She 'grows' leaders among staff

By Judy Lin

Photo by Rich Schmitt.

Marsha Coutin's introduction to the working world was an unexpected one: In the late 1970s, she found herself suddenly divorced with two youngsters to raise alone. "I'd done a lot of volunteer work in organizations and had been president of the Los Angeles chapter of B'nai Brith Women," she recalled, but she'd never brought home a paycheck.

She sought guidance from a counselor at a local community agency who, no doubt, spotted something special about Coutin and offered her work in a job-training program. Paradoxically, Coutin was hired to help displaced homemakers like herself develop job-search skills and grow in self-confidence. She had an obvious knack for it: Two short years later, she was the program's assistant director.

In 1981, when that program lost its federal funding, she joined UCLA's Campus Human Resources, where she has applied her prodigious skills to helping staff members grow and thrive. Through her leadership of the Professional Development and Staff Enrichment programs, as well as through training classes, one-on-one coaching and more, she has touched the lives of thousands of staff campuswide.

Coutin is the winner of the 2008 Excellence in Service Award, the highest honor given by UCLA Staff Assembly annually to a staff member who goes "above and beyond the call of duty in helping the university achieve its mission." Coutin received the award during a June 17 ceremony at the Faculty Center. The award carries a $5,000 cash prize contributed by the Office of the Chancellor.

"I'm really humbled, and I'm really honored," said Coutin, adding, "I feel blessed to be able to do work that I love."

Among the many letters pouring in on her behalf was one from a colleague: "Many of our current campus leaders cite Marsha as their guiding light." Another wrote: "What I find to be most special about Marsha is that she sees [us] for who we are, for our potential, and not for what we look like or who we know.

"Marsha is the 'go-to' person on campus for professional development assistance. Employees consult her for sage advice, objective guidance … and sometimes, just a shoulder to cry on."

Using what she jokingly calls her "nurturing Jewish mother" approach, Coutin encourages employees to take on new challenges — from getting comfortable with public speaking to networking with campus movers and shakers. "If people know there's a bit of a safety net — that's me — they're willing to take more of a risk," she said.

Coutin maintains long-standing relationships with those she helps. "I tell people, 'As long as I'm with the university, and you're with the university, my services are available to you.' "

Her reward, she said, is seeing her "children" achieve the goals they set for themselves and watching UCLA benefit from their growth.

"What I like most is the ability to effect change and influence leaders of tomorrow," Coutin said. "Clearly, I feel like this is my family. I love being part of UCLA. Couple that with doing something that I love, and it's kind of a perfect world."