This month's staff spotlight focuses on the three newest members of the CoE Cares! committee. They'd love to hear your ideas and suggestions about how to improve CoE Cares! and the CoE community in general. We look forward to having them contribute to the committee.
Kirby Cuenca, ISyE
How long have you worked at Georgia Tech and what have your roles been?
I've worked at Tech for 11.5 years, minus nine months. I took a nine month stint at the Board of Regents, which is still the same system, but away from Georgia Tech. Before ISyE I was in mechanical engineering, and before that I was at the Board of Regents. Before that I was at Tech in internal audit for 9.5 years. In ISyE I'm in financial administration, which is different from the same role in ME. In ISyE the financial admins work on proposals and in ME they had grant managers. So it's different, but I've enjoyed it.
What do you enjoy about ISyE?
It's a very relaxed work environment. Everyone gets along really well and the focus is on getting your work done.
Where did you grow up and how did you end up in Atlanta?
I'm from Hawaii. Our family growing up was us five kids and our single mom. Island lifestyle can get crazy. A lot of people know your business, so when I graduated from high school I figured I needed to get as far away as I could, which is how I ended up in Georgia. I had relatives at the time living in Georgia, so I ended up going to Georgia State. I didn't think I would stay- I thought I would probably go back to Hawaii and figure out what I wanted to do, but I liked it here enough that I stayed. I've done the calculations and I'm one year away from spending half of my life in Georgia now.
Why did you decide to join the committee?
I was talking to Lisa Cox and we were talking about some things we could do as a school in terms of service projects. I mentioned to her that I have a non-profit and she thought I might be interested in CoE Cares which does service projects and works to boost morale and the sense of community in the College. She thought I would be a good fit, so here I am.
What is the focus of your non-profit?
My non-profit was launched to support needy kids from single-parent homes. Like I said, I grew up with four siblings and my mom, so we struggled a bit. Now that I've grown up and gone on to do adult things I realized I can give back. My husband and I are able to support our kids and the light bulb went off when my oldest daughter asked for something at Target. I said "You don't really need that but it's on clearance so we'll get it anyway." My husband asked why we were getting it, and my justification was that it was on clearance. He pointed out that so many kids don't get these kinds of items, and that got me thinking about reaching out to those kids- especially kids who don't have the basics. I decided to focus on single parent kids because that was the environment I grew up in.
Fast forward to 2018 and it's been three years since we've incorporated and we've helped at least 200 kids. We help with things like school supplies, health and hygiene supplies, and we've helped with meals and gifts around holidays. Summer camp is another big need. Finding childcare can be very hard for some families and summer camps are a good option, so we helped raise scholarship money so kids could go to camp.
It's called the Riley and Morgan Foundation. It's named after my daughters. At this point it's just my husband and I running it. We don't want to overwhelm ourselves and crash, so we're keeping it small for now.
What do you like to do in your free time outside of work?
My husband and I are active in our church. We attend Northpoint in Alpharetta and through our small group we do a lot of volunteering.
My hobby is ballroom dancing, but I'm taking a break right now. I'm trying to find a new coach. I've had the same coach for six years and he is no longer teaching dancing.
Shameka Fahie, CEE
How long have you worked at Georgia Tech and what have your roles been?
I originally started working for Georgia Tech back in March 2015 as an Accountant II in Grants & Contracts Accounting then I left in August 2016 then I came back in June 2017 to work in CEE as a Financial Administrator III.
What are your day to day duties in CEE, when did you start, and what do you enjoy the most about it?
I started in June 2017. As a Financial Administrator I manage a portfolio of sponsored research projects within CEE that includes expenditures management, project budget amendments revisions, sub awards management, project compliance, project reconciliation and project closeout of grants valued at $20M+. My day to day duties varies from SPD distribution to project reconciliation to budget revisions to answering the PI’s question about their project to approving Buzzmart purchases. I enjoy working in CEE because I enjoy the people that I work with. It is such a great friendly environment and we all work together to get the job done.
Where did you grow up and what did you do before coming to Tech?
I am native of Atlanta. I grew up in East Point and I worked for Emory University in an academic/healthcare unit as a Finance/Accounting Specialist before coming to Georgia Tech the first time.
Why did you decide to join the committee and what do you hope to accomplish on it?
After being asked to represent my department on the COE Cares Committee, I decided to say yes because volunteering, planning events, and being of service is what I love to do. I feel that the commitment would not be overwhelming and it is for a good cause so I decided to say yes.
What types of causes are you interested in?
I am interested in causes such as youth, health diseases and education.
What do you like to do in your free time outside of work?
In my free time I volunteer, I am a mentor, I am a Board Member of a non-profit, I enjoying hosting and planning events and traveling when I can.
Christy Kelley, BME
How long have you worked at Georgia Tech and what have your roles been?
I have worked at Georgia Tech for 17 years. I started working at the front desk in ECE, then moved up to support the CSIP group in the GCATT building (now GTRI building) on 14th Street. Prior to moving to BME, I spent the last 12 years working in OIT as an Administrative Coordinator. What is your current role in BME, when did you start, and what do you enjoy the most about it? I am currently an Administrative Manager. I enjoy being back on the academic side and learning about all the research that is going on in the department. Where did you grow up and what did you do before coming to Tech? I grew up just outside of Buffalo, NY and I moved to Atlanta right before the Olympics in 1996. Prior to coming to GT I worked at a printing company as a pre-press assistant. Why did you decide to join the committee and what do you hope to accomplish on it? Since I’m new to BME I thought it would be a great opportunity to meet others in CoE and I hope to bring some good ideas to the group. What types of causes are you interested in? I have two children so I’m interested in anything that involves helping out kids. What do you like to do in your free time outside of work? Outside of work I enjoy spending time with my boys at the local parks, watching movies or cheering on our favorite teams (Buffalo, GT or Atlanta).
