News
ASUM office manager retiring
Story by Alex Tenenbaum | April 25, 2008
Montana Kaimin
Carol Hayes has been the ASUM office manager for 18 years, but she says it’s time to call it quits.
Maybe she’ll travel the world, or visit her kids and grandkids more often.
“I’m just not real worried about it,” she said. “Retirement’s a funny thing. When I started, I couldn’t think of how I’d ever leave this job. You know, it’s kind of been my baby.”
But come fall semester, she expects to be gone.
For the past 18 years, Hayes, 68, has taken the minutes for ASUM meetings, missing just a handful of meetings in all that time. She has seen 18 ASUM administrations and has coached them all in the ways of bureaucracy. She has discovered the financial needs of student groups, and doled out funds to groups while teaching the art of penny pinching.
“She can stretch a dollar further than anyone I’ve ever met,” said Marlene Hendrickson, ASUM accountant.
Hayes and Hendrickson have worked together for 17 years, and there is a glassless window between their offices so they can talk to each other.
“When they renovated, we requested this window,” Hendrickson said. “We call it our drive-up window.”
In Hayes’ office, a boxing-nun puppet perches atop the metal coat rack, looking out on the small, somewhat disorganized room. On her office door, Clint Eastwood squints from a poster, ready to make your day with a revolver in each hand and a pistol in his belt. Passersby might assume Hayes has an edge, and, in a sense, they’d be right.
“She’s … how do I put this … the iron fist in the velvet glove,” Hendrickson said. “She’s just very in charge, and yet she never is impatient. She never seems to mind repeating instructions to group after group, year after year.”
ASUM Vice President Tara Ness agreed, saying Hayes has been a great mentor, always offering information and advice, while keeping tight lips on her own opinion.
“Regardless of what precedents have been set, we always get the last word,” Ness said.
Like many in the office, Ness said Hayes is irreplaceable as the institutional knowledge of ASUM, guiding executives and senators through pitfalls of the past.
Hendrickson spoke similarly.
“You can’t replace Carol,” she said. “We’ll hire someone new, but we’ll never be able to replace her.”
ASUM senator Sean Morrison praised Hayes for her personality.
“There’s nobody I know who doesn’t absolutely love Carol to death,” he said.
Newly elected ASUM President Trevor Hunter also shared fond memories of Hayes.
“On Halloween, she came as ‘the authentic cowgirl,’” he said. He said she wore an outfit complete with a cowboy hat, vest, and a toy six-shooter to match her poster of Clint Eastwood.
In order for Hayes to leave, the newly elected ASUM has to write a job description, advertise the position and find someone to replace her.
Even if that happens in time for fall semester, there’s one last hurdle for Hayes.
“She’s promised she won’t leave until her office is cleaned out,” Hendrickson said. “And by the looks of it, she might be here for awhile.”
But in all likelihood, Hayes will continue with her plans to retire at the end of summer.
She has had a significant impact on students in her years with ASUM, and there’s no doubt they feel the loss. But her long-time co-workers may be left with an even heavier weight in their chests.
“It will be a very sad day for me when she leaves,” Hendrickson said.
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Comments
Carol is my “little” sister and I always thought she was GREAT. Now I am more aware of how really great she is . My advice to her is “Go Girl!!”. Love you!
Posted by James E. Samsel on 04/25/2008 at 1:03 pm
A nice tribute to Carol.
Posted by stibbs on 04/25/2008 at 1:21 pm
Aunt Carol....you rock!!!
Posted by Pat Samsel on 04/25/2008 at 1:41 pm
Yah, that’s my mom!
Sorry everybody. I may be partly to blame for her interest in retiring because I provided the adorable grandchildren.
Just watch out if she ever asks you to give her a penny.....
Posted by Kristin Hayes on 04/25/2008 at 2:40 pm
In my years in and around ASUM, Carol was always our surrogate mom, conscience, confidante, mentor and steadfast friend. I will never forget my many morning conversations with Carol (I was often one of the first few people in the office during the day, during my years as a senator and then as an office assistant). We would talk about politics, food, University gossip… anything and everything. ASUM will never be the same! Good luck!
Posted by Alex Rosenleaf on 04/25/2008 at 4:23 pm
Since I’ve known you Carol since our college years in Co. and since your son was born on my birthday, and also since we both grew up in the Chicago area, I am so happy for you to retire. You won’t even know how you ever had time to work!!! It is truly the most fun time. So happy for you. Say, when do you get back to Chicago(: Hope we get together one of these days-
Posted by Carol McTague on 04/25/2008 at 4:26 pm
People often say that you won’t know how much you will miss something until it’s gone, but from my years as an ASUM Senator and Business Manager I think I have an idea. She has been the face of ASUM to countless student group leaders looking for money and always was viewed by everyone as the source of knowledge for everything a group could ever need. She has been the tough but knowledgeable mentor at the head of the table who would always be the first person to throw out her hand if she knew how our current discussion turned out for the Senate five years ago. Though she was very good at the work she did for students and the people she worked with her greatest contribution to me was just being able to sit down from time to time and talk about what was going on in the world. It is going to be very odd to have someone else sitting behind that desk but I and this new ASUM administration certainly hope she will still come back to visit.
Posted by Bryce Bennett on 04/26/2008 at 2:11 am
Congratulations and Happy Retirement, Carol! You’ve been a great institutional memory and mentor for hundreds of ASUM officers and senators over the years. You’ve made a difference in their leadership and in their lives! Best wishes to you. Come see us in New Mexico!
Posted by Barbara Hollmann on 04/27/2008 at 3:58 pm
Carol- you’re a true public servant. Thanks for all your work- I don’t know anyone who can tolerate ASUM meetings for hardly a semester (just ask any Kaimin reporter)- let alone 18 years. So when and where is the retirement party?
Posted by Aaron Flint on 04/27/2008 at 8:19 pm
A fitting tribute to a wonderful woman. Carol, you should sit back with pride knowing you helped a whole lot of students and made a lasting impact - not just on campus but across Montana. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
Posted by Barrett Kaiser '99 on 05/20/2008 at 3:57 pm
