Appreciation for Pam’s Care and Enthusiasm

I had the great honor of working closely with Pam for almost five years (2012-2017).  I knew there was something special about Pam during my protracted recruitment process.  She was so considerate and enthusiastic about me joining Kaiser as evidenced by her many exclamation marks and all caps ☺  For example her response to my acceptance of Kaiser’s offer: “We are so excited to hear this news, and can’t wait until you join Kaiser!!!!”  Once I joined Kaiser I realized that this is how she was all the time.  She was bubbly, amazingly kind and always thinking about others and their concerns.  I knew of no one who worked harder than Pam.  She was always there to support you whenever you needed her.  Thank you Pam for making my Kaiser experience so wonderful.  You are an amazing person and I am so glad we had the opportunity to work together.  I wish you many years of health, joy, and ease in your retirement!

Warmly,

Dana

DANA PULLEY

California girl

Wow, Pam retiring! Best of luck to you, Pam. I wish I had a picture from back in the day. You were always a breath of fresh air with your long blond hair, sparkly eyes and ready smile. Now that I live in California I realize that you were a breath of California we got to experience each day. 

I knew you back in the early technology days - our fax machine with the heat sensitive paper was new-fangled! We got hand written messages if we missed a call. You wrote us handwritten checks. We got very early Apple computers and boy were they fancy. But we still had to rub on graphics like arrows and flow charts. This list is making me feel old! But they are sweet memories. 

I remember when you welcomed baby Michael. It was such a happy time. And he grew into such a sweet boy! I also clearly remember some advice you gave me when I had gotten a house with a yard and was thinking about what to plant: "Don't plant bamboo!" You were very certain about that. It had taken over your yard!!!! 

Other than more bamboo, you were open to anything. You set a great example for me and for others with your calm demeanor and supportive attitude. I wish you many happy days!!!!!!!

Deborah (Colella) Yates

Congrats!

Pam,

Thank you for your constant kindness and positivity. I could always tell when you were in the office because you took the time to say hi and catch up with everyone. Your thoughtfulness was greatly appreciated. From birthday emails to benefits questions, you took time out of your (very busy) days to make a personal connection with everyone. It's hard to imagine Kaiser without you! We'll miss you, but we're all excited for your next chapter of travels and fun in retirement. Enjoy it and congrats!

Julianne Kennedy

With gratitude and best wishes from Chicago!

Pam –

Thank you for being such a warm, responsive, and supportive colleague and friend over my 11 years with Kaiser.  Regardless of how much you were juggling at a given time (and usually it was a lot!), you were a constant I could always count on, from my early days as an Associate Consultant in the Pennsylvania Ave office up through my final years as a Vice President working remotely.

You’ve been a core part of the firm’s DNA since Day 1 and truly the ‘glue’ that’s held everything together over the past several decades. Kaiser won’t be the same without you! 

I wish you all the best with your retirement and hope you take advantage of the time to relax and travel!  Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you ever come through Chicago!

With gratitude,

Sarah (Fiorillo) Hagerman

KA 2006-2017

Where to start...

For many years Pam and I just spoke (I was based in London).  I didn't actually meet Pam until after I had left my husband and Pam said 'Come to San Francisco', so off I went, travelling on my own for the first time.  I arrived at the bus station near Pam's home and both of us just looked at each other, smiled and said each other's name.  Neither of us had a clue what we looked like.  I would regularly visit Pam and Jay before my trip to DC.

Over time we would meet up in DC, working and sharing a room for a few days each trip.  It was so nice to have company and we were good roomies.  We would plan our nights out,  picking a nice restaurant as a treat.  Typically Pam ordering a vodka and tonic for me, after many confused looks when I tried.  Coming into to watch 'Law and Order', not sure how we got into that habit.  She can pack for a week with carry on luggage only, I don't have that skill.

Pam and I, with others found ourselves in DC at the time of 9/11.   Each morning Pam and I would go out in the dark to talk the FBI agent into letting us into the building so we could update/email the firm about access etc.  This time a British accent was helpful. My parents were not only relieved to see me when I got home, but also thankful to Pam that I was not on my own, as was I.  

Having left the firm Pam and I kept in touch, with visits to London and DC, catch ups by phone and birthday cards. 

Pam has also been brave enough to introduce me to her friends, watching her son play football (soccer), shouting encouragement from the line and recently Pam agreed to meet up with my friend in SF, knowing they would get on  There is never a worry about Pam meeting my family and friends (she is interested in them and joins in whatever is going on), even though she may not get what is being said.  Apparently we talk too fast.

Over the 20 ish years Pam and I have known each other she has not changed, still smiles (mostly), remains calm and carries on.  We have shared fun and not so fun times in our lives, but our friendship has remained. 

Pam is great company and a lovely friend.  It is always good to see her.

It has been wonderful to work with Pam and be a little part of her world outside work.

Pam, enjoy retirement, not getting up early to work DC hours with the difficult commute to your office...........

Take care

Nicola xx

NICOLA O'SHEA

An Anchor for Kaiser: Thank You, Pam!

I had the pleasure of working closely with Pam for eight years, as well as getting to know her in the early 90's when I was a consultant at Kaiser.  

Pam, our time together reminds me of how rewarding it was to be on a team with someone with your integrity, compassion and balanced business sensibility.  You have a rare ability to think about people and the needs of business in ways that create positive, fair-minded solutions.  Many of the things that we worked on together in the 2000's inform how I think today, and I smile when I recall our hard work on policies, staffing, culture-building and HR and all that we learned together.  

One of my favorite memories was visiting you in San Francisco and finally getting to meet your family and your parrot.  I'd heard that parrot's voice so many times on phone meetings!  You have been a great friend and colleague to me and an anchor for Kaiser.  Thanks for all you have contributed.  You played a big role in making it the firm it is today.

I hope you have a fun, relaxing retirement.  Is it too late to become a park ranger?

With love,

Kathy Ebner

I simply remember my favorite "Pam"ecdotes and "Pam"isms

Pam,

As an engineer, I've never really been the most elegant writer. So I thought it'd be fitting to summarize why Pam is THE ABSOLUTE BEST(!!!) with a list of great "Pam"ecdotes and "Pam"isms that have really stuck with me through my time at Kaiser:

Pam's Perfectly Eccentric Font Choices

Simply put, Pam is the queen of the font world. Like Beyonce in music, or Jackson Pollock in painting, Pam has truly revolutionized the game of font selection.

Let's look at her cunning use of the Algerian font on two separate occasions:

2016

2018

Note how she really captures the color palette of both 2016 and 2018 here. Note the subtle switch to italics with a wider paragraph spacing in 2018. It's nothing but top-notch work.

But best of all, these brilliant font choices are most frequently used on….

Birthdays

For the most part, birthdays today are filled with half-assed, mediocre Facebook messages, a few nice texts from your close friends, and a collection of misused emojis from your family. But for a few years straight, I think Pam's birthday note has topped my list, because:

1. You just know Pam does this for everyone at Kaiser, which is truly remarkable
2. It's always an unexpected, warm, and literally colorful message that simply brightens your day
3. Again, the font selection (pay attention people)

I will greatly miss Pam's birthday note next year!

Travel

Nothing is both more awesome and more disheartening than Pam's repeatedly impressive travel plans. I can only describe how lame one can feel after talking to Pam about travel with this short "Pam"ecdote:

I had just recently returned from a trip to Paris and Iceland with my girlfriend, Allison. I was telling Pam that we did some pretty amazing things like touring the catacombs, seeing a ballet at national opera house, tasting wine with a master sommelier, and hiking 30+ miles of glaciers and waterfalls across Southeast Iceland.

I then asked Pam if she had any travel plans coming up… and she solidly one-upped me as she started telling me about the trip she had planned to the urban hubs and far reaches of Morocco with her husband. There were plans to tour the markets of Marrakech, explore the outskirts of the Sahara desert, and stay in integrated lodging environments in the local villages surround Fes, Casablanca, and more.

I'm quite certain that Pam will continue to shine as an experienced world traveler in retirement, and I look forward to hearing stories about the amazing places I'm sure she will go in the coming years.

In Summary

All in all, your phenomenal fonts, warm birthday emails, adventurous traveling tales, and of course your unifying presence will be greatly missed here at Kaiser. We're all wishing you the very best in retirement!!

Warm wishes,

Chris

Thank you!

Pam,

Thank you for all the help you've provided to me and so many others at Kaiser. When people say that as a smaller firm Kaiser embodies a supportive, friendly, and family-like culture, it's because of leaders like you who set an example for everyone else to follow. I admire your relentless positivity, constant can-do attitude, and the genuine care you show for everyone at Kaiser. There's no doubt you've had a tremendous impact in shaping Kaiser over the years. Your work exemplifies how being a kind and empathetic team member in even the smallest, everyday interactions can create positive a positive ripple effect across an organization. There will be big shoes to fill!

Wishing you many great adventures in retirement!

Sean Vander Linde

Congratulations, Pam!

Pam,

If I'm ever feeling down, all I have to do is look back at our first-ever email chain from 2015. I had just accepted the Analyst position at Kaiser, and your reaction was "classic Pam" (see photographic evidence below). I was blown away by your enthusiasm and warmth. You lived up to the impression in person, when I had the opportunity to see just how kind, funny, and unflappable you truly are! You are an absolute ray of sunshine, and we are all so lucky to have had the chance to work with you. Although I'll miss you terribly, I could not be more thrilled to offer my sincerest congratulations on your retirement. I hope you have an absolute blast—you deserve it!

Much love,
Erica

ERICA HUMMEL

Pam - you are the BEST! We will miss you dearly.

Pam,
When I joined Kaiser in 2012, many things struck me as unique.  Kaiser's collegial culture, the firm's friendly leadership style, and how special a place it is to start a career.

I was moved by the energetic, warm, and authentic welcome you gave me to the firm.  I recall vividly telling Dan and Nitin that it was simply an impossibility that big companies, like the ones I'd worked at, would have a company "lifer" like you in an HR leadership role who still brought their A-game after decades of service.

Fast forward to today.  After hundreds of new hires and farewells, 100+ review cycles, and god-knows-how-many tens of thousands staffing negotiations, the upbeat attitude and continued intention you bring to our firm every day is astonishing.

You're a very special person, Pam, and one that we've all truly benefited from working with.  The firm we know today would not be the same without you as employee #1, and will not be the same without you.

I hope you have an amazing retirement.  We will miss you!

Sincerely,
Bob Serrano

A BLAST FROM THE PAST . . . AND A BIG FAN!

Dear Pam,

It’s been a long time!  I have such great memories from my two years at Kaiser. I joined as the fifth research analyst (along with Paul, Andy, Lance and Linda). You were the glue that kept us all together and productive and happy!  We had so many great group lunches, dinners, softball games...the MMKA team knew how to have fun!  And I remember how great you were in making our presentations look fabulous pre-computers — it’s amazing now to think about what was feasible on a typewriter!

I was going through some old photos and this one popped out of the album. I remember your beautiful wedding at Michael’s House, Michael singing to you and Jay, and the fun party after. 

Hard to believe it’s been 37 years — that’s clearly a testament to how much you love your job, and how much the team at Kaiser love you!  I wish you all the best in your next phase and hope we have the chance to catch up soon.

All best,

Ann Misiaszek Sarnoff

MMKA 1983-85

Pam @ Kaiser's first holiday party

Tim Furey, Pam, Michael Kaiser
MMKA Holiday Party
December 1981

You will be missed!

Pam,

I remember the first day we talked in 2013 when I applied to intern at Kaiser. That day, and every time we would interact in the future, I would always walk away with a smile on my face. You radiate positivity and have a gift of making everyone around you feel great.

Kaiser is going to miss you deeply but I'm very excited that you can finally take time off and move on to your next adventure.

Thank you for being such a great person.

All the best,
Nils

NILS ALBERTSEN