Sponsored Projects Accounting & Compliance

Employees of the Quarter

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• Manager of the Quarter

  Beryl Gwan

     Beryl is SPAC’s Assistant Director of Cost and Compliance, and has been with UMB for over 15 years, starting in 2009. About her career at the University she says, “I'm proud of my growth, because I started here as an accountant one and today, I'm assistant director… I’m proud of the fact that we have the opportunities to grow and be better.”
     “I like the people I work with,” she said in regard to what she enjoys most about working in SPAC, “I like the flexibility. I like the fact that I am a part of something that is worthwhile, something that is meaningful.” Beryl added that she thinks the diversity is what makes SPAC’s team culture unique. “…We [SPAC] have people from all different areas, so it never really gets boring… Different cultures, different holidays, and different things that they engage in. So, we tend to build these good relationships and learn about other people’s cultures,” she says.
     The Core Values she embraces most are Respect and Integrity, especially when it comes to fostering relationships. “It’s very important in order to communicate with other people, and to have a good working environment and a good environment in life…” Well-Being and Sustainability are “[also] really important to take care of yourself… so you can be here for a while, and so that you can also help other people.” Beryl’s emphasis on helping others and making a meaningful difference extended to her response that she would like the superpower to heal the sick, and to be able to help people who are suffering.
     As to what she likes to do, Beryl said that she likes to cook a lot. She also thought people might be surprised about that. She also likes spending time with family and dancing. When she’s not doing that, you might find her at church or at a church event where she enjoys singing some of the music she’s been listening to. “I like to listen to a lot of gospels [hymns], especially African. I like to listen to a lot of Nigerian or African contemporary worship [music]; like Nathaniel Bassie.”
     She also likes watching or binging episodes of Bridgerton. One item on her bucket list is to go to Paris to the Palace of Versailles, where she would like to see the places royalty once lived.

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• Employee of the Quarter

  Paula Coffman

     Paula joined SPAC in the middle of 2023 to become one of our pivotal Accountant I’s for our Collections and Accounts Receivables (CAR) Team.
     Her favorite part of working at UMB is her coworkers and “working from home…” the powerful benefit of the telework option. In her overall career, she is most proud of her 35-year work history with her previous employer before coming to UMB. We hope she stays with us for a while as well. Paula embraces the CORE values of Respect and Integrity.
     Something most people might not know about Paula is that she is a “huge Disney Fan.” “I go to Disney two/three times a year. My home office space is decorated with Hipster Mickey and Minnie.” In case anyone was considering getting Paula a gift, Disney themed would be a good idea.
     Her other interests are 80s music and baking. She says, “[I] love to bake, but hate what it does to the waist,” and, during the holiday season, watching Christmas movies on the Hallmark Channel. Paula started this year watching them back in October (21^st), making her SPAC’s resident expert on them.
     When asked if she could have any superpower, Paula said, “Telekinesis, the ability to move objects with your mind,” which would probably be helpful with getting work accomplished. It could even be useful keeping a flight from being turbulent on her bucket list trip to Hawaii that she hopes to go on.