A Winner With an Attitude!

A Winner With an Attitude!

Listening and Communication Skills Earn Praise for Joubert

BY DANA BENSON
Rice News Staff

Cynthia Joubert has had a good summer so far.

First, she was honored with Rice’s Distinguished Employee Award and then it was announced that effective July 1, she will become the assistant manager of the buy/pay department.

It was her positive attitude and job performance that brought both the promotion and the award her way.

“She’s doing an outstanding job,” said Eugen Radulescu, the buy/pay manager. “Whatever she does, her focus is on increasing productivity based on teamwork and helping the Rice community.”

“Cynthia is a real gem,” added Neill Binford, associate vice president for finance and administration. “One who for many years has worked smoothly and quietly, contributing greatly to keeping our administrative clock on time and accurate.”

A Houston native, Joubert has been with Rice since 1979, when she was hired as a clerk in accounts payable, which has now transitioned to buy/pay process, the department that handles reimbursing customers both inside and outside the university.

She was honored with the Distinguished Employee Award at a ceremony held May 24. The award is given by the human resources department on behalf of the university to recognize employees who perform above and beyond their job descriptions to the benefit of the Rice community.

Joubert had no idea she was receiving the award until she walked into Farnsworth Pavilion at the Ley Student Center to a chorus of “Congratulations.” Her colleagues led her to believe that she was attending a human resources meeting. Even her parents, Joseph and Doris Narcisse, and her husband, Gregory, were in on the surprise.

She is described by her colleagues as a very bright person with innovative ideas and exceptional problem-solving skills.

“She’s an incredible role model,” said Jana Callan, the buy/pay process change manager. “Cynthia always is optimistic and upbeat and can help people find solutions. She’s taken an important lead role in the buy/pay process department.”

Joubert has a simple attitude toward her job: “Just be nice and listen to people, let them talk and communicate with them.”

Russell Barnes, director of affirmative action and equal employment opportunity, recently witnessed Joubert’s communication and customer service skills firsthand. He commented that Joubert is “a feather in the cap for Rice’s efforts to achieve and maintain a credible and consistent image within the greater Houston community.”

Joubert admits her job also takes a lot of patience. That’s something she has enough of. “I have two girls,” she explains. “It doesn’t pay to get upset.”

In her new position as the buy/pay process assistant manager, Joubert will see her responsibilities increase. Already she handles the accounting for facilities and engineering, including paying the department’s vendors, training employees on new accounting systems and handling the transactions for capital projects.

Jane Healey, facilities and engineering business manager, called Joubert “a big part of our operation. She’s very attentive and helps us when we need help. She’s just delightful to work with and very good at communicating with us.”

It’s likely that Joubert will handle the new responsibilities quite well. She’s proven that she can adapt to change.

“When I first started, everything was manual,” she noted. “That change was exciting: to watch the department and university grow and see all the improvements.”