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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: LANDERS LOVES CHAOS...AND HER CAREER

By Anthonia Edgren (RPTA '13), Editor, The Report

Jen Landers hadn't anticipated that she would one day be the Manager of Facilities and Operations Administration at Stanford University, and she may not have anticipated the chaos that she now loves that comes with the job either. Landers, an RPTA alumna who graduated from Cal Poly in 2001, had a plan to go into special events. However, after working for the Cal Poly Alumni Center and doing special events, she decided that she wanted a different path.

After a friend set up a networking event, the pieces began falling into place. Landers made a connection with an individual at Stanford and later ended up working as the Scheduling Coordinator for athletics. In this position, she was responsible for scheduling facilities for 35 varsity teams, groups, and clubs. Not long after her appointment as the Scheduling Coordinator, Landers found herself being offered the job as Manager of Facilities and Operations. "It just landed in my lap," said Landers. Now, she has been there for five years and loves her position.

Landers loves the chaos that comes with her position. "It's fun because every day is extremely different. When I first come in, I do the administrative, billing, email, and phone call work, and my day goes from there," said Landers. She loves that no day is the same and enjoys the surprises that come with the position. She reminisces about the time she had to meet the Secret Service out on the fields before President Obama arrived for a surprise visit. Her day is truly unpredictable; one moment she may be handling a swarm of bees or a broken pipe on a field, while the next she is talking with the Atlanta Falcons who need a field to practice on. This chaotic and dynamic environment keeps the job interesting and fun at the same time.

On a daily basis, Landers works with event managers who plan 275-300 events a year and are responsible for all of the home sporting events on campus. She also works with the director of Capital Projects in discussing and strategizing about new facilities, remodeling, maintenance issues, and facility functionality and purpose. Additionally, she works with facility supervisors and groundskeepers, and manages 25 housing units for coaches as well.

When asked about the hardest part of her job, Landers had this to say, "Thank goodness for going to Cal Poly, the 'Learn by Doing' mentality really helped me with this job. You have to jump in and learn things as you go. You have to ask a lot of questions to know what is going on. Not knowing everything and staying up to speed was a challenge at first."

Though she hadn't always planned on staying at Stanford, Landers now says that she can see herself staying there and hopes to be promoted to Assistant Athletic Director at some point. She loves the growth in her position, as each year more responsibility is added.

Landers' suggestions for current RPTA students: "Get hands on experience in whatever you think you want to do. After spending time in events I realized that's not what I wanted to do. Spend time doing it even if you're not paid for it. Volunteer on weekends if you can. Follow your passion, don't follow the money. If you follow your passion, the money will follow. And don't be afraid to try something that you didn't plan on."

Great advice for those looking to follow in the footsteps of this successful alumna!

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