25 Years of Service: Rhonda Peak

Collections Manager, Office of Student Financial Services

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In 1995, Rhonda Peak started as financial manager for Ruth Murdoch Elementary School and Andrews Academy. After working in that position for a decade, she moved to Student Financial Services as the collection manager for non-current accounts.

Rhonda has worked hard to resolve accounts and negotiate settlements for balances owed. Her goal each year is to reduce the accounts receivables and to find creative ways to encourage account payoffs. Even though there are a high number of non-current student accounts, she is the only one in her area who is full-time but is assisted by a staff of student workers. She is a great supervisor and motivates them to stay focused and take ownership of their respective responsibilities so they can be better prepared to succeed in their future careers.

Over the years, Rhonda has tried to automate more processes in order to improve efficiency. Even during the last year, we had record collection numbers in non-current accounts in spite of the pandemic. This is largely due to Rhonda’s diligent labor. A few of her colleagues shared the following:

• “With Rhonda, nurturing is instinctive. It’s just what she does. Friends, family, colleagues, clients or student workers; if you need something, Rhonda is there to take care of you… She’s the first one to feed you, listen to you, laugh with you, cry with you, pray for you, and advise or encourage you. This, understandably, makes her an amazing mother, grandmother, friend, supervisor and co-worker, but it also makes her an excellent collections manager.”
• “Rhonda is a joy to work with. She has become a wonderful friend who checks in often to see how I am doing.”
• “I admire her for being able to calm a client when they are frustrated, her ability to connect with them in a way that shows genuine care. Rhonda has been a blessing to the team, and she has made a difference in our past students’ lives.”
• “Rhonda Peak is a sweet and gentle soul, but strong when she needs to be. It is obvious she gets her strength from the Lord and from her family to whom she is fiercely devoted.”
• “Rhonda is such a pleasure to work with. She is always able to keep her cool as she deals with difficult situations. She has a special talent for the work she is doing for Andrews in the collections department.”

Thank you, Rhonda, for 25 years of exemplary service to Andrews University.