring that I can receive from other leaders at EPS.
Participates actively and constructively in team collaborations and meetings
In this section, I will be exploring ways I have participated actively and constructively in team collaborations and meetings. My key examples for this section include working with my own team, Association of Parents and Guardians, Administrative Staff Council, Education Beyond the Classroom, and new employee mentoring.
Advancement Team
One example of team collaboration would be within my own team, where I work and collaborate most frequently. Usually in our team meetings we review current projects, provide status updates, go over questions, and come up with solutions to problems. Vickie and I often collaborate by working on the same projects but focusing on different aspects of that project. I will take my tasks, work on them, then report back with questions or issues. One example of our team collaboration would be the Graduation event. We divide up the tasks – Vickie works on the seating chart, program, speeches, order of ceremony and planning final details with the venue. I work on logistics like packing list items, robes, organizing staff volunteers, early entry for guests, and organizing lines for the processional. Our team also collaborates with other teams for our events. For example, we partner with Upper School to plan and facilitate an on-campus picnic for the 9th grade in the fall. We also help facilitate the US New Family Welcome event, which is a collaboration between Advancement, Admissions, and the Upper School teams.
“I so appreciate working with Katie on planning the 9th grade picnic in the fall. She is able to think about all the constituencies: kids, parents, advisors, and “the school.” This is an event that is such an important part of the 9th grade experience and I so appreciate her organization and attention to detail in thinking through this event.” -Verity Sayles
Association of Parents and Guardians / Class Representatives
In working with the Association of Parents and Guardians (APG), there are multiple ways that I participate in team collaborations. I support the Class Representatives subgroup in a variety of capacities, including reserving space on campus for Back-to-School Picnics, printing nametags, preparing for meetings, and sending monthly email communications. The Class Reps put their email info into a template and send that over to me. I format the email in MailChimp and send a test to the Class Reps for their review. Once the message has been approved by the Class Reps, I send the final email out to the entire grade.
Within the APG, there are two key subgroups of parent volunteers that I collaborate with and support frequently. The Hospitality Team supports our parent events, primarily Fall Harvest and the All School BBQ. I listen to the volunteers, offer feedback, and communicate via email as we finalize themes, menus, décor, and day of event detailed plans. The Faculty Staff Appreciation Team coordinates seasonal gifts and expressions of appreciation for EPS faculty and staff, including a Fall Gift, Holiday Gift Basket, Valentine’s Gift, and Faculty/Staff Appreciation Week. I have meetings with the FSA team to determine which ideas are feasible, then collaborate with them to finalize a project timeline and reserve workspaces. I collect and store the purchased gift items then pull them out of storage for assembly. Finally, I collaborate with the Facilities team to make sure our work spaces are cleaned up properly, then manage gift distribution to the Faculty/Staff community.
“Katie plays a pivotal role in organizing our hospitality committee meetings, ensuring they’re well-structured and productive. She meticulously documents discussions, contributes valuable ideas, and provides on-site support during events, ensuring all logistical needs are met.” -Bengu Bostanci, APG President
“I’ve had the pleasure of working alongside Katie, and her collaborative approach has been an invaluable asset to the EPS APG team. She consistently contributes to creating a positive and a cohesive work environment that is in line with EPS community values. One of the standout qualities Katie brings to the table is her willingness to work with others. She has an innate quality of listening to various team members and is quick to share her own ideas in a constructive manner. Katie does an incredible job of ensuring everyone’s voice is heard and valued.
For instance, Katie played a crucial role in organizing brainstorming sessions for a school event in fall of 2024. She ensured that each team member’s input was taken into consideration. She took detailed notes during meetings and promptly sent them out in follow up emails. This greatly helped the team members be productive as it minimized task overlaps. Katie’s efforts in bringing people together allowed us to merge diverse perspectives into a cohesive strategy, which ultimately contributed to the event’s success.” – Anonymous, APG volunteer
“Katie acts not only as event support, but she brings ideas and collaborates along the way. She is knowledgeable about what has been done in the past, has organized materials so we know what we have to work with, and has a good relationship with vendors and staff to help things move smoothly. Katie is responsive, organized, professional, kind, and helpful.” -Melissa Stone, APG Hospitality Team
Administrative Staff Council
In meetings with the ASC, I actively participate when asked for feedback or to answer questions. I have been helping coordinate a staff social activity for a PDD this year on January 17th, so I provided the group with information about that activity, invited them to vote in a poll, and shared the results with the group. In the spring, I create documents with details about the volunteer expectations for Graduation and bring those to the ASC meeting. I provide the staff volunteers with an overview of the event, outline the expectations, and answer any questions that they have. On the day of the event, I coordinate the staff volunteers and support them if they have any questions or issues throughout the day.
“Katie coordinated a mini-PDP group support group for Jeff, me, and her, so we can support each other. Katie has volunteered to lead and organize Staff PDDs, like nature walks. Katie recently ran a planning meeting for the welcome events and was able to adapt the new ideas and create an action plan for everyone.” -Jenn Chi
“You stepped up and led a couple of LLL walks and staff PD activities when there was a call for volunteers. I witness you sharing your ideas, insights, and affirmation at every ASC meeting. I had first-hand experience of your willingness to adjust logistics of our January 17 PD activities based on feedback from our small team (timing, budget, and communication).” -Anonymous
Education Beyond the Classroom Team – Oregon 2024
In preparing for my first EBC trip in spring 2024, I collaborated on the trip planning and administrative tasks that would help prepare us to travel. I worked with our trip leader Monica on finalizing the itinerary and helped with a final review of what we should do each day of the trip. I helped keep the chaperone team on tasks and delegated preparation tasks to keep us on target for our departure. Finally, I tracked and collected all forms from the students including waivers, medical forms, and swim tests for all 49 students. I brought all of these with me on the trip so we would have the documents with us in case of emergency. I bought my own energy and experiences to our chaperone team, working with the students and collaborating with the chaperones to help make the week a fun and memorable experience for everyone.
“In planning for the EBC trip, we collaborated at several points where I could bounce ideas off of her and get meaningful feedback. She took over the forms collection and was such a huge lift to making this trip a success. As a group of chaperones, we specifically left the last day of the trip as an adaptable day to respond to student needs and Katie was so on board with making plans that set students up for success and supporting them.” Monica Cowdery
Mentoring
Another way I have participated in team collaboration is by serving as a staff mentor this year. I’ve been applying the mentoring that I have received over the years at EPS, from my own first mentor (Angie Sharp) to my supervisor (Vickie Baldwin) to others in the EPS community that I have learned from over the years. I have started to understand what it means to know a place, and more specifically, what it means to know EPS. It has been wonderful connecting with Ellie Ciot as her mentor and helping her feel more integrated at EPS. I am grateful for the opportunity to help build team culture and create connections with new members of the EPS community.
“I would love to see Katie continue to grow by taking on more leadership opportunities where she can mentor others and share her strengths in organization and event planning. Her deep understanding of the school’s mission and her ability to connect with people make her an ideal person to help foster strong collaboration and belonging within the entire EPS community.” -Angie Sharp
Reflection: Areas of Awareness and Growth
When I reflect on the ways that I participate in team collaborations and meetings, I think about what I bring to the table as a community contributor. My strengths in team collaboration include preparing for meetings in advance, being ready to share, and following up as needed. A growth area for me in team collaborations would be in my listening skills. I have found that in some conversations, I am listening just to compose my response, not to hear what the person is actually communicating. In Managing Leadership Anxiety, Steve Cuss provides some insight on what it means to collaborate as a leader, “A leader who pays attention to a system isn’t so much concerned with the content of what is said, but rather the process of how people are relating and behaving.” (p. 101)
As Cuss explains in his book, a system exists where any group of people are interacting on a regular basis. In those spaces, my emotions and the emotions of others are engaging with one another under the surface. From his book, I learned that a leader doesn’t just focus on content of the meeting, but also notice how people are relating to one another. I think about this dynamic in the many teams and groups that I collaborate with on a regular basis. As I continue to grow as a leader, my goal is to become more observant of the ways people are relating to one another when we are working together in order to facilitate healthy team collaboration.
Seeks out diverse opinions of others for guidance
In this section, I will be exploring the ways that I seek out the diverse opinions of others for guidance. For this section, I checked back in with my mentor from my first year at EPS to ask about the ways she has seen me grow. Angie Sharp (former mentor and current PDP Team member) says, “Back then, the staff mentor program lacked structure and content. Katie was an awesome and flexible partner in forming what I could do to help support her in her first year. I remember most her charisma and flexibility – we started out meeting at lunch, then flexed to mid-mornings coffees when our “sessions” got crashed by the multitude of people who wanted to socialize with Katie!”
Scott Hockert – Calm in the Chaos
Over my years at EPS, I have learned a lot of valuable lessons from observing and working with Scott at the TALI front desk. During Head’s Table season, I start every day at the TALI front desk with Scott. I’m greeting and helping the Head’s Table guests navigate to the gathering, while Scott is juggling the students, faculty, traffic updates, deliveries, and more. I have even had the opportunity to fill Scott’s shoes a few times when he has been out of office on vacation. That experience confirmed what I already believed to be true: Scott is the calm in the EPS chaos. He makes the students feel seen, he knows almost every single name, and he is a constant presence even in uncertain times. I feel that I have been guided by my observations of Scott over the years. He has shown me how even small actions can be meaningful in a person’s day. You never know how much a small action, a kind word, or a point of connection can have a true impact on a person’s life.
“Katie has been very diligent in pre-registering guests coming to school for meetings, parent coffees and vendor visits through the EPS Guest Management system. Allowing me to check folks in, speedily and accurately. Most mornings when these meetings are held, Katie will sit at the front desk with me to check the attendees in allowing me to focus on students flooding in to start their day. She sends emails giving me a heads up about sudden changes or rescheduling. Another small but appreciated thing she does to help is organizing/sorting mail or packages in the mailroom when she is picking up her mail.” – Scott Hockert
Matt Delaney – Academics Refined
Based on the proximity of our offices, over the years I’ve had a lot of interactions with Matt Delaney. While we have not worked directly together on any projects, I have observed Matt’s conversations and interactions with colleagues on the 4th floor of TALI. Matt brings a level of commitment and rigor to his work that impacts every academic area of our school. In his leadership role, Matt has collaborated with other faculty members and leaders to steward discipline leads and continue to refine the academic design of EPS. I have experienced his leadership by hearing from students in the Independent Study Program and observing the impacts of our Resident Teacher Program. From being at EPS since the early days, Matt has a deep knowledge of what makes EPS tick and I have learned from him about our place over the years. I reached out to Matt to seek his opinion of my work from someone outside my regular teams and collaboration groups:
“I see Katie at every event that the Advancement office plans and executes. Her work helping the EPS parents/guardians feel more connected to the community improves the most important thing at EPS: the overall culture. She cares about the experience of the people impacted by her work, whether planning and executing an event or handling donations. EPS is a better place for Katie’s contributions – I get to see that daily.” -Matt Delaney
Sam Uzwack – Genuine Energy
In my December survey reflection meeting with Sam, I was able to share where I’m at and where I feel like I am going in terms of my professional growth. I reflected on how I feel I’ve started to shift from task-oriented thinking to goal-oriented thinking in my work. I’ve started to collaborate with Vickie on our team goals and thinking about how those goals contribute to the institutional goals of EPS. I shared a few new ideas with Sam, and we had a great conversation about pursuing professional goals. Some questions we pondered included: How do you think about where you are, where you want to be, and what are the steps in between? What does that process look like for an individual, and how is that different from working to shift the culture of an organization? Over the years, I’ve learned from observing Sam’s leadership style. He doesn’t assume to have all the answers, rather, he approaches his work as a curious and passionate leader. He brings genuine energy, humor, and good listening skills to all of his collaborations. I’ve been guided by his leadership and have been challenged to think differently about my approach to our team goals and personal goals based on our conversation.
Grace Finch – Passionate Leadership
Over the years, I have had the opportunity to share my knowledge with Advancement and Alumni directors at local independent schools in our PNW School Advancement and Alumni Directors groups that I help facilitate. We cycle through a variety of topics every meeting, including special events, fundraising approaches, communication tools, professional development conferences, and more. Grace Finch is the Director of Development at Annie Wright Schools in Tacoma and I’ve known her for a few years through these discussion groups. As someone who is just starting my career, I’ve always appreciated learning from Grace’s leadership style. Even over a Teams call, the way Grace speaks about working with her team and pursuing their goals communicates her knowledge of taking a vision and making it reality. She brings great energy, genuine passion, and a laser focus to her work. It is clear that she is dialed in to her school’s goals and leading her team to success in all areas, while also approaching every task with kindness. I’ve been intrigued by Grace’s leadership style and reached out to seek her diverse opinion of my work:
“Katie has brought encouraging energy, organization and insight to the Advancement and Alumni groups. She is great at keeping the rest of us in line and informed and that is SO appreciated! When I needed to pass along facilitation and leadership of these groups I was so grateful that Katie stepped in to keep our quarterly meetings on the calendar and have been impressed by the way Katie has managed and communicated with the group.
Katie is always on top of meeting invitations, reminders and post-meeting notes. She utilized the tools and resources (most of which she has built or adapted) to allow other group members to submit information and agenda items in an orderly and organized way. She is always timely with responses and appropriately warm in how she addresses and communicates with the group.
When we are in the meet-up space, Katie is patient to leave space for each member of the group to speak up and is good to establish norms at the beginning of the meeting and keep things moving in a constructive way during the meeting. It is a joy to work with Katie in these spaces and I am grateful for her leadership and coordination of these groups that have been an amazing resource to me and my team. ” – Grace Finch, Director of Development, Annie Wright Schools
Presents/shares knowledge during staff meetings and conferences
In this section, I will be exploring ways that I present and share knowledge during staff conferences and meetings. My examples for this section include a staff training session on OneNote, Graduation event training for staff, PNW School Advancement and Alumni Directors meetings, and sharing NWAIS Conference learnings with ASC Team.
“Katie never misses a professional development program and is always looking for ways to grow, even though she already has a solid skills base. (This drive to keep learning and improving helps promote a culture of growth and positivity among staff.) She is great at taking what she learns and putting it into action – whether it’s improving workflows, organizing information, or making event planning smoother. She has even jumped onboard the LLL (Lunch Laugh Learn) wagon and offered enriching walks to the array of offerings!” -Angie Sharp
Graduation Training – ASC Meeting
At our Administrative Staff Council meeting in the spring, I give the staff volunteers an overview of Graduation. I walk them through the timeline and go over expectations for their roles on the day of the event. I answer any questions that come up in the meeting. After the meeting, I send calendar invites to the staff with notes about their roles for the day of the event. At the ASC meeting where I provide an overview of Graduation and outline expectations for staff, I am sharing my knowledge of the event with the team in our meeting.
“She is active in the Admin Staff Council and often gives good feedback.” Jeff Sternitzky
PNW School Advancement and Alumni Directors Meetings
Over the years, I have had the opportunity to share my knowledge with Advancement and Alumni directors at local independent schools in our PNW School Advancement and Alumni Directors groups. We cycle through a variety of topics every meeting, including special events, fundraising approaches, communication tools, professional development conferences, and more. I have had the opportunity to share the EPS approach to fundraising with the group, describing our Head’s Table appeal format. I’ve shared approaches that have been successful for us with alumni giving, which for us has been a fully digital appeal using email, video, and social media. I’ve described our major events and the approaches that have helped us reach our goal of building community and connections with EPS parents and guardians.
“During our meetings, Katie willingly shares details about EPS’s approach to a variety of advancement and alumni related programs. It is so helpful to hear what peer schools are doing and how others are creatively solving issues that arise in alumni relations work. She is willing to share and collaborate, which makes her a great member of our group.” -Claire Fallat, Associate Director of Development, UPrep
“I appreciate that Katie provides different ways to share information to ensure that many voices are represented. I am impressed by the way she manages verbal comments, the meeting chat and the previously submitted topics and questions. Additionally, she is very responsive to requests to add other colleagues to the group and has nurtured a culture within the group that is collaborative and inclusive.” -Grace Finch, Director of Development, Annie Wright Schools
Staff Session on OneNote
To support the professional development of staff, Jenn Chi (Admissions) and I recently worked together to present a OneNote Wizardry session, sharing some of our own tips and tricks that we have learned in the OneNote program. It was great collaborating with Jenn and combining our knowledge in our pre-meeting prep. We did have to pivot quickly and move the session online due to us having a snow day, but we felt that made the session even better. Jenn showed me lots of ways to be more effective with using OneNote to track my tasks and manage projects. I shared my OneNote with the group, shared my knowledge, and learned more effective ways to use the tool from others.
“Katie and I recently combined our OneNote “superpowers” and led a LLL (Lunch Laugh Learn) around how we use OneNote to organize. Katie’s kindness and willingness to share, helps others engage and ask her questions which allows us all to grow and learn from Katie’s experiences.” Jenn Chi
NWAIS Conference Learning – ASC Meeting
Another example of supporting the professional development of staff was when Randi Peterson (MS Executive Assistant) and I shared what we learned at the NWAIS Admin Support Conference with the ASC Team. For our presentation, we chose to focus on sharing a bit about each of the four keynote topics. Here is how we divided up presenting the information:
- Five Strategies for Navigating Tricky Workplace Dynamics (Katie shared)
- AI Productivity Tools to Support Administrative Efficiency (Randi shared)
- Leadership Styles: Recognizing and Adapting Your Approach (Katie shared)
- The Power of Feedback: Building a Culture of Continuous Improvement (Randi shared)
I appreciated the opportunity to share what I had learned with the other staff and their teams, hopefully to help make their work more effective and efficient. There were also some softer skills we shared, such as navigating tricky workplace dynamics, which will help us continue to work together and collaborate as EPS staff.
Reflection: Areas of Awareness and Growth
When I first approached this section of the PDP, I felt that I didn’t have many examples that fit this category. Over this year, my PDP team has helped me find past examples of when I have shared knowledge. As I have become more aware of this indictor, this year I have been more intentional about seeking opportunities to share my knowledge as well. As my professional skills have grown, so has my confidence to step up and share what I know.
One area I hope to grow is to continue seeking professional development and continue to have new learning to share with my colleagues in support of all of our roles and teams. In addition, I have gained so much knowledge over the years through the PNW Advancement and Alumni directors groups and being inspired by how other schools are engaging their parent and alumni communities. I intend to continue to have a meeting coordinator role in those groups, bringing ideas back to Vickie for our team, and sharing my knowledge with those groups. Finally, there are those in our community that look to me for 4th floor support, including getting help with the coffee machine, laminator, office supplies, printer, or connecting with Head of School Uzwack, I have become a hub of knowledge and resources in my sphere of the school. I am glad to have many opportunities to share knowledge and practical resources in my role at EPS and plan to continue to do so in the future.
Facilitates and promotes professional development offered by the school (i.e., PDDs)
In this section, I will be exploring ways that I facilitate and promote professional development as offered by the school. My key examples for this section include organizing service projects on Professional Development Days, inviting other staff to attend NWAIS conferences, and completing the EPS December survey.
“I’ve seen you rally folks to join staff activities. You have led group walks as part of our mindfulness activities. You make it a point to be present at all-school sessions held on PDDs.” -Anonymous
“Katie is showing her participation with professional development this year via her participation in her PDP. This requires a certain level of vulnerability and perspective-taking. I have also noticed that Katie willingly promotes professional development as opportunities are available for EPS staff.” -Anonymous
PDD Service Projects
In my years at EPS, I have had many opportunities to facilitate professional development offered by the school. In the past I have coordinated three service opportunities that happened simultaneously: plant restoration at Watershed Park, organizing donations at Friends of Youth, and making sandwiches/hygiene kits for Union Gospel Mission. I coordinated with the non-profit organizations to learn what their needs were and how we could help. I made a list and purchased supplies for hygiene kits. I coordinated with the Dining Services team to purchase supplies for the sandwiches, making sure we were purchasing enough supplies to make the number of meals we had agreed to make. Finally, I created a survey and sent email reminders to each team with reminders and information about their service project. As a result, I was able to apply my administrative skills in support of EPS and promote the professional development of our employee community members.
“I’ve seen Katie Leading sessions for staff during PDD and creating ideas. Both organizing and leading them have shown Katie’s PD growth at the school. She is also taking advantage of the NWAIS training this March which is awesome.” -Krista Henningsen
NWAIS Administrative Support Conference
This year, I encouraged other EPS staff to attend the NWAIS Administrative Support Conference together. This year, Randi Peterson was able to attend the conference with me, and we brought the key points we learned back to share with the ASC Team. I believe it’s important for administrators to invest in their professional development, and it’s helpful when we do it together.
“Many staff may not know about this opportunity, and thanks to Katie thinking of others (us), she put herself out there as an “ally” of sorts and initiated a potential community for this conference opportunity. Bravo! More of this!” – Kim Marzano
EPS December Survey
Every year, I appreciate the opportunity to complete the professional inventory survey sent out by the Head of School each December. I see the value in taking a moment to pause and reflect on where I have come from, where I am, and where I am going professionally. I am grateful for the opportunity to meet with Sam Uzwack (Head of School) who takes a genuine interest in the professional aspirations of every employee. I have grown professionally over the years of engaging with the survey and joining the Head of School meetings. I believe that all of these experiences have been an important part of my professional development at EPS.