University recognizes November 2023 Employees of the Month
LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas has announced Employees of the Month for November 2023. These staff members have made outstanding contributions to the KU Lawrence community.
Winners of the Employee of the Month awards receive the following:
- A surprise visit from the provost or her designee
- A certificate of award
- A biography featured in KU Today
- A $750 gross monetary award.
Nominate an employee for this award by completing and submitting the online or paper Employee of the Month nomination form and returning it to HRM by email or fax to 785-864-5790. More information is available here.
November 2023 Employees of the Month
Name: Carla Endacott
Title: Custodian, Custodial Services
Carla Endacott has been with KU since 2016, and her duties include general custodial work at several facilities. She was nominated due to surpassing expectations with her attention to detail and proactive efforts at the Dole Institute of Politics. Endacott’s work at the Dole Institute has made a difference by providing donors and visitors a positive experience, and many have commented on how well the facility is maintained.
Endacott is said to have a great work ethic and attitude. She is described as pleasant, friendly, engaging and great at communication. Endacott keeps up a schedule of maintenance for often overlooked areas without being asked to do so. She has been an exceptional team player by identifying problems and executing solutions, even when a task has previously been determined as something that cannot be accomplished. While her position can be challenging, Endacott’s work has been noticed by the donors and visitors to the institute and is a part of a great investment that is valuable to the university.
Endacott’s nominator felt compelled to find a way for her to be recognized for doing a hard job, especially because of the number of compliments relayed back to them on the upkeep of the facility. A colleague said, “Her quality of work is something we should all be striving to achieve” and, “If ever in the future they add a ranking above ‘exceptional’ to our performance evaluations, I would suggest it be ‘Carla!’”
Name: Lori Gutsch
Title: Travel manager, Financial Services
Lori Gutsch has held multiple positions at KU since 2013 and was nominated for her efforts with training and assistance in the Concur Travel system. Gutsch was present, patient and helpful during the system adoption of Concur. Booking travel is a time-sensitive task, and Gutsch takes the job seriously with quick response and resolution times.
Gutsch’s colleagues felt that the quick and friendly assistance she provides should be recognized. She is described as kind, upbeat, supportive and encouraging, and she helps users understand the reason behind the processes. Use and management of the travel system can be intimidating and challenging, affecting individuals at a personal level and involving a significant level of KU, federal and state compliance requirements, but Gutsch shares her expertise without judgment, working one-on-one with staff to provide exceptional customer service and offer tips to best find options for airfare and hotels. Gutsch is often on-call to assist users, and her supervisor said she “is the end-all, be-all ‘go-to’ for campus travel.” Gutsch has been at the forefront of KU’s journey to shift travel booking to Concur, and she is also constantly thinking about ways the process can be improved for the university by keeping abreast of industry updates.
Gutsch wants KU travelers to have a positive experience, and the department often receives compliments regarding her assistance. She is known to have robust knowledge of how the travel industry works, and when travelers reach out, she tries to assist them in any way she can. As a colleague said, “She listened to my struggles and came up with solutions without minimizing my difficulties … I was very touched by her kindness and her dedication to her job as a champion of Concur.”