Congratulations to the 40 staff leaders seeking to grow and contribute more to UAB who were selected for the 2024 cohort of UAB’s Developing Emerging Administrative Leaders Program, which launched in January 2024. This is the second class for the program, which began in October 2022 through a grant from the Health Services Foundation/General Endowment Fund.
DEAL exposes promising staff members to the essential components of administrative and management positions across UAB, including human resources, finance, research, education and clinical operations, along with space and facilities planning.
The initial DEAL cohort had 25 members, but strong interest from across campus encouraged the program’s leadership to expand the class size to 40 this time, including participants from 10 UAB schools, UAB Medicine, UAB Libraries and several central units. (Read about the experiences of that first cohort in this Reporter article.)
“We were gratified by the strong response from across the university to the DEAL Program,” said Cynthia Joiner, Ph.D., who is principal investigator for the DEAL grant and vice chair and associate professor in the Department of Medicine and executive director of the department’s Clinical Research Enterprise. “Units across UAB and UAB Medicine need qualified candidates for administrative lead positions. With DEAL, we are investing in the development of our employees and helping them see the opportunities to advance their careers across the UAB enterprise.”
The 10-month program mixes presentations from key leaders in roles at the university and health system with real-world case studies, discussions and practical, interactive learning. Participants also have the opportunity to network with existing administrators and each other between sessions and beyond the program.
DEAL has expanded its leadership team in recent months, notes Ryan Outman, executive officer for finance and administration in the Heersink School of Medicine. “This provides additional real-world expertise for the program’s educational aims and additional mentorship opportunities for cohort members,” Outman said. Joining the program leadership are Bernard Mays, assistant vice president and Controller in the Office of the UAB Chief Financial Officer; Kim Hazelwood, executive director of Administrative Operations for the College of Arts and Sciences; and Kristi Gidley, executive adminstrator in the Department of Otolaryngology and interim executive administrator for the Department of Urology.
DEAL Program 2024 Cohort
Paul Atchison
Assistant Director, Office of Research
Claire Auriemma
Clinical Research Administrator III, Heersink School of Medicine Department of Medicine
Agee Baldwin
Program Manager, Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Kristina Barlow
Program Manager II/Director of Academic Programs, School of Engineering
John Boggs
Technology Labs Manager, UAB Libraries
Jeffrey Bridges
Facility Manager, HSOM Department of Medicine
Katie Brooks
Nurse Manager Same Day Surgery, Regional Anesthesia, PACU, UAB Hospital
Edith Castleberry
HRP Manager, College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office
Courtney Champion
University Compliance Coordinator, Office of Compliance & Risk Assurance
Whitney Covington
Manager - Clinical Research Coordination, HSOM Department of Emergency Medicine
Kristen Craig
Program Manager, Charles and Patsy Collat Industrial Distribution, Collat School of Business
Julie Drummonds
Financial Officer III, HSOM Department of Radiology
Naomi Duffort
Program Manager II, Center for Outcomes Effectiveness and Research Education (COERE)
Reid Eagleson
Program Manager II, HSOM Department of Medicine
Kayla Evans
Assistant Nurse Manager Operating Room, UAB Hospital
Haley Fenn
Program Manager, School of Nursing, Office of Clinical & Global Partnerships
Gerald Friedman
Program Manager II, HSOM Office of Service Learning
Ketis Garner
Financial Officer II, School of Dentistry Dean’s Office
Lauren Godsey
Business Officer II, Office of the Senior Vice President for Finance & Administration
Caroline Harris
Business Officer II, HSOM Department of Psychiatry
Virginia Harvard
Program Director III, School of Public Health/Finance & Administration
Paulisha Holt
Program Director II, ODEI, School of Public Health Department of Environmental Health Sciences
Sarah Houston
Manager - Clinical Research Nursing, HSOM Department of Medicine
Jasmine Jean
Educational Services Coordinator, Graduate School
Jorice Johnson McCain
HRP Generalist Lead, HSOM Dean’s Office
Mark Lanzi
Communications Specialist, School of Health Professions
David Lowe, RN
Case Manager, Care Transitions Department, UAB Hospital
John Markle
Manager - Facilities, Technical Operations and Infrastructure, School of Nursing
Dominique McCray
Clinical Administrative Supervisor, HSOM Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
Juanitra Moore
Program Manager, Health Service Administration
Joseph Morgan
Finance Officer II, HSOM/School of Engineering Department of Biomedical Engineering
Crystal Odom
Education Administrator, HSOM Department of Family and Community Medicine
Abigail Raczynski
Program Director III, HSOM Department of Medicine
Anne Russell, Ph.D.
Program Manager II, Center for Clinical and Translational Science
Monique Silas
Director, Administration and Fiscal Affairs, School of Education
Ceralyn Staples
Program Manager II, Office of the Provost
Emily Stewart
Communications Manager, HSOM Department of Surgery
James Stovall
Operations Manager, HSOM Department of Otolaryngology
Amie Traylor
Program Director II, HSOM Department of Medicine
Jamie White
Program Director II, HSOM Department of Medicine