Let’s Be Thankful for The Little Things…

November is usually a reminder we need to be thankful due to the Thanksgiving holiday. In my opinion, we need to be thankful every day not just for one month. We need to make it a habit to say thank you more often. This year has been a year we will never forget; we need to reflect on the things we are thankful for…family, friends, jobs, etc. Sometimes you can not always believe what you read on the internet, but I was reading an article called, “60 Things to Be Thankful for In Life”[1]. Here are just a few things to be thankful for: Good Health, Good Friends, Weekends, Pets, Learning from Mistakes, Generosity of Strangers, Breathing Fresh Air, Art, Rainbows, Tears, Indoor Plumbing, Sunsets and Your Mind.

How to practice being grateful? If you are not already practicing this, no better time like the present. In the article called, “40 Simple Ways to Practice Gratitude”[2]; the author gave a list of ways we can practice having gratitude. Here are some ways: Keep a gratitude journal and add to it every day; Tell someone you love them and how much you appreciate them; Smile more often; Notice the beauty in nature each day; Thank the people who serve you in the community—the shopkeeper, bus drivers; Be thankful when you learn something new.

Please mark your calendar for upcoming Zoom meetings and invite your friends to attend:

Wednesday, November 18           Staying Fit in a Frantic World (see information below)
Wednesday, December 16           Someday is Today--Live Your Bucket List

Congratulations to Dr. Paul Ellinger for being our 2020 Boss of the Year! Thanks to Leta Summers and Stacy Walker for putting the event together. You did a great job.

Lastly, we would like to celebrate you. Please contact our Membership committee to let them know you graduated, received a promotion, retiring, etc. We would like to hear from our members. Thank you for being you and attending the monthly Zoom meetings. We are looking to seeing everyone again very soon.

[1] https://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/60-things-thankful-for-life.html
[2]https://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/40-simple-ways-practice-gratitude.html

Donna Miller
IAP President

November Luncheon-via Zoom
IAP Programs & Events Committee (David Perryn-Chair, Tenea Harris, Suzi Stadel, Marie Tan)

IAP Programs & Events is hosting Michele Guerra, Director of Campus Wellbeing Services, on Wednesday, November 18, 2020.  The presentation will be Staying Fit in a Frantic World.

With all that is going on around us, it is easy to forget about self-care and our physical well-being. We’re going to learn some tips on how to squeeze those activities back into our daily routines. This is an event that everyone can benefit from, so get registered today!

Registration Link:  https://go.illinois.edu/IAPStayingFitInAFranticWorld

Registration ends at 11:59pm on Nov 15^th

	Paul Ellinger

Paul Ellinger, Associate Chancellor and Executive Vice Provost has been named IAP 2020 Boss of the Year! Jane Baumgartner nominated him and was celebrated at the October lunch.

Additional nominees honored at the luncheon were Avijit Ghosh, Vice President, CFO & Comptroller, nominated by Jill Odom; and Amy Dillman, Associate Director for Human Resources, Prairie Research Institute nominated by Megan Weeks.

2019 Boss of the Year, Ruth Sosnoff, Associate Director for Administration of the National Center for Supercomputing Applications, presented a talk on what qualities make a sought-after administrative professional.

We congratulate all nominees and winner Paul Ellinger. We also thank the nominators for taking the time to appreciate their boss.

Stacy Walker & Leta Summers
Chair

This year, we again have the opportunity to assist a family in need this Holiday season through the Faculty Staff Assistance Services at the University of Illinois. We have not been assigned our family yet but we should have this information in mid-November. Our committee will then reach out for donations and have an electronic sign-up sheet that will list their specific needs as well. We look forward to continuing this good service to families in need. 2020 has been an incredibly hard year for all. Let this opportunity provide you the joy in your heart that comes from helping those in need.

WE WANT TO KEEP YOU CONNECTED! Have you or a colleague received a promotion or moved to a new office? Are you continuing your education here on campus, EIU, Parkland or elsewhere? Please let Hannah Stites know and she will share that information in the next newsletter. Our goal is to make as many connections as possible to ensure you are successful in whatever it is that you are doing!

Please remember to let us know if you are planning to retire soon so that you can be an IAP retiree member! We will miss you very much, but we hope that you’ll come back for a visit!

The Membership and Mentoring Committee

Dimitria Johnson, Co-Chair dimij@illinois.edu or 333-4634
Hannah Stites, Co-Chair hstites2@illinois.edu or 300-4072
Beth Lewis, ealewis@illinois.edu or 300-7227

For general inquiries email: IAP@illinois.edu

NOVEMBER CELEBRATIONS

November Birthdays

• Angie Wisehart – November 3
• Donna Miller – November 13
• Helen Agans – November 28

November Anniversaries

• Christine McConkey – 2 Years
• Penny Ames – 14 Years
• Deb Flessner – 17 Years
• Cathy Bialeschki – 21 Years