"And I only ever want to be in a position where I feel like I can make a difference. So if I serve on a committee, I must make a difference. Somehow."
It's 7:00 in the morning. You are a 21 year-old university student. Your final exam is in a couple of hours. The doorbell rings and the crew from legendary radio show host Peter Gzowski is on your doorstep. Can they film your gumby collection?
Fast forward several years to September 2011 and Jill Bagwe, Chemistry's Assistant Chair (Administration), is posing with that collection in her office. Most of her 800 gumbies are in boxes but she has a few favourites by the window. Of that morning several years ago, she says, "It was a neat experience. I just thought, 'Well, make yourself acceptable.'"
It is this kind of tenacity that no doubt helped Jill win a recent Excellence in Leadership Award from the UofA. She took some time out to speak with me about the award and her leadership style.
"On a campus-wide level to get that recognition was so humbling and such an honour. It was a little overwhelming actually." Upon receiving the news, she says she gasped and cried [for joy]. I view this as a once-in a-lifetime career acknowledgement. I really do. I don't think this will ever happen to me ever again so I was really, really pleased."
About her leadership style, Jill says it has been developed through the many positions she has held on campus. "I've often thought that if I was in. . . . senior administration or management, I would treat my employees the way I'd want to be treated. And it's as simple as that. I don't ascribe to that whole 'leave your personal life at home.' I don't think you can; there's a crossover and I think you have to be compassionate and understanding.' While Jill speaks about also having to be firm in order to, as she says, "get the job done," she cites her open door policy and emphasizes the need to be genuine. "I think it's important that you be approachable and be sincere."
Jill's first "real" job was at Ponderosa. "I was the salad bar girl. "Yeah," she says, "that's dating me a little bit." The lesson she learned from that job was that she didn't want to do that for the rest of her life. [No offense, Ponderosa]. At the UofA, Jill started as a research technician and worked her way through administrative positions, each with progressively more responsibility, to get where she is now. And the chemistry department suits her just fine. "Overall, everyone has such a spirit of collegiality and supports one another."
When asked what inspires her, Jill says that she is inspired by people who are not defined by their past. Having had significant setbacks of her own, Jill mentions her multiple sclerosis and says adversity doesn't have to quash success. "People who have that will to fight and continue and persevere -- I find inspiration in that. And that can just be anybody. It's your own tenacity and ambition and drive that has you go through life. And whatever that is for each individual, that's a personal thing."
On passions, Jill says that in addition to family and friends, her passions are nature and travel. "[Ttravel] just gives you that different perspective of different cultures and . . . expands you as a person. Taking my son was very important for that very reason and we've gone to 4 continents and 23 states." Taking time for travel ties in with her words to live by: "You should live your life to the fullest capacity and not live it for tomorrow. Live your life now."
In the spirit of the award, Jill will be using the $4000 award money to create a travel bursary that will help others in the department further their career or leadership goals.
Congratulations Jill!