Bob Douglas, inventory specialist for Campus Information Technologies and Educational Services, has worked at the UI since 2006.
Douglas was born in Tuscola, raised in Urbana and graduated from Urbana High School. After graduation, he worked as a letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service. He worked for the Postal Service for 37 years, spending the last 14 years delivering mail on campus south of Green Street.
He retired in January 2006 and started as a distribution clerk at CITES one week later. In 2008, he was promoted to inventory specialist.
Douglas attended Parkland College, where it took him “six years to earn a two-year degree,” he says.
WHAT DO YOU DO ON THE JOB?
I mainly do inventory for our equipment across campus. It’s a job where you have to be very detail-oriented. We have about 4,400 items that we have to account for. You gain a new appreciation for spreadsheets.
Sometimes one of our external auditors will call and ask to see a certain piece of equipment. It’s my responsibility to take them to the building and show them the piece of equipment. It helps to keep everyone honest.
When I do inventory, I’m out of the office most of the day because we have stuff all over campus. Sometimes it’s like trying to find a needle in a haystack. I feel like I’m a detective some days.
Previously, when I was a distribution clerk, I handled incoming packages and made sure our equipment had property tags. So when the inventory specialist position opened up, it was a natural transition.
WHAT’S YOUR TYPICAL DAY LIKE?
I might do 10 things one day, and then 10 different things the next. So it just changes from day to day, which I like. And then one day there’s a 5,000-pound container that needs to be unloaded from a semi – I don’t do that every day, but it’s certainly something you don’t plan for. You never know what you’re going to get with this job. I have certain duties, but I just never know which ones are going to pop up. If nothing else, it keeps me on my toes.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT YOUR JOB?
Delivering mail on campus for all those years planted the seed that this might be a good place to work, and it turns out I was right. The people here, especially my colleagues at CITES, are great to work with. I got real lucky. Someone took a chance on hiring me, and I think it’s worked out pretty well.
It’s just a pleasant job to have and a pleasant environment to work in. Even when I’m doing inventory, I run into a lot of nice people all over campus.
WHAT’S THE MOST CHALLENGING ASPECT OF YOUR JOB?
Tracking down all of our auditable pieces of equipment while trying to make deadlines is definitely my biggest challenge.
There have been a lot of things I’ve had to learn on the job since I transitioned from my old position. Sometimes I just have to go to my boss and say, “I don’t know how to do this.” Sooner or later, I figure it out.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE ASPECT OF WORKING AT CITES?
I’m a member of the Meetingless Committee here at CITES, and we have a lot of fun organizing themed potlucks and various get-togethers. We’ve had international potlucks, pies for pi day and all the holiday get-togethers. At Halloween, we usually have a costume party. I think 25 or so people dressed up this year. We usually hand out awards for best, scariest and funniest costume, things like that.
We have a diverse group of almost 300 people who work at CITES, so it’s our little way of getting people to get out of their offices and socialize.
It’s a very informal group, with a lot of e-mail discussion, but we had someone who once asked if they could come to one of our meetings. Obviously, they didn’t get the point of the Meetingless Committee. (Laughs.)
WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO OFF THE JOB?
I have a couple of pet birds that drive me nuts, or keep me company, depending on the day. I like keeping up with the yard work – gardening, flowers, put a little color out there in the summer.
Lately I’ve gotten into traveling. I guess I wanted to see something besides corn. About once a month I go down to Tennessee and sit in a cabin on a mountain, which is very relaxing. I like it down there.
I also like Boston. My daughter lives there, and I can see why she likes it, but you’ve got to be younger. They don’t really like cars out there. But once you figure out the subway, you’re good to go.