If you have ever been confused about your benefits package as a FRIT employee, needed an accommodation in Columbus while visiting as a guest speaker, or thought about getting FRIT’s sponsorship for a campus event – you have probably talked to Adam Keller. As the Department Manager, Keller keeps track of all these things and many more for four OSU units. He has also served on the Arts and Sciences Staff Council and on a Covid-19 Budget Advisory Committee.
Keller has been working at Ohio State for 15 years with jobs at The Blackwell, in central HR, and at WOSU. He has been with us for six years. He also fills a similar role in our neighbor department – The Department of Spanish and Portuguese, The Center for Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, and The Ohio State University Press.
Keller oversees all HR and fiscal responsibilities. He makes sure employees are paid correctly. monitors the budgets, and helps the units’ directors or chairs make informed decisions about hiring, organization events, and inviting visitors.
As a “people person,” Keller enjoys interacting with and helping people in the department. He looks forward to getting back to the office and having people pop into his office with a question or just to check in. “Interacting with other people is always a highlight, I miss that part of working in the office,” he says. Keller works closely with staff, faculty, and grad students across the units he serves, and he loves how diverse the people in the departments are.
Keller also enjoys the nitty-gritty work of looking at spreadsheets, tracking the budget, and planning ahead. Every once in a while he gets the opportunity to engage in what he calls “forensic accounting” – diving deep into the records to track down a tiny error.
When it comes to the budget, Keller takes pride is thinking ahead, saving, and using funds wisely. He pays close attention to college and university policies and makes sure to get the most out of the funds available to us. When the Covid-19 pandemic began, Keller served on a budget advisory committee to the Executive Dean. The committee consisted of several faculty members and several department managers, and met regularly as the pandemic developed. “We were very conservative. Because of good budgeting at the beginning of the pandemic, we should be close to normal next year,” he says.
Keller also enjoys his role as a supervisor to three employees that report directly to him. He is serious about checking in regularly, assisting them through training, and helping them find the right professional development opportunities. When a supervisee moves onto another job opportunity, although it is bittersweet, Keller takes pride in having helped them get to the next big thing.
A few years ago, Keller served a two-year term as Treasurer of the Arts and Sciences Staff Advisory Council. During his term, the council held the first annual Staff Development Conference. Though the council had a limited budget to work with, they organized a great event that attracted over 120 staff members. The conference served both as a professional development and an appreciation opportunity.
Though his job requires a lot of detailed work and careful planning, at home Keller says that he has a “more goofy side.” He and his wife have a 7-year-old son and a 4-year-old daughter. They like going to the zoo, enjoying parks, and riding bikes. The family also has two dogs, named Rosie and Blanche after The Golden Girls.
