Celebrating F&O on National Employee Appreciation Day

Wednesday, February 19, 2025

Finance and Operations

Thank you, Finance and Operations!

In honor of National Employee Appreciation Day on March 7, 2025, the individuals below were nominated by their senior leaders as examples of the many employees who exemplify excellence in the workplace across the Finance and Operations organization. Thank you, F&O, for remaining dedicated to serving our community of students, faculty, and beyond, with the highest level of pride and customer service. We appreciate all that you do!

Haili Smith

Haili Smith has been a payroll administrator at Iowa for two years. Her favorite part of the job is helping others, meeting new people during onboarding, and collaborating with F&O staff members to help them achieve success. "My Hawkeye pride is rooted in the community’s determination, evolving traditions, empowerment, and especially the Hawkeye WAVE," said Haili. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband, daughter, family, and friends, attending sporting events, hiking, and traveling.

“Haili is instrumental to the success of our F&O HR team and the overall achievements of our F&O departments. As a key member of our HUB team, she supports F&O operations with onboarding/offboarding, payroll processing, transactions, compliance tracking, and more. Known for her attention to detail, problem-solving abilities, and commitment to payroll—including complex, manual payroll processing in Campus Safety and FM—Haili also drives projects, keeps everyone on track, reviews processes to recommend efficiencies, and facilitates change by assisting in the implementation of new technologies.”
– Lew Montgomery, Senior Human Resources Director, Finance and Operations

Jeff Rahn

Jeff Rahn has 35 years of service under his belt at Iowa and currently works as a facilities operations manager for Parking and Transportation. Jeff values the challenge of helping determine and implement methods and procedures to improve the customer experience. “I enjoy the personal interactions with my talented coworkers who are super motivated and inspire me daily,” he said. Outside of work, Jeff enjoys reading history, listening to music, and going on walks with his wife.

“Jeff is an incredible asset to our team with his vast knowledge and deep history in Parking and Transportation. His expertise is invaluable, enabling us to deliver top-notch customer service consistently. Jeff's dedication is evident in his willingness to step up during challenging situations, whether it's ramp space reaching critical levels, managing athletic events, dealing with construction, or handling any unexpected crisis. He is always ready to help resolve issues and implement effective solutions.”
– Debby Zumbach, Associate Vice President and Director, Business Services and Parking and Transportation

Akshay Maheshwari

Akshay Maheshwari is a senior application developer for Facilities Management IT, currently in his fifth year at Iowa. Akshay’s favorite part of the job is solving new problems regularly, which keeps his work exciting. “It’s rewarding to see how our work streamlines processes and enhances efficiency for those who rely on it,” he said. His best memories at Iowa include the friendships he has built – celebrating milestones, sharing laughter, and supporting each other through memorable moments. Outside of work, Akshay enjoys traveling and exploring new destinations, spending time with friends, playing squash, and running with his wife in the summer.

“Akshay has been a key driver of technology advancements in Facilities Management, transforming systems like Space Information Management Systems (SIMS), the FM@YS customer service portal, financial processing, employee onboarding, payroll management and more. A University of Iowa graduate with an MS in Computer Science, he has been a dedicated member of our IT team for five years, taking on new challenges and shaping the technical backbone of Facilities Management. We appreciate his contributions and look forward to his continued success at the University of Iowa and Facilities Management.”
– Lynne Finn, Associate Vice President, Facilities Management

Josh Grothe

Josh Grothe is a public safety security officer lead in Campus Safety and has been at Iowa for almost three years. His favorite parts of the job include the opportunities Campus Safety provides and the many amazing coworkers he gets to work with every day. “I’ve been a Hawkeye as long as I’ve known, and I am proud to help provide a safe environment at Kinnick and Carver-Hawkeye Arena,” he said. In his free time, Josh enjoys watching his kids play sports or just spending time with his family. “They are at the age where they play every sport, so there is always something going on!”

“Josh has proven time and time again that he is willing to do whatever it takes to serve our campus with a high degree of focus on customer service and quality. Whether it’s related to his primary responsibility securing the Stanley Museum of Art or his additional duties related to special events, he completes the mission while also finding ways in which we can improve the level of service we provide. Because of his well-deserved reputation across campus and within Campus Safety, Josh was selected by his peers as the Campus Safety Employee of the Year; an award that recognizes his many contributions and his remarkable dedication.”
– Mark Bullock, Assistant Vice President, Campus Safety

Tammy Buchmayer

Tammy Buchmayer is a senior business analyst and has spent the past 16 years of her career at Iowa. "My favorite part of the job is that I get to keep learning whenever new or challenging things arise. I am proud to be part of a team dedicated to improving processes and that values the opportunity to network across campus," said Tammy. In her free time, she enjoys reading, exercising, and spending time with her family by playing games, watching movies, working around the house/yard, and traveling.

“Tammy is a dedicated and collaborative member of the Controller’s Office team. She has co-led university-wide projects to implement processes and reporting tools and co-presented at the NACUBO Higher Education Accounting Forum on one of these tools in April 2024 as an invited speaker. Tammy collaborates with many IT professionals on tool enhancements and ensures a customer service focus is maintained when making improvements.”
– Rachel McGuire, Assistant Vice President and University Controller

Ali Carlson

Ali Carlson has been at Iowa for 10 years and is currently manager of the UI Service Center and Billing Account Services. Her favorite part of the job is the wide range of tasks she handles daily. “Every day is unique, presenting new and engaging challenges to solve,” she said. As an Iowa alum, her favorite memory at Iowa was accepting her first job here: “I knew the UI was where I wanted to grow professionally and one day retire from.” In the summer, you’ll find Ali walking her dog or on a family bike ride, and in the winter, she can be found crocheting or organizing every corner of her home.

“Ali positively influences everyone she works with. She is exceptionally organized, hardworking, and committed to delivering outstanding customer service while effectively leading her team. Her positive attitude is truly infectious.”
– Audra Haddy, Assistant Vice President, Treasury Operations & Financial Management

Scott Sulzer

Scott Sulzer is an IT manager for the ITS Help Desk and has worked at Iowa for 12 years. His favorite part of the job is the deep satisfaction of collaborating with team members to help them reach their individual goals while also contributing to the success of the entire campus community. “I am proud of the effort this community puts forth to help one another professionally and personally – the COVID-19 pandemic and the derecho being prime examples,” said Scott. His most cherished activity is embracing his role as a new father to his little girl. “Seeing the world through her eyes has been an unparalleled joy.”
(ITS has a dual reporting relationship to both the Office of the Provost and Office of the Senior Vice President, Finance and Operations)

“During Scott’s 12 years with ITS, his first five were with the ICON team in the Office of Teaching, Learning, and Technology. When he moved to the Help Desk, he was immediately a significant contributor through his support duties. He genuinely enjoys helping our customers and staff. He is great at creating processes for new IT services or service changes and works with the service owners to improve the user experience.”
– Steve Fleagle, Associate Vice President and Chief Information Officer