“Life is pretty sweet,” says Mahomet's Becki Salzman, who is “mom to two of the most amazing humans and (has) a great husband and four freeloading cats.”
A proud two-time University of Illinois alum, Salzman has worked for her alma mater for 29 years, the last three-plus as boss of the Illini Union, where she started in 2006 as a program manager and worked her way up — to assistant to the director in 2012, interim director in 2019, then full-time director in the fall of 2021.
“This was never my plan,” Salzman says. “I always thought I wanted to be a lawyer as a kid and young adult. I didn’t even know being the executive director of a college student union was a career until I came to the Illini Union nearly 20 years ago. That’s when I knew I wanted to be the director someday.”
On the side, she works as a certified professional life coach, with an emphasis on “empowering women to reach their full potential and live their best life.”
The animal lover took time out to answer questions from Editor Jeff D’Alessio in the 279th installment of our weekly speed read spotlighting leaders of organizations big and small.
My single favorite moment of all-time in this job was … after the pandemic and programming and visitors were back nearly to full swing on campus.
I was in the stairwell of the north building. The sound of the crowd and the noontime performer in the Courtyard Café was carrying up the stairwell and I remember first thinking: What is that? And then realizing I had forgotten what the building sounded like before the pandemic.
It honestly made me pause and giggle. The sounds of voices, music, espresso machines … it’s what makes the Illini Union so unique and alive.
The hardest thing about being a leader is ... also the most rewarding. Managing staff can be incredibly challenging and witnessing others’ growth and development is the icing on the cake. It makes it worth all the challenges that come with managing.
My philosophy on meetings is ... they can be useful when they have a clear agenda, purpose and stick to a schedule. I encourage team members to ask themselves: Could this be accomplished by email or will a discussion result in a better solution or decision?
Regular check-in meetings work great for keeping everyone updated and on the same page, and to check in with each other on a personal level.
I can’t live without my ... family. My family is what keeps me grounded and inspired. One of my goals is to set an example of what is possible when you set your mind to something, when you love doing what you do and the value of resiliency and commitment. My family is everything to me.
The three adjectives I hope my staff would use to describe me are … kind, open and aspirational.
On my office walls, you’ll find … not much. I have a bulletin board with cards and other gifts from students and colleagues, and reminders of choosing where my energy goes. And a scuba diving flag because I love to dive. And pictures of my kids and grandson.
My professional role model is ... Gabby Bernstein. I find her compassion and authenticity inspirational and refreshing. She puts her full self in her books and workshops — the good, the bad and the not-so-attractive.
A few years ago, I attended her Spirit Junkie virtual workshop, and it changed me in ways I never imagined. It helped me to re-evaluate my own values and beliefs and taught me how to honor my own guiding principles in my work and how I show up as a leader. I read and re-read many of her books.
I’m frugal in that … I love to shop for clothes at thrift stores, and I shop at Aldi. Being a child of a depression baby instilled a sense of frugality and to not be wasteful in me. And it’s good for the planet and oceans.
If I could trade places for a week with any other business person in town, I wouldn’t mind switching with … maybe the director of the Champaign County Humane Society. It must be a tough job and fulfilling at the same time. I love animals and would like to learn more about supporting animal rights and welfare.
I would probably end up with more cats, though.
My one unbreakable rule of the workplace is … be honest. I expect complete honesty and will be much more willing to work with anyone so long as they are 100 percent honest with me, no matter how difficult their situation may be.
The single-most important question I ask job candidates during interviews is … if you had a magic wand, and money was no object, what would you change about your current role?
The first thing I do when I get to work most days is … visit with everyone I see as I walk through the building, get a cup of tea and review what happened in the building the day before.
For lunch, I like to … go out with friends. I bring my lunch most days, so lunch out is a treat.
I wind down after work by … snuggling with my kitty. She has the best purr — helps me relax.
When it comes to the last luxury in which I indulged … my husband and I travel at least once a year to dive. This past January, we went to Martinique and the year before we indulged in a two-week trip to the Philippines and Thailand.
The first week was all diving in Puerto Galera, then a week in Thailand split between Phuket and Bangkok. It was a truly life-changing experience that I will never forget. So many beautiful sites, so colorful, the food was outrageous, and the hospitality was out of this world.
I’d love to go back someday.
As far as my most beneficial college class goes … my college years are so long ago and the one I remember best was a remedial algebra course at Parkland.
I always struggled in any math class, and the instructor was the first I ever had who took the time to ensure that everyone fully understood the work and stayed to help students after class for as long as needed.
I ended up not only passing the class but had more points than were possible from getting all the extra credit questions right.
I will always be grateful to her for being so compassionate and patient and showing by example what it means to truly care about those you serve.
The last good book I read was … Bram Stoker’s “Dracula.” I’m not done with the book yet and have just a few chapters left.
I’m up and at ’em every day by ... 5 a.m. I try to get up at 4:30 a.m., but it’s been challenging lately.
My exercise routine … has evolved as I’ve gotten older. I do more yoga, mobility and flexibility work now at least three times per week, and I try to get a few days of weight training each week.
The worst job I ever had was ... when I was 12-13 years old. I walked beans one summer. That was truly the worst. It was so hot and sweaty, and the leaves of the plants cut your skin and left it irritated.
Just awful. It definitely built character, though.
