Longtime U of A Employee Bernardine Drummond to Retire

Bernardine (Vanderlip) Drummond will retire from the University of Arkansas after 32 years of service. The University of Arkansas Police Department is planning a retirement reception for her starting at 3 p.m. Thursday, June 9, at the University of Arkansas Emergency Operation Center, 240 Administrative Services Building. Remarks at 3:30 pm.

Drummond's first year was in the Human Resources Department as a payroll officer, and then she spent nine years in the men's athletics department, Razorback Ticket Office, and for the last 22 years in the University of Arkansas Police Department. She serves as the director's assistant and the fiscal support manager for the department. Outside of her normal day to day duties, she coordinates the department's annual Awards Banquet, assists with promotional testing, serves as the department's notary, and takes on sewing patches or hems the department's uniforms.

She has been involved with International Association of Administrative Professionals and served as the secretary, vice president, and she was the president of the Razorback Chapter in 2011-2012.

She has served on the University of Arkansas' Staff Senate and Catastrophic Leave Committee.

Drummond, who started under the direction of the University of Arkansas Police Department founder and long-term tenured chief/director Larry Slamons, remained in her role under current chief/director Steve Gahagans after Slamons retired in 2007.

"One of the greatest traits I can think of to describe Bernardine is her ability to work in an information rich environment and maintain her responsibility to keep most of that information confidential. No doubt, she has overheard many conversations, but she has always handled the sensitive information discreetly," Gahagans said. "Bernardine has been by my side for many years, or maybe I was by her side, through the ups and downs, so I know it's going to be awkward when I look across our offices and she's not there."