Five questions for Kimberly Slavsky
Kimberly Slavsky serves as operational data lead in the Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, at CU Anschutz. It’s a job that didn’t exist before she took it on just over five years ago.
“I had been in my current role for 10 years and I was looking to transition into something different,” Slavsky said. “My (director of finance and administration) wanted to modernize processes and have better tracking metrics. That was something I had enjoyed doing, especially after working on my master of science in organizational leadership, so I was very fortunate to have a position created for me.”
She describes the core of her role as process development, implementation and improvement through a program called Smartsheet.
“It’s a great program with lots of helpful features,” she said. “I also manage the department’s intranet and distribution lists.”
Another key role of Slavsky’s: co-chair of the University of Colorado Staff Council (UCSC), the systemwide shared governance group representing employees from the four campuses and system administration.
She devotes some of her free time to a passion for history, focusing between the turn of the 20th century and the beginning of the Cold War.
“I like learning about the social aspects more than the battles,” she said. “However, I have watched many a documentary or read a book that covered military tactics.”
She also enjoys spending time with family and listening to music.
1. How did you get involved with the CU Anschutz Staff Council and the University of Colorado Staff Council?
I started serving on my campus council in December of 2019. I tell people that I worked at CU for over eight years before I even knew what Staff Council was. A colleague of mine who was leaving mentioned it in a meeting, so I asked her about it afterwards. Once I heard about it, I knew I wanted to participate.
My first meeting was a Q-and-A session for a previous president search, which I thought was amazing. Ever since that day, I was hooked. I was given the opportunity to serve on UCSC starting in August of 2020, and it has been one of the best experiences that I have ever had professionally.
2. Why is participating in shared governance important to you?
I participate in shared governance to ensure staff perspectives are heard in decisions that affect policies, resources and workplace culture. It’s about advocating for fairness and inclusivity for staff.
Shared governance also strengthens transparency and trust. We’re helping to create policies that align with both staff needs and organizational goals. I believe it fosters a sense of belonging and shared responsibility. We are a part of shaping a positive environment for faculty, staff and students.
3. You are serving as co-chair of UCSC with JáNet Hurt. How do you share responsibilities?
We split the duties evenly, taking turns at presentations for the Board of Regent meetings, attending meetings of the campus councils, and we attend meetings together as much as possible. We discuss what the best path forward would be.
My main goal is to work with Ja'Net, my co-chair, in building stronger relationships and being the voice of the staff – for all matters that come to our attention – to the best of our abilities.
4. What issues do you consider the top priorities for UCSC this year?
There has been a significant amount of unrest with the federal transitions, state and federal budget shortfalls, the increased cost of living, etc. There sadly isn't much we can do with that. However, all of this can have a detrimental effect on staff. So, I feel that our most important priorities are to show staff that we exist, that we are here for them and we want to help.
We are incredibly lucky at CU to have supportive leadership, and they are willing to help where they can. I think that is also important, that we help staff to see that they are more than a warm body and that people at all levels are working for them.
5. What’s your favorite thing about working at CU Anschutz?
I have two favorite things, the first one being the fact that I work on a campus that is making medical breakthroughs for patients not only locally but internationally. We are training future doctors, dentists, nurses and a whole host of other providers and scientists to change the world, all through what they learned here. It’s pretty cool.
The other one, and I know it sounds cliché, but it’s the people. From my colleagues in the Department of Psychiatry, to other staff and faculty members, and all the way through to our senior leadership team, we all have a similar goal, and we strive to work toward it.
Learn more: To watch a brief video overview of the University of Colorado Staff Council, click here.
To learn more about each campus Staff Council, including how to get involved at your campus, visit the websites below. Each site includes a link to a campus-specific video.
CU Boulder: https://www.colorado.edu/staffcouncil/
UCCS: https://staff.uccs.edu/
CU Denver: https://www.ucdenver.edu/faculty-staff/staff-council
CU Anschutz: https://www.cuanschutz.edu/offices/staff-council