A combined sixty (60) years of experience will be deeply missed on the Lincoln campus as Roger Spiehs, Assistant Director, Procurement Services, and Ellen Hardy, Senior Sourcing Manager, retire this spring.
Roger and Ellen both began their careers at the University in 1987 in General Stores and Purchasing. Throughout their years of service, faculty and staff have come to know they could always rely on the professional and courteous direction given by both colleagues.
After 30+ years, Roger’s name is considered by many to be synonymous with procurement on our campus, having supported virtually every administrative unit from Athletics to the Unions, and everyone else in between. It follows that Roger has procured and consulted on a diverse array of products and services for our campuses, including: athletic team travel, stadium video boards, and major campus renovations. Over the years, his negotiation skills have cumulatively saved millions of dollars for the University through prime supplier agreements in categories such as office supplies, audio visual products, household moves, and cost-per-copy services. Among his proudest achievements, however, are his family and the lasting relationships Roger has developed and continues to maintain with the people of the University of Nebraska.
During her 30-year tenure, Ellen served as a resource between Housing and Procurement Services and was instrumental in negotiating savings on the food contracts housing utilizes to feed our students. With an education in Home Economics, Ellen started at the University part-time in Purchasing just to help out her young family. Ellen’s role in the Food Stores back then has helped to shape what it is today where she helped drive the prime supplier relationships for food and produce, which still keep our Dining Services running smoothly. If you had the pleasure of working with Ellen, you had to run to keep up with this busy woman, and she will tell you she loved every minute of it. We expect she will be just as busy in her retirement, since Ellen is looking forward to spending more time with her husband and 5 grandchildren, and gardening and sewing whenever she can find the time.
The Procurement Services team is proud to have worked with Roger and Ellen and wishes them all the best in their retirement years.