Kenyatta M. Woolridge
Senior Disbursement Specialist
Office of the Controller
Email: kwoolridge@umaryland.edu
Please introduce yourself and describe your role at UMB.
I am a dedicated member of the UMB community with 25 years of service. Since 2001, I have grown alongside this institution — starting from the ground up and currently serving as a Senior Disbursement Specialist within the Office of the Controller. What spreadsheets and systems don't capture is the part of the work I value most: serving people. I am known across departments as someone colleagues call when they need to navigate UMB's processes and procedures — even when those SOPs sit well outside my own team. I meet people where they are, not where a manual assumes they should be, and I offer that time freely because the work of this university gets done by people lifting each other up. Beyond my role, I am a lifelong learner finishing my degree in Biochemistry and an entrepreneur who believes in the power of clean, ethical solutions.
Why are you interested in serving on the Staff Senate?
The Office of the Controller is the financial heartbeat of this university, and my role gives me a unique vantage point: I see how policy decisions ripple into the daily lives of the staff who keep UMB running. I am running for Staff Senate because I believe technical expertise only matters when it is paired with genuine, human-centered advocacy — the kind that shows up before someone has to ask for it. I understand the "how" and the "why" behind our financial systems and can support the Senate in navigating complex administrative processes and offer realistic, data-backed perspectives on staff-related initiatives. I want to translate high-level administrative goals into clear, actionable information for staff. This bridge work is something I already do informally across campus, supporting colleagues from many departments as they navigate the processes that affect their day-to-day. I would be honored to do it formally on behalf of the entire staff body. My career has evolved to first principles of accuracy and accountability. Giving my time generously when colleagues need a guide, and making sure they leave the conversation more capable than they came in. That same rigor and that same generosity are what I would bring to representing the interests of the Staff Senate.
What do you hope to accomplish during your term?
My goal is to ensure that as UMB grows, our staff — the university's most valuable asset — are supported by policies that are as efficient as they are equitable. Practically, that means advocating for processes that work for the people who actually use them, pushing for clearer institutional communication across departments, and making sure no team's voice gets lost in the larger conversation. I want to bring the same care I bring when a colleague from another department asks me to walk them through a process to the work of representing staff at the Senate level: patient, accurate, and oriented toward the human on the other side of the desk. I ask for your vote to represent the Office of the Controller and to serve as a bridge between our institutional goals and our collective wellbeing.
Describe your hobbies and interests outside of work.
Outside of work, I am a longtime anime fan — a love affair that started at age four with Akira and eventually nudged me into learning Japanese. I am also a devoted Prince fan and a ride-or-die Lakers loyalist from the Rick Fox and Kobe Bryant era. I find creative balance in balloon artistry and in building my clean-beauty brand, Kurls and Fros, LLC, while finishing my degree in Biochemistry—pursuits that require a clear vision, structure, and a love for the process. Most of all, I am happiest around family; our gatherings are loud, loving, and full of food, calypso, and Soca. That warmth, curiosity, and loyalty are what I plan to bring to my service in the Staff Senate.
