Jim Spice, director, Department of Public Safety, is the winner of the March-May Employee of the Quarter award.
Spice supervises 66 employees in eight units within his department. How he does so earned him his nomination.
“He is a supportive and caring supervisor,” Claudia Ryan, operations manager, Department of Public Safety, said. “He listens to his employees and supervisors alike. He works closely with each unit and brings them together with command, management, compliance, and one-on-one meetings.
“He gets us through the good times and the bad times. We look up to him, he is our leader, and he is a team leader.”
The units Spice manages under the Public Safety Department umbrella include Police, Police Communications, Parking, Transportation, Motor Pool, Emergency Management, Environmental Health & Safety, and Administration. He works with budgets, procurements, grants, emergency exercises, media interviews and issues specific to each unit.
In addition to campus and department issues, Spice deals with Colorado Springs city offices, schools, businesses as well as city, county, state and federal law enforcement agencies.
A familiar face on campus, Spice has served UCCS since August 1998 in the roles of police officer, police sergeant, police chief and executive director of Public Safety. Prior to that, he was a student and student employee.
“Jim serves our community in an exemplary manner,” said Ryan. “He is a model steward with our budgets. He is involved with campus master planning, auxiliary meetings, campus construction projects and sustainability issues. You will see him frequently walking the campus property by himself or with others looking for safety issues and betterment of safety projects. He sits on many compliance and committee services, student response teams, attends all graduations and is always available to sit down and talk with our students.”
Praised for his enthusiasm, knowledge and experience, Spice’s efforts make a significant contribution to Public Safety, UCCS, the CU system and the Colorado Springs community.
“I am humbled by the nomination,” Spice said. “However, the only credit I feel I deserve is that I have empowered Public Safety employees to act. With so many different divisions within the Department of Public Safety, we stay extremely busy. I simply could not do this job alone. It takes a team and teamwork. It would be an impossible task to run the department without our dedicated employees. So, I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every employee within Public Safety. We truly have an outstanding department!”
“Jim is in a unique position,” Ryan said. “His department is one that touches, in some way, every department and office on campus. It is challenging at the least and rewarding at the most.”
UCCS Employee of the Quarter recipients are classified or professional exempt employees who are recognized for exceptional service to the university. Award winners receive a certificate of recognition, a $100 stipend, three months free campus parking, and a day of administrative leave.
Congratulation to Jim. As stated in the article, he is well respected on and off campus. He’s an outstanding employee, compassoniate and dedicated to UCCS, Well deserved.
I also want to add my congratulations to Chief Jim Spice. I retired from the Department of Public Safety in February, 2005. I was one of the persons responsible for hiring Jim as a student employee before he left the department to work for other law enforcement departments. When he had the opportunity to return to UCCS as a police officer, I, along with other members of the Department of Public Safety, were extremely thrilled to hire him. Jim has always been focused and dedicated to the law enforcement profession and the UCCS Campus Community. I knew it would only be a matter of time before he received this recognition. Congratulations Jim!!!
Lt. Curt Straub (Ret.)