Five Questions with Lynnette Jones

Lynnette Jones’ skills range from supervising to sewing.

Lynnette works on her sewing machine. (Contributed photo)

Name: Lynnette Jones
Position: Student services manager/registrar, Department of Health Policy and Management
Years at Gillings: Eight (I’ve been at UNC for 25 years, though. I spent the first 17 in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.)

What I do at Gillings (and why I love it): I manage the day-to-day operations of student services for the health policy and management department, which includes seven degrees and two certificate programs. I’m lucky to supervise two great people: Jackie Siler and Kim Sieler. Together, we are the first point of contact for students and potential applicants. My hands touch a lot of things – answering basic questions and providing guidance for current students, applicants, faculty and staff, solving problems raised by students and applicants, clearing students for graduation – basically, I’m with the students from the start to the finish of their time with us. I also work closely with the department chair and program directors to provide information and advise them on University policies and procedures.

I like my job because it’s fulfilling to interact with students and help resolve their problems. Most recently, I felt appreciated when I was nominated for the 2016 Excellence in Graduate Student Services Award, which made me feel like I must be doing good work.

A great day for me would include: My daughter told me to go ahead and share this with you: I love to shop! On my perfect day, I’d get up, get dressed, pick up my mom and head for the stores. I can find something in any shop, but I especially enjoy coming across a diamond in the rough.

I’d also spend some time sewing. My mother sews, and I learned a lot from her. I continued to learn when I worked as a student assistant in a high school sewing class. Lately, I’ve been working on lap covers with lace details. I keep some, and others I sell through a local Christian bookstore and a community festival called Goldston Old Fashion Day.

I’ve got to say, though, being with family is my number one way to spend time. My husband Kent and I live in Chatham County, and we travel more now that our kids are grown up. I talk a lot with my daughter Adrienne, who lives in New Jersey and works for Mathematica, as well as with my son Jared, who is a junior studying business and entrepreneurship at North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro.

My favorite kind of music is: gospel. I listen to it more than anything else, and find it very encouraging and relaxing.

The best advice I ever received: was when I became a supervisor, and my supervisor at the time told me, “When you manage multiple people, you always have to keep in mind that people are people and their personalities will vary.” I’ve found that to be true! I apply that advice when I meet new people both professionally and personally.

Something most people don’t know about me is: the fact that I sew! People usually seem surprised by that, probably because not many people do it these days. They say, “You don’t look like you would sew.” Well, what does that mean? When I was a child, my mother made all our clothes – I mean everything. I used to say when I was grown up and supporting myself, I would only wear things purchased in a store… maybe that’s part of why I like to shop so much!