Friday, December 18, 2020

Katherine Battee-Freeman named the UIS Employee of the Month for December 2020

Katherine (Kathyy) Battee-Freeman has been named the University of Illinois Springfield Employee of the Month for December 2020. She is the director of the Career Development Center.

According to the student who nominated her, she “goes above and beyond in her efforts, treating people with empathy and compassion, taking the time to help them prepare for and find rewarding careers.”

Her supervisor, Mark Dochterman, says she works hard to reach all students in order to provide career development services. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, she had already started to offer more services in online-only formats and at times that worked best for commuter students.

“When the pandemic hit, Kathyy’s office was already offering their services in online and blended formats, and in some ways served as a model for other units to do this type of work,” Dochterman said.

Under Battee-Freeman’s leadership, the office and its staff have been recognized within the field repeatedly with leadership positions in regional professional associations, presented their work at the regional and national level and earned awards from CIC SHRM, MWACE and others organizations. Battee-Freeman was also selected to participate in the University of Illinois System’s Academic Professionals Leadership Program. 

“The Career Development Center truly models career development excellence,” Dochterman said. “This type of consistent success for herself, her staff, and the unit as a whole does not happen without strong leadership at the helm.”

Additionally, she supports the efforts of other units on campus (helping to promote events and partnering with Advancement). She also makes a significant effort to develop the student staff within the Career Development Center. She maintains positive relationships with a range of community employers and was recently selected to serve on the Springfield Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. 

“All of these efforts contributes to excellent customer service and ultimately the success of our students, which is reflected in UIS’s strong numbers on the Outcomes Survey,” Dochterman said.

Outside of work, Battee-Freeman is an active member of the Illinois Chapter of the American Association of University Women (AAUW), she has participated in Springfield Stitches for a Cause and supports the fundraising efforts of St. Jude and more.