Sonya Faust is a Associate Director of Continuing Education at University of Oregon at University of Oregon Continuing and Professional Education. She possess expertise in higher education, management, program management, research, community outreach and 8 more skills. She is proficient in Italian and French. Colleagues describe her as "I am pleased to write a recommendation to Sonya. Sonya reported jointly to me as the director of the University of Oregon Applied Information Management (AIM) master's program and our mutual boss, the Executive Director of the Academic Extension department. Sonya managed this joint reporting appointment seamlessly; her outstanding planning and communication skills meant that she completed her assignments on time, was quick to provide notification of issues, and accomplished a large quantity of complex work. For AIM, Sonya manages the program budget; performs special projects that required strong data analysis skills; marketing support; supervision of program staff; and manages the overall operations for the project. Sonya demonstrates strong analytical skills; she excels at developing tools such as complex budget spreadsheets, as well as analyzing data to identify trends and anomalies, and develop working plans based upon the results. Other strengths include: 1) An extremely professional working manner. Sonya can be trusted to maintain her composure regardless of the circumstances; I feel confident having her communicate with stakeholders at any level of the organization. 2) Amazing retention for detail. Sonya has supported the AIM program for several years, and I am frequently pleasantly surprised at her ability to recall detailed information from several years ago. Sonya's ability to retain information and put it into context has been invaluable as we build and execute our strategic plan. 3) Strong leader. Sonya leads by example and has been someone who we have relied upon during some tough transitional times in the department. Sonya is a caring manager who maintains high standards while ensuring her staff have the training and resources to succeed. 4) Calm under pressure. If there is a crisis to be met or a ridiculous timeline to achieve, Sonya shines. She is able to prioritize work, motivate the troops, and deliver. More than once Sonya has had to fit in a large project with her daily tasks; she always finds a way to deliver her projects without neglecting critical deadlines for her regular operational tasks. When I review the amount of work Sonya accomplishes I am always impressed -- she makes it look easy, but I know that most people don't have the ability to achieve her quality and quantity of work. 5) Tact. Sonya is able to deliver tough messages and remind others who have missed a deadline in a way that is motivating and supportive. This competency is tied to her ability to keep track of due dates and critical milestones and ensure that the work required gets done on time and effectively. I'll close by saying that I very much enjoy working with Sonya. She is a caring person and someone who I have relied upon to ensure that the critical work of the program is accomplished. She has never let me or the department down. Kara McFall Director, University of Oregon Applied Information Management Program"