As a student at WSU in the early 1970s, Donna Robinson, program administrative manager for the CUB, planned on going into the field of speech apathology and audiology. However, a simple twist of fate intervened. Rather than speaking and hearing, Robinson became an integral part of meeting and eating at WSU.
“I began working at the CUB as a student and (according to our then-assistant director) was the first female building manager in the Pacific Northwest,” she said. “I also worked in CUB Catering and various other CUB departments, besides going to classes.”
After graduation, Robinson left Pullman to pursue a master’s degree. But when offered a job as the scheduling manager for the CUB, she came back, and it has been her work ever since.
“My position in the scheduling office is one of high volume, responsibility and stress. It is a position that you either love or hate,” she said. “Needless to say, I have enjoyed this position and its challenges.”
Her overwhelming success at meeting the challenges is acknowledged in her selection as a 2005 President’s Employee Excellence Award recipient.
The job demands a keen interest in customers and translating their requests into reality. “Customer visions are not always based upon reality, facilities available, rules of the state and university, or laws of physics…” Robinson said. “A sense of humor, attention to details, the ability to think sequentially and to remain calm have all come in handy.”
“Whatever you wanted as a customer, she would work out for you,” said Syndi Ellison, assistant to the associate vice president of University Relations. “She always wanted to make sure everyone was happy. I mentioned once that the cookies at an event were not very good, and the next day two dozen cookies arrived with a note asking if these would be any better.”
Robinson retired in December but still occasionally works on campus to ensure the transition goes smoothly.
“I worked with her on everything from box lunches to the Murrow Symposium,” said Twila Brown, administrative manager for the Murrow School of Communication. “Now that she’s gone, I really miss her. I’d like to thank her for her years of hard work.”
