Elevate: Andrew Pennington

Timothy Webb: Thank you all for joining us today here on Elevate, a broadcasting from the Razorback Camper Sales Studio. This National Park College podcast highlights a different nighthawk. With each episode, we'll talk about their journey challenges, key moments of success, their moments of elevation, leveling up and overcoming. I'm Timothy Webb, your host, and I'd like to welcome to the program Andrew Pennington. Thanks so much for joining me today. Andrew Pennington: Thank you. Timothy Webb: So Andrew, tell us a little bit about yourself. Andrew Pennington: Well, I'm a married father of three. I'm a former UALR and NPC alumni. I'm a technology lover. I'm a gamer. I'm a dad gamer, so that's after five gamers. If you ever see all the jokes, I'm the one they're joking on. Timothy Webb: So Andrew, what's your position here at NPC? Andrew Pennington: I'm the controller for National Park College. Timothy Webb: Oh, that's cool. What all does that position entail? Andrew Pennington: It entails a lot. It's pretty much the person that basically making sure we stay in any legal, any state of Arkansas rules. But I would say the biggest thing is reporting. I'm responsible for all the colleges reporting. That's including anything we present to our board. Also, anything to the state of Arkansas, anything to the federal government related to our grants, I'm responsible for that. Timothy Webb: That sounds like a lot. Andrew Pennington: It is a lot. And that's actually undercutting it a little bit. I know with the controller it's the name of it a lot of people aren't going to know what that means, but it's kind of your financial manager really. The kind of if you have a financial advisor, that's part of it too. I say the biggest thing is making sure the data is good and the processes are correct so that our VPs of management can make the decisions for the college. Timothy Webb: So that's in the rim of accounting, is that right? Andrew Pennington: Yes, sir. Timothy Webb: So you have an degree in accounting? Andrew Pennington: Yes, sir. I have a Bachelor's degree in accounting. Timothy Webb: Oh, awesome. Andrew Pennington: The biggest thing that has to go into this, my experience, I've worked in a lot of different fields when it comes to finance and accounting, and I'm a real process guy. I'm all about "What can we do better?" "What is the processes that go into something and how do we fine tune them or automate them so that we get the best result with the least human manipulation or interaction?" Timothy Webb: Right. Yeah, I like that. I'm always thinking about "How can we be more efficient?" Lack of efficiency can really bog down a system and make it where almost nothing can get done. Andrew Pennington: That's true. Automating processes that need to be automated, there's two reasons behind it. Eventually you save on the cost of the people, which is our number one expense we have at the college. But you save on just that middleman between your data and you, you want to get the fewest people involved to getting that data to the highest up. You want the VPs, you want the president of the college to see the least manipulated version of the data, and that's where automation plays a role. That means if it's completely automated and you just hit a button and gives it a report, you'll have the basic processes that are done by someone usually. But then after that, how do you get that person that comes in and pays for their bill? How does that result all the way up to the VPs? All the way up to the president? That's kind of what I do. I look at that process every level of it, "What can we do to make it better at this level?" "What can we do to make it better at this level?" "Is there something we can do better or faster or easier?" Timothy Webb: So Andrew accounting, why that field? Andrew Pennington: Well, the honest truth is I showed up to National Park College. I was unemployed. I actually found out at the unemployment office about the college and I went up to advising and they gave me a list and on the list I think nursing was number one and accounting was number two for people that got jobs after school. So I had a small child at home. I had no income other than, I don't know, $200 a week or however much it was on unemployment. It was very little and I said, "What can I do to get a job that I can sustain?" And I was always good with math, good with numbers. So I said, "Well, this is where I'm going." And that's kind of how the journey began. It began on this floor, I think. Timothy Webb: Yeah. Andrew Pennington: Where we're at right now. Timothy Webb: Yeah. Yep. This used to be the financial aid floor. I believe. So as the controller, what are some of the challenges that you face? Andrew Pennington: I would say technology. I'm a technology guy. I have high expectations for my technology. I expect to do so much. I expect not the need to do a lot of manual and a lot of these small processes that should just already be automated, so constantly have technology issues. I just have a high expectation over our technology and it's not quite there yet. And just working with ERP. I guess the next thing will be training, just the lack of training. It seems that that's not just me. That's a broad issue you have. That's a constant struggle. I'm only been in the role for eight months now, so because that I'm still getting the training down. I do have some experience with databases and since our software is made by Oracle, which is the same company that pretty much invented the database, so that has helped me a lot with the queries and everything like that. But definitely technology. It's a struggle every day with some form of technology. Timothy Webb: Without getting into the weeds a bit, what are the limitations that you're finding in the technology that you wish weren't there? Andrew Pennington: I think the biggest limitations that we have in technology is just underutilizing it over time and blocking certain modules we need. Also just under training. Training is probably... I say technology really training is probably the biggest issue I see here is just people aren't trained on the technology, so they're underutilizing it or things have changed, I think 2009 is when they first have brought PeopleSoft into the school, and I bet a lot of the processes are still the same, even though the technology is advanced and we've had newer versions without the training to go with that and without someone actually looking at each responsibility, as tough as that would be and saying, "Okay, well there's better ways we can do this." And then hunting and working hard because there's a lot of work you have to do to get those upgrades. Our IT team's very busy and also a lot of times it requires us to work with C or Cedar and basically get them to tell us what we need to do, technology based, like, "How's it configured?" I think configuration is another issue. We have just someone there just needs to be a person that's responsible for that configuration and making sure that it meets our business needs. Timothy Webb: Andrew, are there any common myths to a controller that you'd like to clear up for our audience? Andrew Pennington: Most people don't know what a controller is, including myself, when I first started in accounting, I mean, I knew what a comptroller was for the county or for a government, but I did not understand the controller's role. It's so funny. As I got into accounting and as I really started breaking it down, I started seeing it's more about the processes, it's more about controlling the processes, the business processes. I'm sorry, processes may be a term that confuses some people, but a process to me is anything you do, like right now we're part of the budgeting process, but there's little bunch of other small processes that feed into it to build your system. So I think a controller's ultimate role is controlling that system and you do that through starting one process and understanding it and making it efficient and then moving to the next process. I think most people don't know what a controller is, so it's hard to say that, but I would say it's not an accounting manager. A lot of people think that, and yes, I do manage other accountants, but that's just a small part of what the role is. It's really just it's about the school, and I always say I'm a custodian to the financial records. My job is to be the custodian, I'm not the manager of the records, I'm the custodian. What can I do to make sure that those records are intact, correct, and we're following all the laws that we need to follow for them as well? Timothy Webb: Oh, okay. That really clears it up, actually. That gives me a good perception of what a controller is. Andrew Pennington: It's hard to explain, but I'm glad I could help and I'm still learning myself. I still put some fine tunes on that, but I would say definitely the biggest thing is controlling the processes for a school. Timothy Webb: What are some of the biggest obstacles you've had to face and overcome to get to where you are today? Andrew Pennington: Professionally? I would say the large obstacle I've always dealt with... And once again please, these should never be compared with other people's obstacles because I know my obstacles are not the same as others, I'm never going to pretend like they are. Professionally, it's always been my age. I'm usually 20 years younger than the roles that I filled in the past, the people before me, and I know ageism is always thought of as older people, but trust me, when it comes to a young person in a management role, I think people say, "Well, you can't manage people older than you." I've always managed people older than me my entire career. I always say it's, "People are all different. You can't manage people. You can only work with people no matter what. Even if your role is to tell them what to do, you still have to work with them because everyone's different." And I say, "I don't ever manage the people. I try to manage the process." Timothy Webb: So what is it about your position that rewards you? Andrew Pennington: I think the most rewarding thing is when we have a new account. We do have a new accountant that works for us now, and the biggest thing is just watching her grow and her start to be empowered. "This is your process. You need to make this the best way you can because I'm not in it. I'm seeing it. I see the results of it, but you're in it." And watching her get more empowered. When I started, she wasn't. She just was told, "Here's a piece of paper, here's how we do things, here's how it was done." But then I said, "Well, ask me why. Argue with me." I prefer it. I love that. I love when... I'll give you just an example of this. We were having just a discussion. I was trying to explain something to someone that is a newer... Not necessarily an accountant, but similar role, and someone who's really at the very beginning of their career and she actually stops and she kind of explained what I was saying to her, so it meant she understood what I was saying, even though I was being a little more complex with it, enough to decipher it, to explain to someone else. I feel like that means she is getting a much better understanding of accounting that she had before. That to me is one of the most rewarding moments, and to them, they may have no clue, but to me I'm thinking, "That's great." I feel like I've done a lot in my career and I feel like processes and everything are the simplest things about it, but the people watching people grow and develop is the most rewarding thing I've seen. Timothy Webb: Yeah, Absolutely. Are there any lessons that your position has taught you? Andrew Pennington: At the college, since I didn't come from education, controller role is much different in education than it is elsewhere. Typically, your job in the corporate world will be just to deal with the P&L, the income statement or the balance sheet, maintain fixed assets. Here, there's so many different processes. The level of state reporting is the highest level of reporting I have ever seen, as in it's just there's so many different reports to so many different state agencies and they all are supposed to align, but none of them do the same. You have the data, but the data changes. I mean, even the iPads are a great example. The statistical reporting that the financial level there is different than ADHE reporting or all the different reporting. I've just amazed at all the different agencies that we report to. That has blown my mind. For the most part, accounting wise, it is still different too than the corporate world. Every part of it has been different, which has been the hardest job I've ever had in my life. And I've had some jobs where you would think they would be very hard, but I could apply those general accounting principles that I had and, "Okay, well, that's fine. It's still one process at a time here." Here it's just there's so many processes going on all at once. It's definitely more difficult. And so I'd say that's the hardest thing. "Be ready if you're moving from the corporate world into higher education. Be ready for some challenges and some struggles." Timothy Webb: Andrew, what achievements are you most proud of? Andrew Pennington: Well, this is a good two-parter because I always have to say, "Personally, my largest achievements are my children." They'll always be the reason why I do it. If I didn't have children, I don't know what I would do, but I know why I do what I do because of my children. So they're always my biggest achievements. Professionally, I think going full circle, being a student that didn't know what he was going to do when he walked in the door on the same floor, and then to go on and come back around and be the controller for the school and be able to give back to a school, that gave me a chance when I didn't know what I was doing. I would say that has been the biggest reward I've had in my career so far. Timothy Webb: Yeah, I can relate to you there because I'm an alumni here from National Park as well, and it feels so awesome to be on this floor in this building with the clock tower, you know? Andrew Pennington: Mm-hmm. This clock tower. Timothy Webb: Because of all the blessings I received out of this building when I was here. Andrew Pennington: You get to return the favor and that feels good, it really does. Timothy Webb: Andrew, where'd you grow up and what was it like there? Andrew Pennington: Well, I like to say I was born and raised in Hot Springs. That's not necessarily true. Well, I was born in Hot Springs, but I was actually raised, I guess through most of my childhood, in Jones Mill, Arkansas. There's still a tiny Hamlet area right next to the lake in between here and Malvern, but I went to Magnet Cove High School. I know if I drive back and look through Jones Mill, I say, "It doesn't look so great." But when I was young, it was a playground. The entire place was a playground. I lived with both my grandmothers. I kind of rotated back and forth. I think when I was seven, I could ride my bike from one grandmother to the other grandmother's house, which is about two or three miles, and there was a lot of kids there. It was a lot of children there. There was so many people. It was always something going on. I enjoyed it. There's the blueberry fields there, and I would go and pick blueberries and play in the woods and be a kid. I know if you look at it now, you'd say, "Well, that looks like a place where there's a lot of poverty and a lot of abandoned houses." And that is true too. But at the time, I didn't know. I loved being there when I was a child. Timothy Webb: It's interesting, often I just said this to my last guest, how often I hear that story about as we were kids, not knowing how poor we were, but just having a good time and being a kid. Andrew Pennington: You didn't know any different. Timothy Webb: You didn't know any different. Andrew Pennington: It's True. I grew up in poverty and my whole life, I feel like a lot of people would say that that was the biggest obstacle. If anything, it's made life a lot easier. I don't want anything, I don't want for things the same way other people do. If I can't justify getting a new car, I don't get a new car. If my car is running and in good structural shape, I'm fine with it because I didn't grow up expecting to get more. I was happy with what I got and I'm still to this day. Timothy Webb: Yeah, that's a good lesson. Andrew, can you tell us about an influential person in your life and how they impacted you? Andrew Pennington: Once again, I got to go two-parter here because I can't not talk about my two grandmothers. My grandmother on my mother's side and my father's side, who kind of just took turns raising me, just let me kind of rotate back and forth as a child. Both of them had great work ethic and it's always been a part of me. Their work ethic has driven my work ethic, and I just tried to make sure I'm keeping to the level they were. And [inaudible 00:14:11] worked at Reynolds and she worked three 12 hour shifts overnight, and then she would take three off and then three days and it rotated. And I know that was really hard on her. It was really hard on us too, because those three days, she's trying to get her sleep schedule corrected, and being you a kid, you don't really know. But now being an adult to get, "There's no way I could do that same schedule, that would just wipe me out." But she did it for 30 years and their work ethic has definitely been the biggest influencer. And I say professionally, when I was at Magic Springs, I was an accountant assistant. It was my first job out of here. Actually, miss Mary Kay Worm directed me in that way for an internship, and I was able to get the accounting assistant role, and we had some changes in staffing there. And they brought in Ms. Neva Richardson, who was from Florida, and she had been working in theme parts for 30 years at that point. And she just had a wealth of knowledge, but she was the toughest, but yet the smartest person I ever met. And I relayed a lot of the things I do to her. She picked me up, she promoted me. She was tough. She was very tough, but I was always appreciative. She unfortunately passed away, but I'll never forget the lessons I had from her. And I think about her at least weekly. Timothy Webb: Wow. Andrew, any favorite childhood memories you'd like to share? Andrew Pennington: Well, as I mentioned before about being a gamer dad, I guess my biggest memory, and it's that when I was, I don't know, 13 years old, receiving my Nintendo 64 on Christmas Day, and I did come from poverty, so it was a big deal that I got that. We didn't get gifts throughout the year, we got gifts on Christmas and our birthday, and it was usually something small, but this was especially big Christmas, and I got that, and it was, I don't know, every cousin that I had... Being raised with my grandmother, we had a lot of cousins around, so we would just take turns for controllers. It was a blast. I think it's probably memory me and a lot of my family share. So that's definitely the biggest memory I can think of for my childhood. Timothy Webb: Yeah, for me, it was the NES. When we got the NES and Zelda and Mario Brothers and Duck Hunt. Oh my gosh. Andrew Pennington: Oh yeah. Yeah, I remember that too, that I was a lot younger then, so it's a little harder to remember. Timothy Webb: Yeah. So if you could give your younger self any piece of advice, what would it be? Andrew Pennington: Well, I would invest in Microsoft and Tesla, first of all. But seriously, I would say, "Always know your worth." If you're talking professionally and personally, I would say, "Know your worth, know value. Go out and see your value. Make sure you're aware of the value you bring, even if that's not what you're paid for. Just know your value because it will help you in life." I wish I could go back and shake myself and say, "Look, know your value. You should try to take that role, or you shouldn't take that role. Maybe that's not where your value's at, but know your true value. Do kind of a personal estimate." Timothy Webb: Andrew. So how did you get to NPC? Andrew Pennington: Well, it wasn't that hard considering I'm alumni of NPC. But it's so funny, when I interviewed for the position here, I told my wife, I said, "This is my home." And I said, "I'm going to get this role because NBC is my home." It was my home before, didn't really have any self-worth before I came here. I didn't have true self-worth. And so when you're at the place, you realize you self-worth and you're like, "Okay, now I can represent that and represent the school." It truly is my home. That's not just a corny thing to say. This is where I'm from, my grandmother lives, I don't know, 10 miles from the school. I live in Fountain Lake, but I may not live here, but this is still where I'm from, and it does feel like home. Timothy Webb: Yeah, no, it really does. I hear that so often as well. People that experience National Park College, we get so comfortable here. The work culture and the family feel of the campus. You just long for it when you're not here and if you've ever worked anywhere else, which I know we both have, you do miss this campus and this feeling that you get from being here. Andrew Pennington: Yeah, the atmosphere at the school is great. I mean, there may be issues when it comes to processes, but the people are great. And once again, that's what drives it all. You could have the hardest day. I know everyone has a hard job here, but to have the people around you and you know have this community is great. And plus also being from the Hot Springs area, this is, once again, it all kind of goes together for me. Timothy Webb: Yeah. So, Andrew, you mentioned video games. Is that your main hobby or do you have any others you'd like to mention? Andrew Pennington: I mean, technology in general. Video games kind of played a role into it. I think video games kind of drove my love of technology that started out with video games, and it led me to get start building computers when I was really young. Timothy Webb: Oh, wow. Andrew Pennington: So that kind of got me into the mechanical engineering side of it, soldering and building something. And I'm also huge into AI because once again, it goes into my automation love. It's because I do know what AI can do and what it's capable of, and I mean, that plays a role into it. I also love some things that are completely different than that. I love woodworking. I love building things in my hands. I love that completion feeling you get when you put something together and it works. It's kind of like processes, and that's what I do with woodworking too. I make it into a process. Everything has a step. Everything has this... You do this before that, before that. I love that. Also, I guess staying in the technology, I've always been into building websites and I enjoy doing that. I did that when I was a contractor. I built a lot of financial related websites. So I mean, I also love online poker. I love playing cards. I love blackjack. I love card games. I love... Even when there's no money on the line, I love cards. Timothy Webb: So what is it about poker and card games that you love so much? Andrew Pennington: Well, it does play into my love of numbers. Obviously, there's something mentally about me that enjoys numbers. Yahtzee is probably one of my favorite board games, and that's, once again, that's all numbers, that's all adding. I think it's just always worked for me. It works the way my brain works. I love poker because you can win poker without having a good hand if you just play it right, or you can get a really good hand that no one expects to see coming if you play it right. I think that's the main reason I enjoy poker, and I think life's a lot like poker too. Interactions with people too. All of that kind of plays a role into it. That's why I enjoy poker. Timothy Webb: So Andrew, what are your future plans? Andrew Pennington: Well, my plans as a controller are to just continue to try to work on the processes to give the college the benefits that it gave me and to just continue to grow accountants, to help them, to make them better, have a legacy of them, to make sure that, that I'm preparing people for my role someday if I move up or I move out. Just constantly focusing on what is the best way we can do things to make everyone's job better and to make the school function better or as best as it can. Timothy Webb: Yeah. Is there any advice or mottos or quotes you live by that you'd like to leave our listeners with? Andrew Pennington: Just don't stress on things you can't control. Someone told me that, and when they told me it at the time, I said... It didn't really click on me, and then one day I'm just sitting there thinking, "I'm worried about something I can't fix. I'm worried about something that I can fix, but I can't fix it right now." "Focus on the things you can fix. Do not focus on the things you can't." Because that's going to make your life harder. If you don't have enough money coming in, find ways to make more money, but don't fixate on the fact that you don't have enough, fixate on the resolution. I would love to go back and tell myself that, as well. I would love to tell myself that right now, but it's just something to think about. Anytime I'm stressing over something that I just cannot seem to resolve or it's something that's completely out of my hands, move on to something else. Focus on the things you can fix. Timothy Webb: Yeah, no, that's good advice. Andrew Pennington, it's been great sitting down and talking with you today on Elevate. I really appreciate you coming in. Andrew Pennington: Well, thank you, Tim. I appreciate your time. Timothy Webb: And thanks to all of you for listening to Elevate today from the Razorback Camper Sales Studio. New episodes are released each Thursday. Special thanks to National Park College and The Sentinel-Record for making this podcast possible. Until next time, this is Timothy Webb reminding you that every day is a chance to elevate.