Goeztinger-Comer receives Chancellor’s Gold U award

Sandra Goetzinger-Comer doesn’t take an “interim” title lightly.

In June 2004, Goetzinger-Comer stepped in as interim director of UNMC Alumni Affairs and, for 14 months, reenergized the office and alumni boards with fresh ideas, resulting in increased memberships for medicine, pharmacy and nursing.

All the while, she continued to serve as director of UNMC Public Affairs.

For her outstanding interim leadership, Goetzinger-Comer received the Chancellor’s Gold “U” Award for June.

“Working with alumni affairs and UNMC graduates was a wonderful learning experience,” Goetzinger-Comer said. “I was able to use all of my communication skills to help promote and advance the association. Still, it was challenging to balance the two demanding roles. You can only be as good as your team and I’m fortunate to have talented people around me.”

Sandra Goetzinger-Comer Title: Director, UNMC public affairs Job responsibilities: Develop strategic communications that tell UNMC’s story — its mission, vision and accomplishments – to people internally and externally bringing them along a continuum from general awareness to active advocacy. Also ensure that UNMC manages issues proactively. Joined UNMC: January 1989. One day I’d like to: Go to Europe and test my language skills (studied French for five years). Greatest personal achievement: Raising a daughter and balancing a full family life with a full work life.

The Alumni Affairs office, in turn, was fortunate to land Goetzinger-Comer until Kim Cuda took the job last August. “Sandy instantly built a rapport with all of the alumni leaders, as well as the alumni affairs staff,” one nominator said. “Sandy’s autonomy and accountability as well as her natural flare for customer service made an outstanding impact in the alumni affairs office.”

Said another: “Sandy provided excellent leadership. We could not have expected more from a full time person…through her efforts our membership increased 10 percent this past year.”

During her interim role, Goetzinger-Comer launched the association’s Blast at the Blatt event, started an alumni chapter for physical therapy, increased memberships, coordinated alumni fund-raising for the Michael F. Sorrell Center for Health Science Education, initiated the College of Medicine’s Parents and Family Association and led the national search for an alumni affairs director.

Today, Goetzinger-Comer applauds the work of Cuda and her staff from her Swanson Hall office, where she has led UNMC public affairs since 1993.

“The opportunity to lead the alumni affairs office gave me a better appreciation of our alumni and what they bring to the table and what they mean to the institution,” she said.

Goetzinger-Comer kicked off her career at UNMC in 1989 overseeing publications and developing communication strategies. “My goal was to make sure employees were the first to get important information about the institution and that they knew the campus mission and how they fit in,” she said.

When the director left in 1993, Goetzinger-Comer served as interim director, while a national search was conducted. “During that time, I got to prove myself,” she said, landing the job on a permanent basis.

Each job experience has paved the way to her current position, said the 1974 Creighton University graduate.

After graduating from Creighton, the Omaha native had planned to teach English and journalism, but a part-time job as a copywriter at Omaha Steaks became a full-time position. Then in 1975, she joined the new Midlands Business Journal at its inception as a newspaper. There, for seven years, she “did everything but run the press.”

She spent six years at Mutual of Omaha in employee communications and sales communications, before moving to UNMC as publications coordinator. “It was a huge opportunity to lead a communications effort and develop strategies to help employees better understand their job and function internally,” she said. The creative environment was rejuvenating, she said. “Academics is all about taking risk and being open to new ways of doing things,” she said.

Goetzinger-Comer’s passion for UNMC continues to grow. “It’s an exciting environment for us to use our communication skills and be innovative to get our message out about health and making people’s lives better, and about teaching and discovery.”

Goetzinger-Comer has always been an engaged learner whether it’s tackling emerging media technologies, understanding a scientific process or planning UNMC’s image campaign. Her goal as public affairs director is to ensure that employees know the news before the public. “We work hard to be proactive and strategic in how we make our announcements,” she said. “The last thing we want is for employees to find out by reading the local newspaper.”

Communication vehicles, too, have changed since she joined UNMC. “We’ve been a leader in using technology and changing to a daily online newsletter was a huge step in making sure employee had the information they needed to do their job.” Today, the department is using blogs and other technologies to tell UNMC’s story.

Meanwhile, Goetzinger-Comer has served as regional chairwoman for the Association of American Medical Colleges, been a YWCA “Women of Vision” honoree and helped dozens of organizations with their public relations needs.

“When you have a talent, you should share it,” she said, recalling such volunteer stints for the Boy Scouts, International Association of Business Communicators, YWCA and KVNO Leadership Council and Nebraskans for Research.

Outside the office, Goetzinger-Comer and her husband, Buddy, enjoy attending their daughter Lauren’s activities and traveling. She also enjoys riding her Arabian horse, Stormy, and 50s dancing.