The second time around was the charm for LaShundra Wormley-Dooley, who was named Employee of the Month for June.
After nearly two years at UAB, she moved to Florida for a brief time, but returned to Birmingham and to UAB. During the past eight years, she has worked her way up to an administrative associate position in the Department of Human Studies, where she’s been for the past three years to the delight of co-workers.
“I consistently hear unsolicited positive comments about LaShundra’s work from our faculty and from faculty and staff across campus,” said Kristi Menear, Ph.D., department chair. “Her politeness, dedication to accuracy and commitment to earning a positive reputation for herself and the department make her stand out to many people day after day.”
“Being nominated and surprised with Employee of the Month is pretty huge,” Wormley-Dooley said. “I’d have to say right now, I’m happy.”
Wormley-Dooley returned to UAB in 2006 through Temporary Services before moving to a full-time position as an office specialist. She said it was there that she gained a great mentor in Charlotte Finley, administrative associate in the Department of Sociology.
“I worked with Charlotte for almost five years, and during that time I was able to hone my professional skills and develop my work talents to address a variety of office needs,” Wormley-Dooley said. “Now that I am an administrative associate, I use what I learned in the OSSII position — but times 50.”
As with many Employee of the Month winners, Wormley-Dooley said she's on a team with her co-workers — and that’s one of the keys to working at UAB.
“The faculty and staff in my department are awesome,” Wormley-Dooley said. “In fact, we all pull together at the School of Education when needed. There is no I in team, so it takes all of us to keep the wheel going. Everyone on campus plays a part — no matter what department you are in or what position you have — we all contribute to UAB in some way.”
| Each month, UAB recognizes an outstanding employee for their dedication, hard work and contributions to the university’s success. If you know of a great employee, you can learn how to nominate them for this recognition at uab.edu/humanresources. |
Wormley-Dooley’s co-workers say she is patient and open to learning new skills and processes.
“When I call the office I am always warmly greeted and that makes me assured that the students we seek to serve are also treated with this wonderful demeanor,” said Laura Talbott-Forbes, Ph.D., associate professor of health education. “Her encouragement of those she encounters is also a positive attribute.”
Being kind to the people she meets daily is something Wormley-Dooley said is just part of following the Golden Rule.
“I’ve learned a smile and having patience can go a long way,” Wormley-Dooley said. “Not just in your professional life but in your personal life as well. I realize that we all get overwhelmed at times and that we all have things going on, but sometimes you have to take a deep breath, reassess the situation and try to turn those lemons into a nice cold glass of lemonade.”
Outside work, Wormley-Dooley enjoys traveling with her husband Marvin Keith, spending time with family, reading and online shopping.
“Work plays a huge factor in my life. So when I have a chance to step away, I tend to want to do things that are relaxing,” Wormley-Dooley said.
