Val Pratt, a business clerk at the Parking Management Office, is being feature for the February Staff Council Classified staff Showcase.
A Newburg native, Pratt has been a valued member of the Parking team since 2020.
In her role, she supports faculty, staff, students and visitors by addressing parking-related concerns and inquiries for lots on the Downtown, Evansdale and Health Sciences areas of the Morgantown Campus. Additionally, she handles campus parking permits, from answering questions and processing payments to distributing them to drivers.
“I really enjoy my job, especially the independence my supervisor, Lee Ann Fox, gives me,” she said. “Opportunities to help make the office run more smoothly are rewarding, and I love working in a place where my ideas are valued.”
Her daily goal is to show others that the Parking Management Office is a welcoming place, noting that her team always works hard to find solutions for drivers.
“Dealing with occasional frustrated customers is part of the job, but I enjoy the challenge of turning those interactions into positive experiences,” she said.
Pratt joined WVU in 2009 as a bus and accessibility shuttle driver, and since that time, she says meeting new people and forming lasting friendships have been her most gratifying experiences at the University.
Outside of work, she enjoys watching comedy series, laughingly noting that she is such a fan of “The Big Bang Theory” that her vanity plate reads “BAZNGA” — a nod to fictional character Sheldon Cooper’s iconic catchphrase for successful pranks and jokes.
Pratt also looks forward to traveling to Las Vegas every winter break to visit her friend, Rand, who she met 35 years ago while living in Utah. Their favorite traditions are eating at Twisted Sourdough Pizza and walking through the Bellagio Conservatory’s Christmas display, which is crafted from thousands of fresh flowers and plants.
If you see Val around campus, give her a shoutout.
Each month, the University will acknowledge the valuable efforts and hard work of a Classified Staff employee with the Classified Staff Showcase.