Jean Keller: A woman of many talents and interests

		Jean Keller, dean of the College of Education, collects coins, enjoys gardening and maintaining a healthy lifestyle by exercising three times a week.

From singing on the Ed Sullivan Show with her high school choir and meeting the Beatles to serving as dean of the College of Education, Jean Keller has many impressive accomplishments under her belt. It all began with selling Girl Scout cookies.

When Keller's troop began selling cookies, she put her outstanding work ethic and outgoing personality to work. She sold 10,000 boxes, which made her the top Girl Scout cookie seller in the United States and landed her a meeting with President John F. Kennedy.

"I presented the President with his own box of Girl Scout cookies in the White House garden," says Keller. "I learned about the president's job and invited him to autograph a picture for every girl in my troop. He signed every picture and enjoyed the cookies."

Since her days as a Girl Scout, Keller has used lessons of perseverance to achieve all that she sets her mind to. She received bachelor's and master's degrees from Florida State University, and a doctoral degree from the University of Georgia, all in recreation and leisure services.

In her own leisure time, Keller enjoys collecting coins, working in her garden and, true to her recreation background, she exercises at least three times a week.

Keller's hard work and dedication to the things she cares about doesn't go unnoticed by her friends and co-workers.

"She has a lot of demands on her time but because she is so organized she is able to complete huge amounts of work," says Debbie Kutsky, administrative services officer for the College of Education. "She also knows and appreciates the amount of work that goes on behind the scenes."

Keller has written books and articles on therapeutic recreation and gerontology topics and received national awards, including the Distinguished Professional Award presented by the National Therapeutic Recreation Society. But even with all of her accomplishments, she cites working with people as her favorite thing about her job.

She says she feels that none of her achievements would have been possible without "the blessing of a wonderful family and friends."

"Their support and encouragement was endless," she says.

BY MAGAN HENDON inhouse@unt.edu

Other featured articles in this issue

• Share your thoughts regarding UNT branding
• UNT examines Responsibility Center Management
• UNT plans several events to celebrate Black History Month in February
• Two UNT interior design graduates take ‘reality finals' on HGTV
• Higher education institutions seeing a drop in international student enrollment
• Dining services offers faculty, staff options to eat economically
• Faculty, staff Spanish classes starting soon
• Human resources providing customer service, leadership training this spring
• UNT Staff Council takes up faculty and staff scholarship issue
• Budget committee re-evaluates faculty and staff scholarship
• UNT professor gives advice for holiday overspending recovery

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