Council of Trustees, President Hawkinson Issue Resolution Honoring Career of Picus

KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The Kutztown University Council of Trustees and university president Dr. Kenneth S. Hawkinson presented a resolution Thursday, Dec. 10, honoring the career of Ms. Sharon Picus, Kutztown University's former interim vice president for Administration and Finance and the university's chief human resources officer for 22 years, who will retire in January.

The resolution reads:

WHEREAS, Sharon Picus has served as interim vice president for Administration and Finance since July of 2019;

WHEREAS, the knowledge and experience she brought to this role along with her analytical problem-solving abilities, exceptionally strong work ethic, and positive relationships with nearly everyone on campus, led to an exceptional performance of her duties;

WHEREAS, Vice President Picus began her tenure at KU in 1985 as a member of the support staff in the Office of Financial Aid. She was promoted to a management position in Human Resources in 1986, advancing to the chief human resources officer for the university in 1998. Picus was promoted to assistant vice president of Human Resources in 2016, serving as second in command for the division of Administration and Finance;

WHEREAS, she represented her office and the university at sport competitions, APSCUF M&D meetings, other union/management activities, as liaison with KUSSI, and served on numerous committees and councils, to include numerous external committees on the state system level;

WHEREAS, her crisis management talents were evident throughout the pandemic and much of our success in stabilizing the university and reopening to a residential experience can be attributed to her ability to adapt to the continually changing guidelines.  Her office and staff, particularly the Human Resources staff, were taxed to the limit in providing oversight to the numerous accommodation and special leave requests throughout this period;

WHEREAS, working with staff, higher administration, advisory committees, state system personnel, council of trustees, and many other external and internal audiences, her calm professionalism results in greater cooperation with these many entities;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Kutztown University Council of Trustees recognize Sharon Picus for her many years of dedicated service and her exemplary professionalism and commitment to Kutztown University.

RESOLVED, this 10th day of December in the year 2020.