May 20, 2019

After more than four decades, Whitlock bids farewell to Purdue

Sharon  Whitlock Sharon Whitlock, who has worked at Purdue since 1976 in various roles, is retiring on May 30. (Purdue University photo/Mark Simons) Download image

For Sharon Whitlock, the clicks, clacks and dings of a typewriter remind her of the beginning of her career at Purdue.

Whitlock started off as a secretary for a research lab in Purdue Research Park in 1976. She then moved on to be an office manager for a research lab in engineering, both jobs requiring a good amount of writing and paperwork – but her work days looked a bit different than they do now.

After more than 42 years as a Boilermaker, Whitlock is retiring May 30 from Purdue, where she is now the senior executive assistant to Purdue President Mitch Daniels.  She swapped her typewriter for a laptop computer a while ago, but her memories of her early days on campus are at the front of her mind as she plans to pack up her office for the last time.

“If you can imagine typing equations on a typewriter, it was quite the challenge,” Whitlock said. “We were producing technical reports on a daily basis and producing that kind of work on a machine like that was a challenge. It’s amazing to see how far things have advanced when you’ve been here as long as I have.

 “At one time, I never imagined retiring. Purdue has always been the priority for me.”

Whitlock’s influence on the the people she’s worked with over the years hasn’t gone unnoticed.

“Sharon was the first and biggest reason I felt so instantly welcome at Purdue,” Daniels said. “And from the first hour of our working together she's been all one could hope for in a business partner: infallibly efficient and constantly gracious to those we work with. She makes friends for me and Purdue every single day.”

After spending more than 15 years in the research park, Whitlock moved to the campus, working for the head of civil engineering as an assistant, and then working for the dean of engineering before she moved to the president’s office in 2011. 

Whitlock also served on the Administrative and Professional Staff Advisory Committee from 1999 to 2002, including serving as chair from 2001 to 2002.  Whitlock said her time on APSAC helped her grow as a leader – as well as be an advocate and mentor for other employees.

“We had a lot of new leadership when I was involved with APSAC,” Whitlock said. "We had a new president a new provost and a new dean, and you could really feel the culture changing. APSAC worked hard to follow suit and help in any way that we could. It was fascinating to work with the new leadership and hear what their vision was for Purdue.”

Throughout her time at Purdue, Whitlock says the people – students, faculty and co-workers – have played an influential role in her life.

“It’s hard to imagine not coming to campus every day and seeing some of the faces I’ve grown to know so well,” Whitlock said. “I have watched students grow into leaders and I’ve watched brand-new faculty take on their first positions and many of them are still here today. Along the way, there were people I was able to mentor, and watching them grow and get promoted and contribute to our campus was very fulfilling.”

Whitlock entered the workforce right after graduating from high school. Her first job was a key punch operator for a mortgage company before she came to Purdue.

“I knew I wanted to work on getting a college degree, and I knew Purdue had a discount for employees, so that really motivated me to find a position here at Purdue,” Whitlock said. “And as it turns out, once I got here, I never wanted to leave.”

Whitlock took classes in the ’90s, focusing on organizational leadership and supervision. Although she didn’t finish her degree – having children, a commute and a full-time job had to take precedence – she said the mentors she gained along the way were instrumental with building her career.

“There have been people in my life who helped me figure out what my next step should be, and what made the most sense professionally,” Whitlock said. “I can’t say enough about how important it is to find a mentor to lean on, especially early on in your career.”

Looking back, Whitlock says determination and the support of the people around her have helped her continue to advance in her different positions.

“Being a woman without a degree with only a couple of years of work experience right out of high school and moving to different positions with higher responsibility at each stop and ending my career in the president’s office is something to be proud of,” Whitlock said.

Two of Whitlock’s children graduated from Purdue, and one of them is a current employee. Whitlock’s mother also retired from Purdue.

“Purdue has been a family tradition,” Whitlock said.

After retirement, Whitlock plans on spending more time with her four grandsons and the rest of her family. But she knows Purdue will be a permanent part of her life.

“It’s hard to say goodbye to a place that has been your life for so many years,” Whitlock said. “So much has changed. The pace is faster and the campus itself has grown tremendously. But the quality of the people here hasn’t changed and they will always be special to me.”

Writer: Abbey Nickel, 765-496-1325, nickela@purdue.edu


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