By SPD Communications
Approaching retirement in the coming weeks, the Payroll & Audit division’s Programmer Analyst III Yolanda Wallace can look back on a 37-year career of progress and innovation. After a year helping the Department of Industrial Relations (now Workforce), she spent her entire career at SPD.
“I help the payroll and personnel system work by writing code so that the agencies can follow the guidelines set by the merit system,” said Yolanda, whose career has been defined by the Government Human Resources System (GHRS), which was just beginning when she started. Prior to computerization, she recalls the difficulty of processing paperwork manually and hand-delivering payroll registers to the Comptroller’s office. She’s watched automation improve the work and served a vital role in making it happen for the Personnel portion of the process.
“We all had a role to play,” said Yolanda, quick to credit her coworkers and other agency partners throughout the years. Unwilling to leave SPD without a solid direction upon her departure, Yolanda has diligently given both her tasks and vast knowledge to other members of her team. She expresses sincere gratitude to her team as she passes the baton, considering them “family.”
“Yolanda brings a quiet, steady base of knowledge to our group that spans 37 years of state service,” said Assistant Payroll Manager Niki Johnson. “She is a wonderful asset to our division and agency as a whole.”
She leaves her team with a final piece of advice. “Pay attention to detail, document everything, and stay committed to the job.” Given her excellent team leadership, there’s no doubt Yolanda has set Payroll on course for a bright future.