Wieters Receives 2023 CBOV Staff Leadership Award
Kim Wieters, Assistant Dean for Finance and Administration, has been awarded the 2023 College Board of Visitors Staff Leadership Award. The Staff Leadership Award was started in 2020 and is the highest honor the College Board of Visitors awards an individual staff member.
“I am honored and humbled by this award and by the kind words. I am very grateful to work at Wake Forest with such talented and caring colleagues who inspire me every day,” said Wieters.
Wieters was selected as this year’s recipient for her steadfast leadership and effective direction of the Finance and Administration unit through significant changes, including eight transitions of dean administrations and the disruption of COVID-19, and her mentorship to other staff and faculty throughout her Wake Forest career.
Wieters first joined the staff at Wake Forest as an Accounts Payable Manager in 1995. After a brief few years away as Assistant Director of Academic Resources at Brown University, she returned to Wake Forest in 2007, as Senior Business Manager and now Assistant Dean for Finance & Administration in the Office of the Dean of the College.
Often viewed as the “go-to” person for all financial matters within the College, Wieters is primarily responsible for the management of financial information for the College, assisting with new faculty hiring, preparation of the annual College budget, and managing the use of restricted accounts and compliance.
In her nomination letter, a colleague wrote about Wieter’s immense professionalism, saying, “What I have come to admire most about Kim as a leader and as a person is her ability to stay calm in the face of adversity; to knowledgeably serve a broad constituency with widely varying needs; to adapt to change (both physically and professionally: she has moved to 15 different office spaces during her time at Wake, and she has led Finance & Administration under 8 different Deans of the College; not to mention having to entirely reimagine F&A operations for the College during the COVID pandemic); and to make tough but fair decisions while providing clear and honest explanations for those decisions.”
Dean of the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences Jackie Krasas, the eighth dean whom Wieters has worked with during her career, said, “Kim is a pillar of professionalism. She is dedicated to continually learning new processes and improving efficiencies. And beyond that, she is so caring and always willing to lend a hand or speak up for others not present in a room. I know many turn to her for her expertise, including myself, and I am grateful for her dedication to our Wake Forest community.”
In addition to her extensive skillset with financial administration, Wieters is also known for her mentorship and support to colleagues across the College. Many have spoken of how her availability and guidance toward others far exceed her job responsibilities — in fact, one colleague said, “Kim knows as much about the staff and faculty across all departments in the College as their own direct supervisors know. How she stays on top of so much information is remarkable in and of itself. However, how she does so without ever compromising on integrity and confidentiality is an even bigger feat.”
In addition to her deep friendships that extend beyond the office, many have enjoyed a kind note along with one of Wieters’ incredible baked goods dropped off during a birthday celebration or office gathering, including the ODOC bake sale during Hit the Bricks. Her thoughtfulness exemplifies the University’s mission.
“Kim recognizes that people are not simply numbers in a spreadsheet: they are unique individuals, with stories, needs, and talents to be heard and supported. Her responsible and compassionate leadership is carried out in the spirit of Pro Humanitate,” said a colleague.
For her integrity, dedication to excellence, and longstanding commitment to the College, we congratulate Kim Wieters as this year’s CBOV Staff Leadership Award recipient.
