The inside scoop on the people and projects that support UNLV

In this issue:

• Message from Associate Vice President, Financial Services / Controller Lori Church
• Employee Profile
• Administrative Faculty of the Month 
• Spotlight on Service
• Expanded Anti-Bias and Anti-Discrimination Training 
• New Risk Management & Safety Training Classes 
• New Hires
• Promotions
• Anniversaries

Message from Associate Vice President, Financial Services / Controller Lori Church

Hello colleagues, 

Fiscal year 2024 has come to a close and thanks to the hard work of many Business Affairs teams, it was a success. Together, we completed an impressive number of transactions including:

• Billed more than 72,000 student accounts
• Processed approximately 36,200 supplier invoices, 6,000 expense reports, and 20,000 accounting adjustments and manual journal entries
• Issued more than 5,300 purchase orders and 2,200 change orders
• Supported 74,000 plus purchasing card transactions
• Reconciled over 63,000 bank statement lines

I recognize that achieving this while maintaining day-to-day operations is not an easy feat. Thank you to everyone who went the extra mile to make “it” happen.

Financial Services teams also made service enhancements in fiscal year 24 including expanding training opportunities, developing and utilizing Discovery Boards and Worksheets to enhance reporting capabilities, and updating the Controller’s Office website.

Thank you to everyone for using creativity and resourcefulness to continually improve our processes. We look forward to welcoming students back to campus for the start of the academic year. Financial Services teams remain committed to making improvements to support our Top Tier 2.0 mission. Enjoy the rest of the summer!

Sincerely,

Lori Church, Associate Vice President, Financial Services & Controller

Employee Profile

Patricia Slayton’s love for cooking and accounting might seem like two entirely different passions, but for her, they share a common thread: the joy of starting a project and seeing it through to completion. Whether she's meticulously preparing a delicious feast for her family or managing UNLV's financial transactions, Patricia finds fulfillment in the process and the finished product alike.

Patricia began her finance career at the Department of Defense, where she developed a deep fascination for accounting. Guided by her mentors, she found her niche in managing financial records and ensuring accuracy in reporting. 

In 2020, Patricia joined the Rebel community as a budget analyst at the College of Fine Arts. Today, as a Financial Services accountant, she meticulously manages UNLV’s financial transactions, reviews invoices, and oversees proper financial tracking and asset management for numerous projects, including the new engineering building.

"I support my campus partners with meaningful and relevant data for their departments, which in turn helps the university and ultimately students," Patricia shared.

A UNLV alumna, Patricia balanced a full-time job and family responsibilities while she pursued her education as a non-traditional student. Her background fuels her dedication and appreciation for UNLV’s diverse and supportive environment.



Patricia has called Las Vegas home for 20 years. Outside of work, her passion for cooking provides a delightful contrast to her accounting career. An avid fan of cooking shows, she enjoys preparing a variety of cuisines for her family. This balance brings happiness to her life, both in the kitchen and at UNLV.

Administrative Faculty of the Month

Sandy Ziegler, Parking & Transportation Services

Sandy Ziegler from Parking & Transportation Services was honored as the Administrative Faculty of the Month for May 2024!

The Administrative Faculty Committee recognizes outstanding administrative faculty that go above and beyond in their duties and are acknowledged by their respective colleagues to advance the university's mission and goals.

Congratulations, Sandy and thank you for all you do for the UNLV Community!

Spotlight on Service

In October 2023, we distributed our annual Business Affairs customer service survey. Many of our campus colleagues replied to the survey with notes of praise for our hard-working teams. See below for some highlights for Accounting, Reporting, and Banking Services. 

“Outstanding service and response time to the general accounting group email. They are a blessing!”

“I can always rely on the team to provide accurate guidance and helpful responses to inquiries.”



“I find them to be extremely responsive and tasks are completed quickly.”

Expanded Anti-Bias and Anti-Discrimination Training

UNLV launched and expanded its anti-bias and anti-discrimination education and training program as part of a systemwide initiative.

This program aims to address knowledge gaps in understanding bias and discrimination and comply with the Board of Regents Handbook.

All current employees will be required to complete the Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging training course every two years in REBELearn.

New Risk Management & Safety Training Classes

Risk Management & Safety added new in-person safety training to its training calendar. These sessions include essential topics such as material handling, back safety, and respiratory protection.

Visit the RMS training calendar for class information and registration details.

New Hires

• Axel Quinonez, Facilities Management 
• Christian Valendo, Risk Management & Safety
• Darnel Hill, Facilities Management
• DaSha Willacey, Facilities Management
• Derrick Moore, Facilities Management
• Eric Freitas, Risk Management & Safety
• Imaan Alavi, Risk Management & Safety
• James Kennedy, Facilities Management
• Jordan Noles, Facilities Management 
• Julia Subick, Facilities Management
• Liz Davis, Business Affairs Communication
• Nautica Diaz, Facilities Management
• Nicholas Dudgeon, Facilities Management
• Tiffany O'Connor, Risk Management & Safety
• Tyler Bergstrom, Facilities Management
• Tyson Munguia, Facilities Management

Promotions

• Annie Brooks, Facilities Management 
• Brandon McKinley, Delivery Services
• Charlie Cisneros, Facilities Management
• Hugo Calderon Cortes, Financial Services
• Jimmer Drollinger, Facilities Management 
• Julie Moos, Risk Management & Safety
• Kylen Uyeda, Parking & Transportation Services 
• Mari Soto-Valdez, Financial Planning, Budget, & Analysis 
• Meliscia Gilbert, Financial Planning, Budget, & Analysis 
• Michele Washington, Risk Management & Safety
• Paul Castillo, Delivery Services 
• Ricardo Malan, Risk Management & Safety 

Anniversaries

Congratulations to the Business Affairs employees celebrating work anniversaries in July! Years of service have been determined using the UNLV hire date - first employment date without any breaks in service here at UNLV regardless of job type or full-time status.

If you notice an error in your listing, contact Heather Ortiz

• Barry Barto, 42 years
• Dave Coleman, 26 years
• Theresa Castillo, 25 years
• David Fromme, 21 years
• Gregorio Robles, 19 years
• Francisco Orozco Maciel,18 years
• Jon Keanini, 18 years
• Rebeca Garcia, 17 years
• Phil Louis, 17 years
• Robert Williams, 16 years
• Kotoe Kida, 12 years
• Dana Tasso, 12 years
• Dino Toutoulis ,12 years
• Thomas Bean, 11 years
• Debra Kuhn, 11 years
• Jeffrey Hahn , 10 years
• Leilani Brandes, 8 years
• Shari Mclean, 8 years
• Doncarlos Zurita, 8 years
• Terry Anderson, 7 years
• Frank Catalano, 7 years
• Bryan Murtaugh, 7 years

• Elissa Berrington, 6 years
• Carmin Caballero, 6 years
• Jeff Dutcher, 5 years
• Richard Raymond, 5 years
• Kylen Uyeda, 5 years
• Jayd Sorenson, 5 years
• Donald Johnson, 5 years
• Reggie Bailey, 4 years
• Nancy Mayorga, 3 years
• Annie Brooks, 2 years
• Rasheda Abdullah Hairston, 2 years
• Wanda Porter, 2 years
• Tyler Kawada, 2 years
• Christopher Barlow, 2 years
• Nery Bernal Blanco, 2 years
• Calvin Jones, 2 years
• Tyler Bergstrom, 1 year
• Samuel Powers, 1 year
• Pedro Cruz, 1 year
• Sara Gudiel, 1 year
• Michael Schmidt, 1 year