Angel Bailey was on the phone in her office recently when she looked in the hallway and saw Doreen Harper, Ph.D., dean of the School of Nursing, standing in front of her door. She also saw the associate dean, the director of operations and the director of administration and financial affairs.
“I didn’t know what was going on,” Bailey says. “Then I saw Dr. Harper holding flowers, and I thought there was a chance everything was going to be OK.”
Indeed, the foursome of Harper, Karen Meneses, Ph.D., Karen Buckner and John Coles were visiting Bailey’s office with great news — she had been selected UAB’s 2010-11 Employee of the Year.
“It was overwhelming,” says Bailey, who was April’s Employee of the Month. “UAB has a lot of great employees, and it is an honor for me to be selected UAB Employee of the Year.”
The UAB Employee of the Month/Year Committee chose Bailey from the 12 Employee of the Month award winners during the fiscal year. UAB President Carol Garrison will host an invitation-only presentation ceremony and reception honoring Bailey with the highest non-academic employee award Nov. 10.
Bailey has been a positive and influential presence as administrative associate in the Center for Nursing Research in the School of Nursing for more than 11 years. Her kindness, willingness to help others and tremendous work ethic are praised by her co-workers.
Chris Atkinson experienced Bailey’s desire to help others eight years ago under hectic circumstances, and it left an indelible impression.
Atkinson, now an information systems specialist in Infrastructure Services, had been employed at UAB as a computer technician for two weeks when a virus hit campus machines. Atkinson was running through the School of Nursing to find computers to install the patch each one needed.
“I was in a total panic due to the gravity of the situation, and it didn’t help that I didn’t know where all the computers were,” Atkinson says. “This was the first time Angel came to my rescue. She eagerly pointed me to every computer on her floor and unlocked the doors so that I could get to them. I became a fan of Angel that day.”
Bailey has made a habit of endearing people to her during her 17 years at UAB.
CNR Program Manager Lauren Antia has worked with Bailey for more than 12 years and says she always has displayed the attributes of an excellent employee: professionalism, efficiency and courtesy.
“I was immediately impressed by her warmth, intelligence, ability to communicate and eagerness to improve processes,” Antia says. “Angel has been promoted into positions with increasingly higher responsibility through the years and always has performed with excellence.”
Antia describes Bailey as “a women who is in perpetual motion and activity.
“Need a huge file cabinet moved? A room organized? The printer, fax machine, shredder, door, floor or computer fixed? A requisition processed through Oracle? Kind words and encouragement? A hug? The answer is Angel.”
Bailey’s primary role is to assist Meneses, the associate dean, and support CNR activities, including 17 active research and training grants.
She is the go-to person for a variety of CNR activities, large and small. For example, Bailey coordinates CNR scheduling, communicates with faculty, staff and service personnel, orders software and products needed and contributes to the SON’s efforts to raise money for the annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.
“During our event for Race for the Cure, I encourage everyone to wear pink and give donations to fight this horrible disease,” she says. “Having family and friends who have had this awful disease, it’s important to me to help in the support of finding a cure.”
Because she embraces so many different roles within CNR, every day is a new day — something Bailey says she enjoys.
Co-workers say Bailey’s character shines in her interactions with others.
“I know Ms. Bailey to be a person of integrity and high moral standards,” says Yvonne Eaves, Ph.D., assistant professor of nursing. “She has a quiet demeanor and often works behind the scenes preferring to shun publicity, and she does not usually garner the recognition that her performance deserves. However, I cannot think of anyone in the school more deserving and qualified for recognition.”
Bailey says she enjoys her job and the people she works with immensely. She loves that everyone works with one goal in mind — to make the school the best it can possibly be.
“It’s a great, uplifting environment,” Bailey says. We strive to work together to accomplish the mission of the school, and we all pull in the same direction so we can be successful in completing that mission.”
When Bailey is not at work, she enjoys spending time with her husband, UAB Police Officer Larry Bailey, and her daughters LaToya and Jayda.