Incoming Staff Council president focuses on boosting morale, advocacy
As the 2024-2025 academic year rolls in, the new president of the University of Houston-Victoria Staff Council is looking forward to her term and is committed to building on the excellent work accomplished by the council in the previous year.
With nearly a decade of service at UHV, communications manager Lauren Emerson was selected to serve as the 2024-2025 Staff Council president, effective Aug. 1.
In her new role, Emerson plans to prioritize staff morale and to advocate for and ensure the voices of UHV staff members are heard. UHV has faced some difficult circumstances in the past few years, but the university’s staff are still as dedicated as ever, Emerson said. Her goal is to encourage a supportive work environment where staff members feel valued and are empowered to continue their hard work, she said.
“The staff are the platform on which UHV functions; everything functions well because we have an excellent staff who know their jobs and care about doing their jobs well,” Emerson said. “We have a lot of people who have been here for years who have so much knowledge and investment in the university, so it’s really important to make sure that they are taken care of and they’re happy here.”
Kendra Matthews, who served as the previous president and is the executive administrative assistant to the provost, said it was an honor to serve as president.
“I have enjoyed working with Lauren this past year, and I look forward to continuing our work as I serve as past president. Lauren is dedicated to our mission and goals, and I feel confident that she will continue to build on what we have accomplished over the past couple of years,” Matthews said. “Looking back over my time as Staff Council President, I am thankful for the experience, the support, and the team who helped make this year a success.”
This September will officially mark Emerson’s 10th year with the university. She came to UHV after working at the local newspaper and has been in her communications manager role for the past five years. In the past, Emerson has also served on the Staff Council as a University System Staff Executive Council member, working with other staff councils across the University of Houston System.
Moving forward, Emerson said it is crucial to maintain an open and respectful channel of communication with the university’s administration. She plans to leverage existing channels, such as the Be HEARD system that allows staff members to submit questions anonymously, to bring staff concerns directly to leadership and work collaboratively to address them, she said.
“Part of it is giving people the opportunity to express their voices either though the monthly meetings or the anonymous question submission online,” Emerson said. “Part of it is encouraging individual staff members to express their concerns; and once they are expressed, we are going to do everything we can to bring it up to the administration.”
In addition to Emerson and Matthews, the 2024-2025 UHV Staff Council leadership is:
- President Elect: Erika Vermillion
- Secretary: Briana Vega
- Treasurer: VACANT
- Communications Officer: Heather Crow
- Staff Representatives Victoria: Exempt – Debbie Vardaman; Non-Exempt – Marie Rayos
- Staff Representatives Katy: Exempt – VACANT; Non-Exempt – VACANT
The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 50 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.