CCA Way October Contest Winner Named

Cost Effectiveness by Judith Carpenter

The month of October featured the CCA Way guiding principle of cost-effectiveness. See why CCA Way October Contest winner, Judith Carpenter, values CCA employees and their commitment to this important principle.

October Winner, Judith Carpenter

I have been wanting to write something about the topic "Cost Effectiveness" for the month of October, but I was not too sure what or how to start.

Then I asked myself, why did I want to write this? The answer is "because of the people I have worked with"

I would like to tell you about three women I have worked with during the almost 9 years of employment with CCA. A couple of these women are, Terry Trujillo, Business Manager at our Cibola facility in Grants NM, and Patty Lowther, Business Manager at the NM Women's facility in the same town. Both these woman have the difficult task of keeping the facilities on track with their budgets. They juggle this with keeping the Warden's of these facilities happy and the facilities supplied with the day to day items that are needed to run our facilities. I worked at the Cibola facility for several years as the Bookkeeper and saw first hand the difficulties it took to accomplish both these task at the same time. What makes their jobs so unique is the necessity of saying NO, making people mad. At the same time, keeping the departments out of hot water and looking good on the budget and making the same people happy. I have seen these women in tears because of flared tempers over the subject of budget. I have seen co-workers stomp off mad or they in tears after talking to these Business Manager over requests of items that were denied. I have seen Supervisors on the verge of exploding, due to this very same thing, requests being denied.

That is, until the end of the month or quarter when they are sitting in on a Business Unit Conference call and their facility is within their budget or EBITA was made. Wow, what a difference then. Heads held high, chests out a little farther, everyone proud that THEY accomplished staying within budget. In all fairness, supervisors can feel proud. Budgets are usually made at the expense of the supervisors and the people under them sacrificing some of their needs, and a lot of times it hurts. But although it is painful, it is a fact of our economy and business that because of higher prices in fuel, and other calculating factors, cutbacks must be made, waste must be eliminated, and people who have learned to be great at multi-tasking, must also learn to do the same job with less. These women have been instrumental in teaching us to stay within our limits.

It is absolutely a fact that the Business Managers at both these facilities are at times extremely disliked. However, they are most times extremely loved AND respected.

I am no longer in New Mexico. I am now in Colorado at our Kit Carson facility, and something extremely rare in life has occurred to me. Business Managers, at least within CCA are for the most part, consistent. The same budget woe's that affect Terry and Patty also affect Ms. Donna Terry, the Business Manager here at KCCC. Ms. Terry is no stranger to confrontation. I hear it everyday, or I myself have had requests sent back and I am asked to look over the request again. I am asked, can I order less? Can I order used? Can I order it next month? Usually what she is saying is: Let's stay within our budget….

I would like to take a moment and commend our Business Managers for the difficult tasks they face every single day within the world of finance.

The one thing I most admire in these people:
Is the ability to serve the facility, and complete the difficult task of keeping us on track. At the same time, standing their ground. All three of these woman, Terry Trujillo, Patty Lowther, and Donna Terry, not only excel in the term Cost Effectiveness, they take it to a higher level of excellence. Thank You Ladies……For all you do to support our facilities.

Sound Out

Nancy Jeffers at North Georgia Detention Center:

I enjoyed your article. Well put.

Deborah Gilbertson at FSC:

Very well said. I have worked with and for CCA Business Managers for many years now, You are truly appreciated for your dedication. My email salution is always, "Thank you for all you do" and I mean it.