We celebrate the retirement of our own Jean Kim, who has worked for the Press for over 40 years.
SUP is both proud and saddened to congratulate Jean Kim, our Director of Finance and Operations, on her retirement. Jean started working for the Press in 1980 and has become a vital part of our work. She has kindly imparted some words of wisdom on her experience at SUP.
What is your fondest memory from working at SUP?
There are so many of fond memories. But if I had to pick one for me personally:
While wearing the additional hat of Building Manager many years ago, in the days when we didn't have a flood of emails to write and look at, I started sending a weekly email called “TGIF” to staff, adding some of my dry sense of humor, to communicate the building news more effectively and make it less boring. TGIF became the best tool I had for communicating with staff for many years. It was also a great way of practicing my English, as an ESL student. I felt very good when fellow employees had nice things to say about my weekly TGIF emails, and told me they appreciated them.
The best—or funniest!—moment, maybe, was when the Press was on campus and construction crews were demolishing our warehouse. As a (mostly humorous) solution to staff having to endure that for long, awful days, with our building literally shaking, I offered to provide them all with ear plugs.
You started working at the press in 1980, what are the biggest changes you’ve seen during your tenure?
Working as computer data operator in the Accounting Department (no such position now), I witnessed small personal computers replacing the humongous IBM card reading machine with card punching machine and card sorter which used to occupy the whole Computer Room, as it was called. It's hard to believe that one small computer on my desk can do the same work done in those days by a roomful of machines—generating data all ready for printing. Personally, this change affected me and my job more than the pandemic which happened this past year.
What piece of advice would you give to someone wishing to pursue a career in the financial side of publishing?
I'd advise taking an interest in publishing as a whole rather than just the numbers, and trying to understand the publishing process from beginning to end. This will help your career, along the way.
Open your mind, and be open to opportunities that come along. Don’t be afraid to take on new responsibilities, even if they're not specifically in accounting. This will broaden your experience and knowledge, and may help you find other skills or talents you didn't know you have. Get involved in a bigger community like the Association of University Presses to learn how other publishers work and expand your understanding of the field—and your network of contacts.
Thank you, Jean! We wish you a very happy retirement!
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