For anyone who has business with the President’s Office, chances are their first point of contact is Pam Guidi. As the assistant, she is the greeter, gatekeeper and go-to in Feigenbaum Hall. Assisting the chief of staff and the vice president of marketing and communications, she maintains calendars, schedules travel, and answers the phones and orders supplies, among other duties. She serves as the backup to the president’s executive assistant. She is the contact person for many job searches on campus. “I don’t come to work and do the same thing every day,” said Guidi, who joined Union in 2015.
Pam Guidi and her husband Eddie enjoy a day at June Farms in the Hudson Valley with daughters Hannah and Jeanette, and their three grandchildren: Jackson Richard, Ava Rose and Nora Grace.
MORE CATCHING UP WITH...
The job can be hectic at times, but she is thankful for mentors like Darcy Czajka, vice president and chief of staff. “I am the number two in the office, but Darcy always encourages me and reminds me I’m more than that.”
Guidi’s faith is the guiding principle in her life, which she shares with her husband, Eddie. They have two daughters, Jeanette, a mother of three who lives in Nashville, Tenn., and Hannah, a junior at Stonehill College in Easton, Mass. She loves to spoil her two granddaughters and grandson and visits them as much as possible.
Originally from Westernville, N.Y., north of Utica, her family resides in Latham.
FIRST APP YOU LOOK AT IN THE MORNING:
I look at my text messages to see if I have heard from my daughters. Our texts keep us connected. I am not a big social media person. I use Facebook and Instagram for family updates and keeping in touch with close friends.
ONE BOOK YOU HAVE READ MULTIPLE TIMES:
“Intentional Faith: Aligning Your Life with the Heart of God,” by Allen Jackson, lead pastor at World Outreach Church, a 15,000-member church located in Murfreesboro, Tenn. I keep a copy in my purse. I reread it daily when I am looking for inspiration.
BEST ADVICE YOU EVER RECEIVED:
When I was a new mom, my aunt told me that parenting is the toughest job you will ever do with the least amount of training. She was right.
FAVORITE SPOT ON CAMPUS:
I often go on walks at lunchtime. I love walking across the rugby field on the sidewalk near the flagpole. I stopped a few weeks ago and ate my lunch in the sunshine under the flag. When you sit on the bench, you feel like a very small part of a very big world. You can see the Nott, you can see Schenectady and you can see other parts of campus. Sitting under that flagpole is very peaceful.
GO-TO BREAKFAST:
Regular coffee and cream. It is not a good breakfast, I know. I am not a huge breakfast person. Maybe I should be. I do love coffee, though.
NETFLIX OR AMAZON:
Netflix. It is like AOL, an account I still have. It is the original streaming service, so I refuse to give it up. I like “House of Cards,” “Ozark” and “The Great British Baking Show.” I try to pace myself to not binge and be a couch potato. Especially during the pandemic with extra time on my hands, binging could be dangerous.
FAVORITE PODCAST:
World Outreach Church in Murfreesboro, Tenn. I listen to current and old podcasts. They are always inspiring and push me to think bigger than “me.”
ONE SKILL YOU WISH YOU HAD:
I am not sure there is a skill I would wish I had. If I want something or have a desire to learn a skill, I will do it. I am blessed with amazing opportunities to enhance my life daily. It is a choice to learn a skill rather than thinking and wishing for it. An example of that would be cooking. If I do not know how to make something, I will just go get the recipe and learn how to make it. It does not intimidate me to try rather than wish.
BEST PART OF YOUR DAY:
Early in the morning, when the sun is rising. That is quiet time, when I am either walking or listening to my podcast. I also enjoy sitting in my family room reading my daily devotional and watching the sunrise. A sunrise never gets boring. Every day is a new start.
LITTLE KNOWN FACT ABOUT YOU:
I am a paralegal. At 40, I received my bachelor’s degree from The Sage Colleges. I earned my degree through the after-work program for adults who work fulltime while raising families. My older daughter graduated high school the month after I graduated college.