As a Pacific alumnus who met his wife as a student, Kyle Harkness ’05, ’13 will tell you he is a “Pacifican for life.“ Harkness has worked at the university for 13 years and is currently assistant dean of operations for Benerd College.

As chair of the Staff Advisory Council, Harkness works to cultivate that same sense of belonging among other staff members.

“Being on Staff Advisory Council is really about the people,” Harkness said. “I hope to be a steward for the great leadership that's come before me and carry that torch on to the next set of great leaders.

“I also really enjoy meeting people around campus, both the folks that have been here for a long time and the new people just starting. I want to make everybody who is here feel like they are part of the Pacific family.”

The council provides a voice to staff, promotes development opportunities and supports community-building activities. Open forums are held via Zoom on the second Friday of the month from 10 to 11:30 a.m.

Staff Advisory Council also awards annual scholarships through its Staff Development Fund to cover the cost of professional development, skills training and conferences for employees.

Other members of the 2022-23 executive board include:

• Chair-elect – Shawn Kerns ’10 (Pacific IT)
• Secretary – Kaitlyn Goslinga ’17 (financial aid)
• Treasurer – Eric Shepherd (pharmacy)
• Co-communications – Margaret Roberts ’17, ’22 (Eberhardt)
• Co-communications – Daniel Shaw (Career Services)

Watch the video to learn about the council’s top priorities for the academic year and how staff can get involved.

Kyle’s Favorites:

Book: The Count of Monte Cristo – the movie is good too.

TV Show: Seinfeld

Movies: Swiss Family Robinson (the 1960 Disney version)

Food: Nostalgia food… Mom’s Creamed Chicken, Northwood Pizza

Hobby: Spending time with family/friends, fishing, wine tasting, planning the next vacation