Scott Easton became Finance and Accounting’s new associate controller for University Payroll and Tax Services in March, replacing Linda Orfield, who retired this spring.
Before joining UF, Easton, who grew up in Indiana and graduated from Purdue University, was the director of payroll for CSX Transportation in Jacksonville, Fla. When family brought Easton to Gainesville earlier this year, he said it was clear that UF would be “the right fit for his career and personal life goals.”
He’s spent his first few months learning about the department and his new team, as well as how different pay groups are processed at UF. He’s also been getting to know UF beyond East Campus, where the department is based, and working to build relationships across the university.
Easton emphasized that a key to building successful relationships is excellent customer service.
“In accounting, one may not think in terms of having customers, but in payroll, everyone is your customer,” said Easton. “We strive to respond to questions and requests as quickly as possible and point people in the right direction if it’s outside our area.”
Easton seeks to enhance existing technology to streamline and improve the processes that pay UF’s roughly 30,000 employees on time and correctly every time. The team relies on feedback from “Rate My Service” responses to know what they’re excelling at and what needs improvement.
“It’s important to remember that money is personal,” Easton said. “Every dollar counts because it’s someone’s dollar. No amount is too big or too small that we won’t try to get the right answer.”