Receptionist to Retire After Nearly 20 Years of Service
By Jeanne Acton, Journalism Director | Monday, January 24, 2011 11:02 AM
Diann Harper will retire from UIL at the end of January.
Photo by Jeanne Acton
After answering the phones and directing calls at the League for almost 20 years, receptionist Diann Harper is getting ready to take her final call.
She is retiring at the end of January.
But Diann promises that she is only saying “so long, not goodbye.”
“I plan on returning for events and to visit,” she said.
Diann started her tenure at League in 1985. She left in 1996 to become a Certified Nurses Aid where she worked with three different hospices.
“I needed to do that,” she said. “I learned that death is a part of life, and I learned how to deal with death.”
After 10 years of working with the elderly and sick, the physical part of the job took a toil on her body.
“I threw my hip out pushing the wheelchairs up hills,” she said. “I knew I couldn’t do that work anymore.”
So in 2006, Diann returned to the UIL as a receptionist, a job that she loves dearly.
“I can be in not such a good mood when I come to work, and then I answer a call,” she said. “People are so positive out there that my day gets better immediately.”
Diann said she likes being on the “front-line” and getting to talk to such a variety of people.
“It does get busy, but that just makes the day go by faster,” she said. “I try to kill everyone with kindness.”
Even though she is retiring, Diann said she is not ready “to go home and put her feet up.”
She plans on working part-time as a sitter for the elderly and sick. Diann also is busy helping her oldest daughter plan her upcoming wedding.
Leaving won’t be easy for Diann. She said she loves UIL and her colleagues. She said one of the best parts of the job was “always being remembered on my birthday.”
Her departure won’t be easy for the League, either.
“Diann truly believes in UIL and what it stands for,” Event Coordinator Phyllis Broz said. “Her tenure has meant a lot to us. She is the voice that people recognize. Her friendliness and willingness to help the people we serve far surpasses the average receptionist.”