Vangie Kolesar, accounting services coordinator at A&M-Victoria, poses with a sign during the first day of classes on Aug. 24. Kolesar is an A&M-Victoria alumna and has worked at the university for 26 years.

Vangie Kolesar didn’t start her career thinking about accounting and finance, but after 26 years at Texas A&M University-Victoria, she has become a resource for others to turn to with their questions.

“I like working with people here,” Kolesar said. “I’m inspired to be here every day – to be there to help people. I always look forward to learning. There’s no age limit, so every day, I try to learn something, and learning to treat others well helps you and others in this life.”

Kolesar graduated from the university in 2005 with a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Science in computer information systems. She previously graduated from Victoria College in 2002 with an Associate in Science with a concentration in computer science. While she was earning her degrees, she began working for the university as part of the Information Technology department. For seven years, she worked on the Help Desk, helping students with their account issues and online networks.

Then she took a chance and made the shift to working in the university’s Finance department. That’s where she found both a challenge and fulfillment.

Mark Martinez

“Vangie is always willing and ready to assist in any way possible,” said Mark Martinez, senior director of finance. “She also takes the time to learn new tasks, assists me when needed as well as her team members. Vangie promotes service and excellence.”

At first, she was training employees across the university in how to use the PeopleSoft system that was used to handle the university’s financial tracking and transactions. But if she wanted to move forward in her career, she had some learning to do as well. In addition to knowing the online system, she needed to know more about accounting.

“The university sent me to the College of Business Management Institute in Kentucky to help me learn what I needed to know about accounting,” Kolesar said. “It was a great resource that helped me understand how processes work and how everything we do at the university ties back to finance and being able to accurately track our money and resources.”

Now, 19 years after she moved into the Finance department, Kolesar is the accounting services coordinator and a go-to person for those who have questions about financial data, budgets and expenses. That role has become even more important now that the university has transitioned from its previous system into The Texas A&M University System.

“There were a lot of changes through the last year because so many software systems we use have changed,” she said. “We’ve had to reconcile differences in the programs, train other departments, troubleshoot issues and more. But some things are very much the same. We still are working with compliance rules from the State of Texas, the federal government and others. We still must be accountable. I like working behind the scenes to help everyone accomplish those goals.”

When she’s not at the university, Kolesar loves spending time with her husband, especially taking trips to different cities and towns across Texas. In particular, she enjoys going on weekend or day trips to the Texas Hill Country.

“It’s nice to get away from the flat land and see so much green, not to mention the quaint towns out there,” she said. “I love spending the day walking around Fredericksburg or Wimberly.”

She also enjoys going to museums, both locally and in the larger cities around Victoria. One of her favorites is the Houston Museum of Natural Science with its planetarium and an ever-changing variety of exhibits.

“Texas has such a wide array of cultures, especially in its cities,” she said. “Sometimes it’s nice to take a trip and enjoy something that you can’t find at home.”

In addition to traveling, Kolesar and her husband love cats. She currently has an absolute clowder of cats at her home, all between the ages of 2-4 years old, except for their 12-year-old senior cat named Dynamite. Their cat collection started when they took in a neighbor’s cat years ago, and it’s grown from there.

“Cats have so much personality,” she said. “They’re different from dogs, who often will love anyone immediately. You have to earn a cat’s love, but once you do, they’re forever yours.”

As she thinks back on her career at the university, Kolesar is grateful for the mentors who helped her grow as an employee and helped her better understand the role and importance of finance and accounting to the whole institution. She especially remembers one of her first mentors, Toni Wyer, who passed away in July. Wyer was one of those good bosses and longtime employees who had a long history of knowledge about the university, Kolesar said.

“Toni had such a strong attitude, no matter what came her way,” Kolesar said. “She taught me that not every day will be a happy day, and there are a lot of challenges, but you can learn to overcome them with the right attitude and team. I hope that one day I can be just as good of a mentor as she and my other mentors have been for me.”