Paula King: Keeping the UNT Office of the President rolling at a high speed

Juggling appointments, fielding questions and pulling projects together only account for half of Paula King's daily responsibilities. The executive assistant to the president joined the UNT staff 24 years ago as faculty secretary in the School of Library and Information Sciences. In 1999 she became UNT President Norval Pohl's assistant when he held the position of provost and executive vice president. She then moved to the president's office when Pohl became UNT president.

"I enjoy working with the faculty, staff and students on campus and having the opportunity to see the university move forward on a day-to-day basis," King says. "So many projects have been completed, yet there are so many ongoing initiatives."

King had not originally planned to stay at UNT for 24 years, but she couldn't resist the kindness of the staff and the excitement of the job.

"Each position I've held has been a positive and challenging experience. It's an exciting time to be at the university," King says.

An average day in the president's office finds King fielding a barrage of phone calls while responding to hundreds of e-mails from faculty, staff and students. In addition, she manages the president's calendar and the president's office staff and has final oversight of all office plans and projects. King is appreciative of the efforts of her co-workers in helping her handle the diverse projects that flow through the office.

"The staff working in the Office of the President is wonderful," she says. "Their hard work and support help keep the office running."

When the conversation turns to her boss, King is equally complimentary. "Dr. Pohl is so committed to the university," she says. "[His commitment] inspires the people in the chain of command."

While King acknowledges the influence of many people on her career, she gives the credit for her work commitment to her parents. "They instilled a desire and motivation during my early years to 'do your very best on each and every task,' which resulted in a very positive work ethic," she says.

Amid a hectic schedule, King manages to balance work and family. The native Oklahoman and her husband, Paul, have two children, Angie and Matt.

"My children are very active in athletics, and for the past 13 years we've spent many weekends rooting for their teams at sporting events all across Texas. Now that my son is graduating from high school, we plan to increase our support of UNT athletics."

BY LISA WOODS and MICHELLE GARCIA kreese@unt.edu

• Former regent contributes $8 million to UNT campaign
• Solidarity leader and former president of Poland to speak at UNT April 16
• Commission on the Status of Women conference at UNT in early March
• Rec center construction to start in March
• UNT law conference to address issues affecting higher education in Texas
• UNT student named finalist for Truman Scholarship
• Columnist to sign book copies at UNT Feb. 26
• Program features research
• A real sweet deal: Hershey's candy bar nets UNT staff member a new Jeep Liberty
• Faculty Senate reconvenes for first semester meeting

homepage