KU announces January employees of the month

LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas has announced the January 2015 Employees of the Month. They are as follows:

Name: Christine Falk
Title: Marketing coordinator, Edwards Campus
Start date: June 2009

What that means: Christine Falk coordinates marketing and communications for the Edwards Campus with particular emphasis on promoting and communicating efforts focused on the Johnson County Education Research Triangle. Falk assists in the planning and launch of new academic degree programs, coordination of special events, management of all social media efforts, and creation of all internal and external collateral items. She is the point person working with the Edwards Campus Student Services Department, helping them create and implement a communication strategy for current students.    

Notable: Falk was the first employee hired into the marketing coordinator role at the Edwards Campus. Through her efforts, she has raised the departmental leadership’s expectations of the position with her interest and initiative. She has assisted with the Edwards Campus website strategy, community outreach, and working to create and maintain a consistent brand for the Edwards Campus. In addition to her own job duties, Falk stepped up to transition the department to the new Drupal web system. Falk was willing to learn the processes and backend nuances to successfully transition the website. Since relaunching the site, Falk continues to look for ways to keep the look and feel of the website content fresh and relevant. One of her roles is working with onsite “Centers” such as the Confucius Institute, Center for STEM Learning, K-Cart, and Hartley Audiology Clinic to support communication and promotional efforts that benefit the centers and the Edwards Campus. Not only has Falk gone above and beyond within her own department, she has also greatly assisted these centers. Falk helped the STEM Center for Learning on promotional efforts for its summer camps. The center did not have an online presence via their website, so Falk made special accommodations on the Edwards Campus website to promote the camps and to receive camper reservations. When the Hartley Audiology Clinic, located at Edwards Campus, needed assistance on a promotional flier, Falk offered to do it. 

Falk also has worked to evolve the online student newsletter. The newsletter began as an email, then Falk developed a web format for the newsletter, and most recently Falk created and distributed the newsletter via an online email provider, delivering the information directly to the students who need it with expected increased readership. Her improved newsletter has the ability to identify what content in the newsletter is read by students and determine what is most valuable and of interest to students so future newsletters can continue to improve.

Kim Nixon

Title: Front of House manager, Impromptu Cafe

What that means: Nixon has held this position since the Impromptu Café opened seven years ago. She previously worked in the same location in the Union, managing both the West Side Deli and Milton’s. Through her role, she is responsible for the daily supervision of employees as well as working with and serving customers. She handles all of the daily tasks of the restaurant to keep it up and running. Employing current KU students as servers, Nixon creates a “family” atmosphere, aiding her servers in the acquisition of marketable food service skills as well as aiding their personal growth. Seventy-five to 80 percent of her former employees stay in touch with Nixon, often making it a point to stop by and see her when they are in town. Some travel internationally to make the trip.

Notable: Nixon knows her regular customers by name, emailing them when a favorite dish is offered as the special and greeting them personally with their preferred beverage. She personally supervises food preparation for those with known food allergies to guarantee the avoidance of cross-contamination. Nixon also manages the Impromptu Café Facebook page, inserting her wit and personality along with updates to keep customers informed about specials. When the Impromptu Café is not the right fit for a customer, she is quick to make recommendations about other food service offerings making her a great advocate for KU Dining as a whole.

Nixon does many things to show her staff and co-workers how she cares for them. She is known for her original song parodies and haikus to mark special occasions. Birthdays, anniversaries and other milestones are celebrated, creating a culture of fun for everyone with whom she comes into contact.

In addition to her duties with the Impromptu Café, Nixon also works catering high-profile football suites during home games. She goes above and beyond by starting the day very early in the morning, coming in with the kitchen staff at 3 or 4 a.m. to make coffee and bring treats for everyone on the early shift. She goes out of her way to anticipate the wants and needs of the patrons she serves in the suites.