Officials & Committees

The Professional Staff Assembly operates with five elected officers, two appointed officers, seven chaired committees comprised of general assembly members, and many UA standing committee representatives that address the needs and concerns of The University of Alabama’s professional staff.

Officers:

President – Jair Lizarazo-Adarme, Ph.D.
President-Elect – Lisa Young
Past-President – Dee Cook
Secretary – Paige Acker
Treasurer – Kathy Brunot
Parliamentarian – Nathan Smart
Historian – Robert Baxter

PSA Committees:

The following committees are the PSA’s livelihood and work on specialized initiatives. Click each to see additional details including committee chair contact information.

• Assembly Operations Committee
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
• Communication & PR Committee
• Nominations & Elections Committee
• Professional Development Committee
• Service & Outreach Committee
• Staff Life Committee
• Technology Committee

Assembly Operations Committee | Chair(s): – Andrew Deere

The Assembly Operations Committee is responsible for the continuous review of the Assembly’s organization and procedures and for recommending changes to the Assembly Bylaws. The committee will consider the reasonableness of all absences of five (5) or more by a representative from Assembly meetings in which the
representative does not have an alternate attending and will make a recommendation to the Assembly whether the position should be declared vacant. The Committee on Assembly Operations is responsible for interpreting the Assembly Bylaws and may receive requests for interpretation from the Assembly or its officers.

Communication & PR Committee | Chair(s): – Anna Claire Toxey, Laura Braddick

The Communications and Public Relations Committee is responsible for facilitating timely, two-way communications between the Assembly and the professional staff on matters perceived as important to constituents. The committee shall routinely examine, analyze, and evaluate various modes of communication in order to improve constituent communications whenever possible.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee | Chair(s): – Vonda James, Joe Kelley

The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee exists to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion among all faculty, staff, and students by serving on UA committees related to diversity, equity, and/or inclusion and making recommendations to appropriate decision-makers to ensure equality at The University of Alabama.

Nominations & Elections Committee | Chair(s): – Catherine Johnson, Megan Stockton

The Nominations and Elections Committee is responsible for the coordination and management of all Assembly elections as prescribed by the Assembly Bylaws. This committee shall be responsible for communicating with constituents on all matters concerning nominations for and election to the Assembly. The committee should review the nomination and election process each year and make recommendations for change to the Assembly as may be appropriate. This committee shall initiate and coordinate the recruitment of volunteers to help with the work of the Assembly. This committee shall contact organizational units for professional staff recommendations to the president to replace the assembly member’s seat due to stepping down or removal.

Professional Development Committee | Chair(s): – Daphne Wright, Kelly Wolfe

The Professional Development Committee shall serve as an advocacy group on matters related to development, education, and other issues of concern to the professional staff as they assist the University to meet its mission of teaching, research, and service. The committee shall identify and evaluate services available to the professional staff through the University and elsewhere that could facilitate or improve their performance, opportunity for advancement, and quality of life. This committee shall also be the channel for recognizing professional staff who have excelled in their work performance or made outstanding contributions to the mission of the University.

Service & Outreach Committee | Chair(s): – Charlotte Park, Jennifer Anderson

The Service/Outreach Committee is responsible to plan, organize, and implement University and community service projects, social events, and campus forums for professional staff. The committee shall work with the Communications and Public Relations Committee to publicize these events and provide the Assembly representatives opportunities to communicate with their constituents during these events. The committee shall perform related functions as requested by the Assembly Steering Committee.

Staff Life Committee | Chair(s): – Jackie Northrup, Ph.D., Shana Gibbs

The Staff Life Committee shall serve as an advocate for the professional staff on all salary, benefits, and evaluation procedure issues. The range of this activity requires the committee members to have a clear understanding of the current University of Alabama salary and benefit policies and to be able to incorporate this knowledge into the evaluation of proposals made by the Department of Human Resources. The committee shall make recommendations to the Assembly concerning support or opposition for such proposals. If appropriate, the committee shall identify alternatives to such proposals. The committee shall maintain a close working relationship with the Department of Human Resources on all matters pertaining to salaries, benefits, and evaluation procedure issues. In addition, the committee, working closely with the Communications and Public Relations Committee, shall communicate with and solicit input from constituents on matters pertaining to salary, benefits, and evaluation procedure issues.

Technology Committee | Chair(s): – Frederick Mackey, Adrienne Hall

The Technology Committee is responsible for keeping current the Assembly web presence.  This is to include the Assembly website, http://www.psa.ua.edu, web page on the committee on committees’ website, web page on OIRA factbook website, and other Assembly web presence.  The committee shall be responsible for the recommendation and maintenance of Assembly digital material, digital communication and meetings.  The committee will be responsible for developing a list of professionals to serve as an expert panel to assist other professionals with specific questions related to specific technology and UA policies. The committee will conduct technology forums comprised of a panel of UA professionals at least twice a year, demonstrating current and emerging technology with an emphasis on web technology and review of UA technology policies. The committee shall work with the Nominations and Elections Committee to assist with the elections process.

Ad-hoc “The Gavel” | Chair(s): – Jeremy Faulkner

Standing Committees & Representatives

Standing Committee Representatives serve the PSA by attending and reporting information from many campus-wide committees. Below are the current UA Standing Committee representatives.