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Kathleen Connelly Harmon Retires

After 40+ years, our colleague and friend Kathleen Connelly Harmon has retired from Rutgers. Contributing towards the success of our Executive MBA program, the following have shared these kind words:

“Kathleen’s attention to detail, her diligence and dedication, and her conscientiousness while working in EMBA, are now “industry standards.” Above all, no matter how trying the situation, or how grave the crisis – and at the EMBA weeks-in-residence we have seen them all, from 9/11 to snowstorms to floods – she has never been ruffled. Her cool and steady calm, and her “grace under pressure” has never wavered, no matter what. Quite simply, she has been the rock on which our EMBA program – The Powerhouse – has been built. I consider it a personal privilege to have had the opportunity of having worked with her over the last several decades at RBS. She is being missed already by Team EMBA and ALL of us...but I have told her that Rutgers EMBA is like Hotel California. “You can check out, but you can never leave,” and that we hope to be calling on her and seeing her in the years to come. - Farrokh Langdana

For the past quarter of a century, Kathleen has been the administrative backbone of the Tax Program. Whenever students have had an administrative issue or problem, my immediate response has been as follows: please see/contact Kathleen. Whatever the issue/problem would then somehow magically disappear. But the truth was that these administrative matters via uttering the incantation “hocus pocus” or through the wave of magical wand would get resolved. Instead, it was through Kathleen’s tireless efforts that students’ demanding needs were met. On the one hand, I wish to thank Kathleen for making my job so much easier; on the other hand, I now have to do the impossible, namely, engage in the impossible task of finding Kathleen’s replacement. My closing message to Kathleen can be captured in the following words: THANK YOU for everything; you are truly wonderful; I, my current, students, and all the Tax Program graduates would be no where without you. - Jay Soled

Thank you, Kathleen, for your dedication and service to Rutgers! We will miss you dearly!

If you would like to contribute to a retirement gift for Kathleen, please visit here.

Current RBS Job Opportunities

CARES ACT Program Coordinator - NJ-SBDC-Headquarters https://jobs.rutgers.edu/postings/129448

Staff Changes

Stay tuned for more updates!

Staff Retreat 2020 Award Recipients

The Newsletter Team would like to acknowledge two outstanding members of the Rutgers Business School who were not listed in the Inside RBS Volume 2, Issue 1 listing all the 2020 RBS Staff Awards Winners.

Enhancing the Student Experience Cheryl Daniels - Finance & Economics Outstanding Performance Award Elizabeth Fiesler - Office of Career Management

Good luck and farewell to the following staff members:

Name Gist, Dawn Del Valle, Yvette McMillian, Efi Title Department Administrator Program Coordinator Unit Administrator/Specialist Department Management & Global Business Office of Diversity Programs Dean’s Office - Facilities

RBS Family Mourns the Loss of Dawn M. Gist

A beautiful memorial service was held on Tuesday, April 27th to honor the life and legacy of Dawn Monique Gist. The fitting tribute was livestreamed on Facebook with many RBS colleagues in attendance. For 16 years, Dawn was the face of the Management and Global Business department at 1 Washington Park. In her role as Department Administrator, Dawn provided support and service to faculty, staff, and students. She was a proud graduate of Rutgers University-Newark, with a degree in Psychology. A person of strong faith, Dawn was also a champion for motivating and inspiring others.

To send condolences to Dawn’s family, please visit here. If you would like to share your fond memories, fun stories, or Dawn’s meaningful contriubutions at RBS, please send to RBSStaffNews@business.rutgers.edu for consideration in the next issue.

Colleague and close friend, Brenda Anderson, Program Coodinator, Dean’s Office, shares her personal reflection:

April 14, 2021, Dawn Monique Gist gained her wings and made her transition from earth to heaven (or from labor to reward). She was a woman of many attributes and talents, but she prioritized her life based on her principals which were God first, family, church and work. During her time at RBS, Dawn truly exemplified the four pillars of RBS:

• Responsible – To the MGB department, colleagues, friends, church and community. • Resilient – Able to pivot and bounce back expeditiously. • Resourceful – She had many talents, in and outside of RBS, and was often the go-to person for many. • Reinvent – Dawn was constantly developing herself, from receiving her degree in Psychology, taking courses in real estate and working to revitalize communities.