Esther Williamson graduated from SPU in 1998 with a double major in theatre and English, then earned her Masters of Fine Arts from The Academy for Classical Acting at The Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, DC. Now, she’s an actor and teaching artist based in Brooklyn, New York. A proud member of Taffety Punk Theatre Company, Esther has been praised by The Washington Post and numerous local critics for her deft handling of heightened text and her grounded, soulful onstage presence. With Taffety Punk, she has performed over half of Shakespeare's canon as well as several new and classic works. She has also acted and taught with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival; Seattle Shakespeare Company; Book-It Repertory Theatre; Opera House Arts in Stonington, ME; and many others.

Listen to her journey from SPU to New York in the latest SPU Voices podcast.

Do you live on the Eastside and commute across the Highway 520 bridge (or choosing to drive around to avoid the toll)? If so, you could be saving as much as $300 a month by joining a vanpool. The vanpool is completely free to SPU employees which means the 520 toll, gas, campus parking, and car maintenance are all covered through the Trip Reduction Program. Part-time riders are also welcomed. The vanpool meets at the South Kirkland Park and Ride, Monday–Friday at 7:05 a.m. for a 7:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. work schedule. If you’d like to know more, email Lynn Anselmi at lynnnanselmi@spu.edu. Benefits of vanpooling can be found at spu.edu/vanpools.

A message from the UMin Spiritual Care Team Chaplain Lisa Ishihara, Jen Manglos, and Mike Labrum:

Spiritual Direction Sessions

Whether or not you had the opportunity to take advantage of the free spiritual direction sessions that were offered, we still would encourage you to consider meeting with a spiritual director that could walk with you as you process all that these last few months have looked like for you. Having a soul friend that can help us discern the voice and fingerprints of God in the midst of a challenging season is invaluable.

If you sense that spiritual direction could be beneficial in the weeks and months ahead, both Jen Manglos and Mike Labrum, spiritual formation coordinator in UMin, would be honored to walk with you in spiritual direction if we could serve you in that way. Pastor Jen and Pastor Mike are trained spiritual directors who are available to help process anything on your heart or mind that you’d like to talk about. Email Jen or Mike using the contact information below.

Jen Manglos – jenmanglos@gmail.com (visit jenmanglos.com for more information)

Mike Labrum – mike@deeperwalksd.org(visit deeperwalksd.org for more information)

Spiritual Care Room SUB 110

We will be winding down our Spiritual Care Room this week. We have a number of succulents that need a new home if you are interested in taking a few with you! We hope this space has served as a place of rest and reflection over this last quarter.

The 10th of each month is the last day to make changes to your upcoming payroll check. Do you need to add or remove your spouse and/or children from your health care plans? If so, contact Human Resources (HR) to complete the appropriate form. Changes might include events that are expected to impact your benefits and deductions, such as your spouse or children gaining or losing coverage due to employment, birth, marriage, etc.

Additionally, any changes to your 403b account may take up to seven days to be provided to SPU for processing, so please contact Transamerica by the first of the month prior to your requested change. For changes to your 403(b) account, contact Transamerica Retirement Solutions at 1-888-676-5512 (5 a.m.–6 p.m. PST), or 1-800-755-5801. If you have any other benefits-related changes, call Cherylin Shdo in HR at 206-281-2816.

The Faculty/Staff Bulletin is published every other week during the summer. The next deadline is Thursday, July 20, and the next issue will be published Monday, July 24.

If you have information or event news, send it as soon as possible with an image or graphic to Bulletin editor Tracy Norlen at fsb-editor@spu.edu. Submissions may be edited for clarity.

Please join the Office of Human Resources in welcoming the following new staff members. 

Nicole Baker, program manager, Center for Faithful Business, School of Business, Government & Economics
Montel Bishop, security officer, Safety & Security
Justin Freeman, financial business systems analyst, Financial Affairs
Sydney Pluhacek, assistant coach, women’s soccer, Athletics
Donald Rollman, assistant coach, men’s basketball, Athletics
Laura Taylor, visits and events coordinator, Undergraduate Admissions & Recruitment
Anne Underwood, facilities service clerk, Facility & Project Management