Division of Finance & Administration News

Each week, we highlight the work being done in our departments or the people who work hard for UNT. We appreciate the efforts our staff members make that support UNT and make it a great place to learn and work!

A group of people in safety vests posing for a picture before the Safety Walk starts.Spotlight on 2025 Fall Safety Walk
A huge thanks goes to the departments in our division who participated in the 2025 Fall Safety Walk: Facilities, Transportation Services and the UNT Police Department. Several volunteers from our division helped make the Fall 2025 Safety Walk a success.
The Safety Walk started as a project by the UNT Student Government Association (SGA) to walk campus at night and identify safety issues, such as pathway lights that are burned out, causing unsafe walking conditions, or tripping hazards. Over the years, our departments have joined the Safety Walk to support the success of the project. Facilities staff takes notes of areas that need to be fixed and files the appropriate service requests. Transportation Services ensures volunteers have parking and that their Night Flight routes correspond to the walking paths that students use. Police advise on safety concerns and assist in pointing out areas where more work is needed to boost safety on campus. 
This year saw the most volunteer participation than we've ever had, with more than 40 faculty, staff and students walking various “zones” across main campus and Discovery Park to capture these safety issues. The SGA initiative relies heavily on volunteers. 
Posted Dec. 8, 2025
scooter charging station at UNT UnionNew policy supports safety inside UNT buildings
Starting in January, scooters are no longer allowed in UNT buildings. The UNT Police Department, Transportation Services, Facilities and Risk Management Services all contributed to the new UNT micro-mobility vehicle (MMV) policy, which takes effect in January 2026. 
The policy bans MMVs (scooters, e-bikes, etc.) inside UNT buildings. Scooters and their batteries also cannot be charged inside any UNT building.
(Pictured) There are outdoor charging stations next to the UNT Union. Additional outdoor resources are being explored.
Other universities have similar policies, brought on by fighting the extreme heat fires from lithium-ion batteries. UNT wants to address this before it becomes an issue. Earlier this year, Housing released a policy that no longer allowed scooters/MMVs inside the residence halls, so this policy applies to commuters, faculty and staff. Our division is committed to supporting a safe environment here at UNT.
Posted Dec. 2, 2025
Community members join the Emergency Management team for a photo.Spotlight on community partnerships

The Emergency Management and Safety Services team in Risk Management Services recently welcomed Pastor Kyev Tatum and participants in his Skills City, USA Resilience Responders initiative. The program is a collaborative effort with Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County and the Ministers Justice Coalition of Texas.
It trains local residents, especially from under-served areas, in emergency response, disaster readiness, and public safety, preparing them to serve as trusted community leaders and first responders when crises arise. Above, the group poses outside UNT’s Emergency Operations Center with some of our EMSS staff.

Posted Nov. 10, 2025

Winners of the division cornhole tournament standing next to the North Texas mural at DATCU Stadium.Spotlight on learning something new

Each long semester (fall and spring), staff members in the Division of Finance & Administration gather for a lunch picnic that includes a highly competitive cornhole tournament. Each year, various staff members in Facilities seem to walk away with a first, second or third place (homemade) trophy and bragging rights.

In 2024, Vice President Clayton Gibson decided he wanted in on the game -- after all, everyone seemed to be having fun and he was interested in learning a new skill. His practice (and his patient teacher/teammate) paid off and he earned a second-place finish. 

The full set of team winners in the Fall 2025 picnic tournament:

  • First place: Facilities staff members Kevin Wilson and Kate Denton (middle of the photo, both in green shirts)
  • Second place: Facilities staff member Sammy Loyola and Clayton (both on the left)
  • Third place: Facilities staff members Jeremy Mills and Quincy Kemp (both on the right)

As he ponders retirement from this competition while still ahead, Clayton sent a message to staff about the value of continuing to learn new skills, saying: "There’s a certain excitement that comes from figuring things out on my own and seeing small improvements over time. Trying out this new skill reminded me that learning doesn’t always have to be about perfection or even about reaching the top. Sometimes, the greatest reward comes from stretching yourself, trying something unfamiliar, and discovering new confidence along the way."

Posted Nov. 3, 2025

VP Clayton Gibson laughs with some Budget Office staff members.Spotlight on volunteering efforts

The University Budget Office team, which includes Asset Management, enjoyed some sweet treats and time with Vice President Clayton Gibson as a thank-you for the volunteer efforts by their staff in the spring semester.

Our division hosts a UNT student food pantry collection each January and February. Departments within the division compete for a pizza party by bringing in non-perishable items for the pantry. The department with the most points (donations per full-time departmental staff members) wins. New this year, we gave points to those staff members who were able to volunteer their time with food distributions. Transportation Services won the pizza party by donating more than 2,000 items (totalling more than 100 donations per full-time staff member).

With 16 full-time staff, the University Budget Office is among our smallest departments but they volunteered more hours than any other department in our division. They helped with distribution of food to our students throughout the spring semester -- not just during January and February. That earned them a special reward of their own, for their efforts to go above and beyond to help our students. 

Posted Oct. 27, 2025

Police Chief Washington and other officers stand in front of hundreds of school supplies.Spotlight on our contributions to the community

The UNT Police Department has been greeting Denton ISD students on their first day of classes for the past few years. It’s a good way to show students that the safety of our entire community is important. Earlier this this year they did it again -- but this time they had some surprises for nearby elementary schools.

Over the summer, the department decided to do even more for our Denton community partners. The UNT Police Department held a school supplies drive to distribute to teachers. They collected 5,000 items that were divided among Sam Houston, Frank Borman and Newton Rayzor elementary schools.

Posted Oct. 6, 2025

image from the magazine article that shows Hannah TaylorSpotlight on a Cool Young Pro

Emergency Management and Safety Services Training and Exercise Coordinator Hannah Taylor, who works in Risk Management Services, was recently featured in North Texas Next magazine as a “Cool Young Pro.”

The magazine is distributed to more than 150,000 students in 30 North Texas school districts. The goal is to educate students on the types of careers they can aspire to after they graduate from high school.

Hannah is a graduate of UNT’s Emergency Management and Disaster Science program, having already earned her bachelor's degree in emergency administration and planning. She is also currently studying for her master's degree in sports entertainment management.

Read the story here: https://tinyurl.com/NTXNextHannahTaylor.

Posted Sept. 29, 2025

 

graphic showing the four top reasons our staff enjoy working for our divisionSpotlight on why we work at UNT

Over the summer, our departments conducted a survey about the reasons why staff members enjoy working for our division at UNT. Many times surveys look at what is lacking or needs to be done, but we wanted to assess what we are getting right and what keeps our staff devoted to their work. 
These are shown as the “Top 4 Reasons We Work Here” and include the ability to build positive interpersonal relationships; the autonomy and flexibility that our jobs offer; the feelings of purpose and impact that we get from our jobs; and opportunities for learning and growth. The survey also included actionable next steps that each department leader can take to best support our staff members.

Thank you to those who worked on the survey -- from Budget: Jimmy Grounds and Chad Ramsey; from Controller: Carol Lu, Kristel McClaran, Ruth Rubio; from Facilities: Hilary Liscano, Cassandra Nash, Peter Palacios; from Police: Chris Deaton, Jeremy Polk; from Risk Management Services: Chris Erickson, Diana, Nellessen, Scotie Selman; and from Transportation Services: Chris Hawke, Nikki Sparks.

Posted Sept. 16, 2025

Clayton Gibson hands a coin to staff member James Taylor as Facilities director Jeff Brown looks onSpotlight on going the extra mile

Recently, Facilities Grounds Crew Leader James Taylor received a challenge coin for Teamwork.

He does a great job supporting his team and keeping them motivated. James has also offered his services as a DJ at our division picnics. He also thinks of others, treating his coworkers not only with respect but also treating them to the delicious food he brings (we hear his barbecue is amazing).

Our division challenge coins honor those who have gone above and beyond in their work roles. There are several coins: Teamwork, Continuous Improvement, Humanity, Ideation, Professional Development, and Service. Each staff member who receives a coin must be nominated by a member of the division's leadership team. 

Posted Aug. 11, 2025