Rockwood Celebrates Payroll, Finance Staff During National Payroll Week

This week, Sept. 2-6, 2024, is National Payroll Week, an opportunity for Rockwood schools and offices to acknowledge and recognize the impactful work of our payroll and finance professionals.

The Rockwood Payroll Department processes pay for approximately 3,350 employees between two pay cycles: semimonthly and biweekly.

We thank the members of the Payroll Department -- Kat Davis, Colleen Trask, Paula White and Jessica Wuggazer -- who work tirelessly year-round to ensure paychecks are accurate and on time.

Learn more about Kat, Colleen, Paula and Jessica below.

----------

Kat Davis

Q: How many years have you worked in the Rockwood Payroll Department? 

A: I started in the Payroll Department with Rockwood in April 2018.

Q: What are your main duties and responsibilities? 

A: I process the payroll of semimonthly paid employees, currently processing 1,840 employees twice monthly.

Q: Why did you choose payroll as a career?

A: I enjoy being presented with a problem, diving into researching and gathering data, then finding an answer that makes sense and I can feel confident in. Processing payroll needs to be exact, which provides me with hours of data collection and research before we can process the payroll. Then, I get to start it all again!

Q: What have you learned as a payroll professional in Rockwood?

A: Now that I can see behind the curtain, I was unaware of how many hands are needed to support a large district. It is amazing to see the different departments that are working together and how many truly care about our daily work experience and happiness.

Q: What's one thing people don't know about you?

A: I am not afraid to try new things! I have worn many different hats - working as a veterinary surgery tech, a bus driver, data entry for commission accounting and 10 years with Apple Inc. (In 2007, I was in San Francisco at the unveiling of the first iPhone).
 

Colleen Trask

Q: How many years have you worked in the Rockwood Payroll Department? 

A: I have worked for Rockwood since September 2011 and joined the Payroll Department in September 2017 after working in Child Nutrition and Human Resources. That is 13 years with the district and seven years in Payroll!

Q: What are your main duties and responsibilities? 

A: I process the biweekly pay scheduled employees, so I spend most of my time manipulating spreadsheets, auditing TimeClock Plus timecards and entering paper timesheets within a rushed 10-day period. Then, I start all over again for the next pay period. 

Q: Why did you choose payroll as a career?

A: I simply like numbers better than words. 

Q: What have you learned as a payroll professional in Rockwood? 

A: School district pay is a very manual process due to the vast difference in employment groups and their needs.

Q: What's one thing people don't know about you?

A: I really started working for the district in 2004 as an active volunteer when my oldest child started school. What I received from Rockwood from 2004-2019 was far better than a paycheck!
 

Paula White

Q: How many years have you worked in the Rockwood Payroll Department? 

A: I have been in Payroll for 12 years. From April 2012 to November 2014, I was a payroll processor. I took the position of payroll manager in November 2014.

Q: What are your main duties and responsibilities? 

A: I oversee daily operations of Rockwood's two pay cycles, totaling more than 3,500 employees (roughly 75 payrolls annually). I take care of monthly, quarterly and annual tax reconciliation and reporting, including processing and distribution of Rockwood employees' W2 forms. I also take care of all retirement reporting to the Missouri state retirement systems, PSRS & PEERS.

Q: Why did you choose payroll as a career?

A: Numbers! I enjoy my position, and I am fortunate to work under great leadership in Rockwood's Finance Department. The Rockwood Payroll processors are dedicated professionals. They go above and beyond to ensure that Rockwood employees are paid timely and accurately. I am lucky to have worked with the same Payroll team for more than the past six years.

Q: What have you learned as a payroll professional in Rockwood? 

A: The Payroll Department's first and foremost responsibility is assisting Rockwood employees, promptly and empathetically. Our role is critical in giving employees the resources to understand their earnings, withholdings and benefits relative to maintaining their own financial well-being.

Q: What's one thing people don't know about you?

A: I have a big garden every year, and cooking good food is my passion! I enjoy hiking and kayaking, and I am going on my very first cruise next year. Wait, that's more than "one thing," isn't it?
 

Jessica Wuggazer

Q: How many years have you worked in the Rockwood Payroll Department? 

A: More than nine years. I started in the Rockwood Payroll Department in January 2015.

Q: What are your main duties and responsibilities? 

A: TimeClock Plus (timekeeping system) payroll processor, supporting both biweekly and semimonthly processors with new hire/transfer information, taxes, 403b/457 contributions, garnishments, etc.

Q: Why did you choose payroll as a career?

A: I've always enjoyed math and puzzle-solving. I like to make sure that the "t"s are crossed and the "i"s are dotted.

Q: What have you learned as a payroll professional in Rockwood? 

A: We have the best employees to work with here at Rockwood.

Q: What's one thing people don't know about you?

A: I love true-crime shows, and I have always wanted to solve a mystery.