North Vegas Times

An employee of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) whose willingness to learn has guided her actions since her employment began in January 2014 is a second-place honoree for the 2022 President's Classified Employee of the Year award.

Marcela Kofford, an administrative assistant for the MBA programs office in the Lee Business School, came to UNLV after her position in the casino industry was eliminated in 2013; a recent UNLV news release said. Kofford was one of 15 people to test for the position she has now. There were approximately 150 people who applied for the job.

“I started here in January 2014 and always have been in this same job in the MBA programs office in the Lee Business School, though it was an administrative assistant II position when I started and later was upgraded to a III,” Kofford said in the release. “I’ve always had a big respect for UNLV. Working here encouraged me to get my AA in business through CSN (College of Southern Nevada), using the employee (tuition grant-in-aid tuition) benefit. I’ve almost completed a second AA. This one is in computer office technology, which has been such fun. I love it!”

Classified staff are nominated for the President’s Classified Employee of the Year for excelling at their jobs, having “superb” work ethics or for being outstanding “in some other way,” the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Classified Staff Reference Guide said.

Lisa Davis, Lee Business School’s executive director of graduate student services, nominated Kofford for the award because of her “great work ethic” and love of UNLV.

“Marcela has a wonderful attitude, a willingness to learn new things, and provides great customer service to not only our students, but to anyone who calls our office or walks through the MBA doors,” Davis said in the release. “She assists UNLV students that end up in our office who are lost at the beginning of the semester and she provides information and directions to students and community members who need assistance in finding faculty and administrative offices.”

Davis noted that Kofford is willing to admit she doesn’t know everything, but she will research an answer and give follow-up.

Kofford said her job keeps her busy, and her office is getting busier still, but she’s excited about it.

“I haven’t decided whether to get a bachelor’s because I want to spend time with my grandkids,” she said. “I have four grandkids — three boys and a girl. Another grandchild is on the way. She is due in August.”