A self-professed "foodie," Linda Pollard loves to paint and has two pugs, Mr. Bigglesworth and Thora. She knows first-hand the importance of community, and finds UNLV to be a pretty terrific place to call “home.”
Why UNLV?
Although I’m not a Las Vegas native, I have close friends and colleagues who attended UNLV and speak very highly of the school. For me, UNLV brings with it a vast amount of opportunities for both personal and professional growth, which made it an easy choice when I was offered a position here.
What about UNLV strikes you as different from other places you have worked or where you went to school?
UNLV seems different in that, despite the size of the university, everyone seems to be one big family working together to serve the students and the community.
Where did you grow up and what was that like?
I was a military brat and started my early education in Germany and then moved to Kentucky. Growing up in Kentucky and in a military community was like continuously being surrounded by family and friends. Summers were spent chasing fireflies and winters were spent making snow angels and snowmen when the weather got bad. It all made for a very adventurous childhood!
What inspired you to get into your field?
After spending time in the Air Force as a medical technician, I originally wanted to enter the medical field. But once I got out of the military and worked as a phlebotomist for a few years I realized that I needed a change and I got a job in the administrative field. Somehow from there I got involved with accounting and from that moment on I was in love with numbers and accounting problems!
What is the biggest challenge in your field?
In my experience, the biggest challenge is keeping up with the ever-changing financial landscape and ensuring that best practices are being used to ensure the accuracy and completeness of accounting information that is being provided.
What can colleagues on campus do to make your job easier?
Communication is the key to many things and the accounting field is no different. The better my colleagues communicate their needs, the better my staff is able to respond to those needs in a timely manner.
Any tips for success?
Stay focused and be open to change!
Please tell us about an object in your office that has significance for you and why.
It's more of a collection of things rather than one particular item. Behind my desk are multiple items that represent my family, myself, and some of the adventures of my life. My collection of items represents my personal side and is the first thing that people are drawn to when they come in my office. (It's a diverse grouping, ranging from a tiny replica of the Eiffel Tower to restaurant menus to Harry Potter figurines.)
Tell us about a time in your life when you have been daring.
It felt daring to me when I went back to school for my MBA with a concentration in finance. I was taking classes online, which was scary enough by itself, but then for those classes to be master’s level courses made it a pretty scary prospect. But I made up my mind, pursued my goal, and graduated from Capella University with a 4.0 GPA!
Finish this sentence, “If I couldn't work in my current field, I would like to...”
teach on a collegiate level.
What has been your proudest moment?
As a non-traditional student obtaining my undergraduate degree and then later obtaining my MBA.
Pastime or hobbies?
I love painting, cooking, and any other crafty type activities in general.
What would people be surprised to know about you?
I believe people would be surprised to know that during my undergraduate career I studied abroad in Beijing, China, and I spoke, wrote, and read Mandarin Chinese.
