You’ve heard of her, probably faxed or e-mailed her and maybe even talked to her on the phone, but never had the opportunity to meet Debra Pitts, Administrative Assistant and Campus Partners employee extraordinaire! Deb provides support to the entire company and more specifically the Marketing and Sales Teams. “I do so much…a little bit of everything,” Deb states of her duties.

Deb has been with Campus Partners for over 24 years, starting out in the word processing department. “What they needed back then were people who could type fast. In my prime, I typed well over 100 words per minute,” Deb commented on one of her many talents. As Administrative Assistant, she does a lot more than typing these days. Deb signs up our customers for Web conferences, receives Authorization forms, completes all new service memos, and prepares all the material for our Student Loans 101 and 202 classes. She registers our Account Managers for all conferences and workshops, such as PDG, NACUBO and COHEAO, including packing and sending our display booth and marketing materials. In addition, she also puts together all of the attachments and exhibits for the proposals Campus Partners submits.

Carolyn Williams, Marketing Manager, summed up how incredibly Deb handles such varying tasks by stating, “Deb has a positive attitude and a can-do spirit. She is also extremely well organized and efficient. She anticipates the needs of our customers and the entire Marketing and Sales teams. Many times I will ask her to do something, only to find that she has already taken care of it.”

Indisputably one of the go-to people in the company, Deb is not only a pleasure to work with, but also very knowledgeable about the business. She has won the Shining Star award, an award presented to employees who lead by demonstrating creativity, commitment, and determination and has also been chosen as Employee of the Month on more than one occasion. While everyone around her is amazed at all she does, she remains modest and merely states, “I’m just glad to know enough about the company and the people to be able to help them.”

Deb says that she enjoys the many facets of her job because she never knows what each day may bring. During busy times, she works closely with Carolyn Poplin, also a tenured Administrative Assistant with Campus Partners. “Carolyn is just wonderful,” Deb praises, and continues, “I am grateful to have her as a back-up.” Deb’s duties include communicating with both external customers and Campus Partners employees on a daily basis.

Deb states that she finds working with the Sales team especially rewarding because of their frequent travel. “I like knowing I am here for them,” she expresses. Brad Resler, National Sales Manager, relies heavily on Deb’s expert support and says, “Deb is a vital part of the Marketing and Sales teams. In fact, she is the glue that holds us all together. Whenever something needs to get done, no matter how big or small, I always try to get Deb involved as much as possible because I know it will get done quickly and correctly.”

In her spare time, Deb enjoys reading Nicholas Sparks’ novels, such as “The Notebook” and “Message in a Bottle. “I have read all of his books,” Deb admits. She is also an avid Carolina Panthers fan and even has the team mascot as her screen saver. Deb has maintained a close friendship with four girlfriends over the past 20 years, with whom she takes yearly weekend trips. This year, the group has planned to visit Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

Deb and her husband, Marvin, have been married for 22 years. They have two children, Heather, 18, and Jay, 16. Heather recently graduated in the top of her high school class and is now in her freshman year of college. “She’s not far away from home so I still get to see her often,” Deb reassured. Jay is a high school junior who loves motorcycles and football. The oldest of five, Deb looks forward to Sunday dinners with her parents and siblings, who all live in nearby communities.