Patrice Gillum loves to help other people, whether she’s working as a human resource analyst for the city of Kent or as a volunteer at Northwest Harvest, a hunger-relief agency.
Fellow employees recognized Gillum for her ability to help others when they chose her as the 2009 City Employee of the Year. The Kent City Council announced Gillum as the award winner at the March 16 Council meeting.
“I was surprised and excited,” Gillum said Monday at her fourth-floor office in the Centennial Building. “But I’d rather fly under the radar. I don’t like to be the center of attention.”
Gillum received a plaque for winning the award, as well as use of an employee-of-the-year parking spot for one year on the first floor in the city garage right behind the Centennial Building.
“I used to park on the street in the all-day spots,” said Gillum, now in her 10th year with the city. “The new spot is nice for the rainy days.”
Gillum switched duties within the city’s employee services division about eight months ago. She now works on contracts with the Kent Police Officers Assocation union and the Teamsters Local 117 union that represents public works, parks and facilities employees.
But as a human resource analyst, she spent half of 2009 and several years prior working with employees in the benefits division. That meant day-to-day contact with city workers who needed answers.
“I got to meet a lot of employees and help them with their benefits and family medical leave,” Gillum said. “The opportunity to work with the employees was wonderful. I also did job orientations when people were first hired by the city.”
Becky Fowler, the city benefits manager, hired Gillum away from the city Information Technology Department and watched her excel at helping employees with their benefits.
“Employees appreciated how they could call her with any question, no matter how dumb they think it is, because to her there is not a dumb question,” Fowler said.
Gillum worked with employees about benefits under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act and helped them get through challenging times.
“She always had time for them and would even come over to their home,” Fowler said. “She’s always willing to go the extra mile.”
Gillum goes the extra mile outside of work as well. She volunteers along with Courtney, her 15-year-old daughter, once a month at Northwest Harvest, a hunger-relief agency with a large distribution warehouse in Kent. The mother and daughter help repackage or sort food products that go out to food banks across the state.
“I started that as a way to teach my daughter to give service,” said Gillum, who is married and also has a 22-year-old stepson. “It’s something we do together and to show her that we are here to serve others and not everything revolves around her or me or anybody else.”
In her spare time, Gillum enjoys walking. She even strolls the downtown streets of Kent during work breaks.
As a child, Gillum often moved because her father served in the U.S. Air Force. The family arrived in Renton from North Dakota while Gillum was a teen. She graduated from Lindbergh High School. She earned an Associate’s Degree from Highline Community College and a Bachelor’s Degree from the Central Washington University branch campus in Normandy Park.
Gillum worked about nine years with the state Department of Information Services before she joined the city of Kent as a payroll projects analyst to help set up a new payroll system.
New challenges are ahead for Gillum as the city begins negotiations later this year with the Teamsters union for a new labor contract to start in 2011.
“I miss her,” Fowler said about no longer having Gillum in the benefits division. “But she has different issues now and a chance to spread her wings and learn more. I know she will excel. She’s that type of person.”
Besides, Fowler and Gillum still have desks in the same office, just a short walk apart. Fowler appreciates that because she still gets to see Gillum each day.
“She always has a smile on her face and is so upbeat,” Fowler said.
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