About Staff Council

Staff are at the heart of all we do!

group photo of staff council members with chancellor — Staff Council Membership

2024-2025

Our Purpose

The purpose of The University of Mississippi Staff Council (the Council) is to support the mission of the University by serving as an advisory group to the chancellor (or the chancellor’s representatives) in matters that affect the welfare of the institution and/or its staff. The Council is committed to assessing, prioritizing, and communicating concerns relating to staff and in seeking solutions in order to promote the welfare of staff while contributing to the success of The University of Mississippi. Staff Council serves this purpose through:

Engagement

Staff Council Membership serve as the voice of UM staff by serving on the Chancellor's Standing Committees, Advisory Group to the Chancellor, and advocacy for improving the lives of UM Staff.

Education

Staff Council promotes the education of UM Staff through staff development and financial resources, such as the Textbook Scholarship Fund and Children of the Staff Scholarship Fund.

Events

Staff Council hosts and sponsors staff-focused events to promote personal and professional development, networking and fellowship, and to show appreciation for all our staff does for our UM community. Events include Red & Blue Graduation Ceremony, Staff Appreciation Week, staff luncheons, cooking classes, intramural tournaments, and more!

Employees

UM Staff are always at the heart of everything Staff Council does through advocacy, education, and other opportunities that engage staff at the University of Mississippi.

A Message from the President

Presidential Theme: Anything is Possible with YOU!

It is with great pleasure and a humble spirit that I step into the role as The University of Mississippi Staff Council President for the 2024-2026 appointment year. I want to thank the members of staff council for their vote of confidence and support and entrusting me to serve in this capacity. I do not take this responsibility lightly, as many other capable, dedicated and hard-working individuals have served in this role prior to my appointment. I am thankful for the hard work and dedication that has laid the foundation of excellence and service to our staff members at The University of Mississippi. I am honored to serve our staff, community, and this prestigious institution over the next two years. As staff council members, our priority is to serve in an advisory capacity to the Chancellor of our esteemed institution. We serve as the voice of more than 4,000 staff members across our university and we do this with great pride. Our goal everyday is to ensure we are creating a culture where people feel valued, heard and know that their contributions matter.

We are exited about the direction we are heading, with more focus on year round activities to help our staff feel appreciated throughout the year. We look forward to growing collaborations with colleagues across our community and continuing to shine a light on our staff members and all the amazing work and talents you possess.

As I contemplated the presidential theme for the next two years, I couldn’t help but consider the work taking place with new initiatives, systems and projects that will help to ensure we remain relevant and on the cutting edge of providing an exceptional educational experience to our students. The work taking place behind the scenes is immeasurable and literally could not take place without our staff efforts. The next few years ahead will bring continued growth, and with that growth, we will experience change. Change can be difficult, even scary at times, but without change we run the risk of becoming stagnant. As we embark upon this growth and change, I want to encourage our staff community to be good stewards to one another. Let’s be a village of support and encouragement to each other, realizing that we are always stronger together. As we continue to strive together towards greatness, let’s remember….Anything is Possible with You!

Lolita Gregory

Assistant Dean Undergraduate Recruitment and Retention

2025-2026 Executive Board

Lolita Gregory

Assistant Dean Undergraduate Recruitment and Retention

Premalatha Balachandran

Principal Scientist

Caitlyn Wakefield

Encompass ERP Project Manager

Kiara Willis

Executive Assistant

Tripp Sanders

Manager of IT Services - Student Housing

Matthew Deloach

Pre-College Programs Enrollment Manager

Jessica Coker

Associate Director of Admissions Outreach

Deetra Wiley

Project Manager

Membership

The UM Staff Council membership consists of 38 staff members across all EEO staff categories elected by the general staff membership of the University of Mississippi, including its regional campuses.

During the late Spring or Summer months, the Staff Council will send out a call for nominations via UMToday to join Staff Council for a three-year term (starting and ending in August). Staff members may nominate a colleague or self-nominate in the portal in myOleMiss.

Elections will occur at the end of Summer before Fall semester begins. Staff members will vote via Staff Council Elections via myOleMiss. Newly elected members will be announced once the voting period ends.

The Staff Council Ambassador Program provides staff members the opportunity to be a part of Staff Council and help the Council with its engagement and outreach efforts. Staff Council Ambassadors are non-voting members.

For more information, email staffcouncil@olemiss.edu.