From Firefighter to HR, John McGee grows his career with UA
As a UAF Student Firefighter, John McGee learned how to confidently handle difficult
situations. It’s a lesson that still guides his career.
“Both Firefighters and HR Professionals work with people on some of their worst days” said McGee. “My time in the Fire Department helped me develop the ability to remain calm and show compassion when helping people in stressful and/or emotional situations.”
McGee began working for the University of Alaska System in 2010 as a Student Firefighter with the University Fire Department in Fairbanks. He moved up to Statewide HR in late 2017 and now serves as an HR Information Specialist in the Office of Statewide Human Resources.
In this position, McGee is part of the HR Information Systems (HRIS) team that supports and maintains the University of Alaska's various HR Systems. This includes duties such as implementation and upkeep of HR platforms like Banner or myUA, maintaining data integrity and certain aspects of payroll processing. HRIS also has a 'help desk' function that serves as a front line troubleshooting service for employees and applicants at all levels.
One of the important things that McGee does for the UA System is to help troubleshoot any issues that people may have with their required online training courses. “On the HRIS Team I have been designated as the myUA/PageUp platform subject matter expert, which means that I get to troubleshoot the issues that users may have with their training courses. These issues can range from local technical issues to intricate system interactions, but folks are usually so appreciative any time I am able to help, that it is a really fulfilling part of my position.”
McGee started his HR career as a Student Assistant at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Office of Human Resources in 2013. It gave him the opportunity to learn all he could about HR principles, policies and how the UA System operated. When UAF Career Services became a part of UAF HR in late 2015, McGee was hired as the Career Service Coordinator. He stayed with the UAF Career Services Office for about two years until taking a position with Statewide’s HRIS Team.
McGee was born and raised in Fairbanks. Although he grew up mostly in Alaska, he spent a lot of time with family on the East Coast. He received a bachelor’s degree in Emergency Management with an emphasis in Homeland Security and Emergency Management from the UAF School of Management. When he is not at the office, McGee enjoys learning and talking about the soil food web, plants, fungi and anything to do with organic gardening/agriculture.
He and his wife Michaela are still recovering from having their first child (baby girl) Charlie. About 10 months later, the new parents have yet to sleep through a single night. “Her cuteness is definitely a defense mechanism!” says McGee.