Linda Kimbrough
State ESP Meritorious Support Award

Professional Achievements
As founding coordinator of the Department of Communication Services' Customer Services Team, Linda plays a key role in ensuring that the department provides the highest level of service to its customers on campus and beyond. She supervises a small group - three employees - with large responsibilities:
· coordinating the sale of multimedia, graphic design and photography services, videotapes and single copies of publications;
· receiving and directing telephone calls to the appropriate departmental staff member;
· maintaining the department's slide, negative and digital image archives of more than 1 million images;
· overseeing customer accounts' billing;
· and managing the loan of educational materials, exhibits and audiovisual equipment from Cooperative Extension's media library.

This year, the team has been particularly challenged, with one employee leaving the department and another on maternity leave. Yet even with fewer hands, Linda's team has maintained the high level of customer service that Communication Services' clients have come to expect.

As customer service team coordinator, Linda Kimbrough plays an oftentimes quite, behind-the-scenes role in nearly every project that the Department of Communication Services undertakes. For example, she served the department and its customers well when she planned and executed a smooth transition in telephone systems that was necessary when the department's staff of 50 moved into the Butler Building in 1998.
As manager of the department's extensive image archives, which reach back nearly a half century, Linda draws upon her rich institutional knowledge and creativity to help artists and editors in search of just the right photograph to illustrate presentations, brochures, exhibits, newsletters or magazines. Linda served that vital role as a member of the committee that developed the student recruitment CD for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Through image archives, she was able to find photos to illustrate most of the CD material.

Linda has a strong commitment to professional development, having completed N.C. State's PATHWAYS training program as well as the university's supervisory training program. Since 1999, she has taken nearly 30 different courses through Human Resources' training program.

Significance
Having appropriate, professional-quality images, exhibits and other materials is important for campus and field faculty members, whether they are preparing a publication, a class lecture or a presentation for a scientific or public meeting. Through her attention to detail, her creativity and problem-solving skills, as well as her knowledgeable, prompt and courteous service, Linda Kimbrough makes sure that clients have the right materials at the right time. This is particularly important for the department's primary customers, Cooperative Extension's field and campus faculty who often need assistance on short notice.

To every customer, Linda provides an exemplary level of service. And for her coworkers, she sets the standard for excellence. Her team member Rhonda Thrower says, "Linda's a great person and a great boss. She's very understanding and caring. She's wonderful with the customers and always gives them the best service!"

As one county Extension director put it, "Not every department on campus is responsive - [Linda represents] Extension well." Another customer said, "Linda exemplifies the caliber of personnel that you would want representing your department and N.C. State University. This level of professionalism is all too rare."