Ruth Nixon is the first executive assistant to be featured in “A Day in the Life.”  She is a Senior Executive Management Assistant to Doug Couto.  Doug serves as the Information Officer for MDOT, DMB, Civil Service, Civil Rights, and DIT.  Ruth came to DIT after three years with the Department of Transportation, prior to which she was an administrative assistant in the private sector.

Ruth’s primary responsibility is managing Doug’s calendar.  She spends a significant amount of time scheduling his appointments.  A surprising amount of time is also required to reschedule meetings, as unexpected demands on his time arise.  Doug and Ruth are both busy all day, almost every day.  On the rare slow day, Ruth has plenty of “catch-up” work to keep her busy.

Ruth helps Doug stay organized, and prepares him for appointments, making sure that he is armed with all of the necessary background information – documents, files, e-mails, etc.  She has to stay one step ahead of Doug, helping him keep on track and on time as he makes his way through his packed and changeable schedule.

When Doug is out of the office, Ruth deals with calls and requests for his time, attention, and information.  Ruth must determine how to handle each request.  Some requests can be routed to other staff, some can wait for his return, and sometimes Doug must be interrupted so that he may handle an emergency situation.  Ruth also supervises student assistants and organizes office-wide events.

Ruth’s favorite part of her job is the team of people with whom she interacts.  “We have a great team,” Ruth reports, “which makes all the difference in the world.”  Doug’s staff includes developers, application support personnel, project managers, and Web team members.  Doug and Ruth work in the Transportation building, but Doug’s team members are located both downtown and at the secondary complex.

Her co-workers can’t say enough positive things about Ruth.  Kristie Cheadle is a project analyst who has worked with Ruth for 4 years says.  Kristie reports that “Ruth needs to know who all of Doug’s contacts are in each of his agencies, and at ‘DIT Central.’  She can do that and lots more, all with a smile and a very ‘customer-focused attitude.’”

When not at work, Ruth enjoys spending time with her husband, Al.  They have two children and four grandkids.  Thank you Ruth, for your hard work and dedication!