1. 1000 West Garden Avenue, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho 83814
October 1, 2006
RE: Recommendation for Robert Ficken
To Whom It May Concern:
It is my pleasure to write this letter in support of Bob Ficken. Through these thoughts I hope to convey
my satisfaction with Bob’s work and my support for his future endeavors. I have known Bob since
August 2006 when he came to work at North Idaho College as the Human Resources Director. In the
short time we worked together I was impressed with Bob’s competency in the area of Human Resources,
his fair and equitable way of assessing situations, and his good nature. Bob left NIC after only a few
months so that he could take care of his ailing father. It is certainly NIC’s loss, yet Bob’s devotion to
family is admirable.
Bob stepped into NIC in a time of immense change. Half of the senior staff had been replaced and the
predecessors of these senior staff positions, including the Human Resources Director, left plenty of room
for improvement. Bob quickly determined the strengths and weaknesses of the department and began
initiating changes that would strengthen the institution. He looked at the equality of benefits among
classes of employees, standardized hiring processes, and held the institution accountable for issues from
background checks to policies about leaves of absence. His work was always founded in law and good
practice. The sign that Bob’s direction was well founded comes with the fact that his initiatives will
continue despite his departure.
There were several issues that senior staff struggled with during Bob’s tenure. These issues included the
necessity of background checks on employees and the need to become consistent with how the institution
delivered its benefit packages. Despite the controversy over these topics, Bob remained a stable force for
providing the facts and the interpretation of the institution’s actions. His counsel was well received and
provided insight and expertise that no one else could deliver. This method of approaching a problem
made it easy and enjoyable to work with Bob.
Finally, Bob’s cheery and positive nature made working with him enjoyable. I believe that no matter
where Bob lands after caring for his father, that he’ll be an asset to that organization. It is unfortunate that
NIC had to lose Bob. His attitude and experience makes him a valuable employee.
With these comments in mind, I give Bob my highest recommendation.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Eric W. Murray, Ph.D.
Vice President for Student Services