Co-chairs to lead Staff Council in coming year

The University of Colorado Staff Council will be directed by co-chairs for the upcoming year in an effort to ensure continuity of leadership and communication for numerous projects begun this year at the university.

Lori Krug, whose one-year term as council chair ended in May, accepted the position of co-chair following negotiations with Payroll & Benefit Services, where she is employed, and senior administrators.

"The reason for co-chairs is twofold: First, we had no one stepping forward to take the chair responsibility," Krug said. She agreed to remain in the position because senior officials worried momentum would be lost if someone unfamiliar with university issues stepped into the time-consuming role. Miranda Carbaugh from the University of Colorado Denver campus is the other co-chair. Both will serve one-year terms.

"This is an extraordinary circumstance, worked out in an incredible way," Krug said. "My team has been incredibly accommodating and I cannot thank them enough."

She said the co-chairs would split duties and encourage more involvement from other council representatives.

E. Jill Pollock, senior associate vice president and chief human resources officer, and Leonard Dinegar, vice president for administration and chief of staff for President Bruce D. Benson, worked out the compromise to allow Krug to remain on the council.

"There is great value in continuity of offices," Pollock said. "A number of the UCSC members were going off the council for various reasons, leaving no clear succession plan for a new chair. With the continuation of a number of Board of Regents-related and universitywide initiatives begun this year, including the definition of diversity at CU and two administrative policy statements with implementation in July 2010, a way to bridge to new leadership was to utilize a co-chair structure for the coming year.

"Lori Krug and her management graciously agreed to this approach, which may be needed only once, as the council continues to enhance its effectiveness in deliberating and communicating key issues that affect the university's staff employees."

The council represents staff members and acts as a liaison between university councils, President Benson and the Board of Regents.

Other officers elected during a June 3 video conference meeting were Brooke Parsons (Anschutz Medical Campus), vice chair; Tina Collins (University of Colorado at Colorado Springs), treasurer; and Dana Drummond (University of Colorado at Boulder), secretary.

Also, the council's meeting schedule for 2010-11 was approved. The council generally meets from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the first Thursday of each month. Meeting dates and campus locations are:

• July - no meeting
• Aug. 5 - UCCS
• Sept. 2 - UCD/AMC
• October - planning retreat
• Nov. 4 - System
• Dec. 2 - video conference (if necessary)
• January 2011 - no meeting
• Feb. 3 - CU-Boulder
• March 3 - UCCS
• April - All Staff Council Conference
• May 5 - UCD/AMC
• June 2 - video conference (if necessary)
• July - no meeting