What is your job title/your role at Scottish Rite for Children?
I am the pharmacy manager.
What do you do on a daily basis, or what sort of duties do you have at work?
I am responsible for scheduling pharmacists and technicians for the Dallas and Frisco campuses and making changes if someone calls in sick to make sure there is adequate help. My job also includes completing payroll, doing orientation for new residents and fellows, and making sure competencies and daily duties are completed by pharmacy staff. I moderate the Antibiotic Stewardship Committee meetings and am part of the RN/RX and P&T committees. Most importantly, I staff the Frisco campus and do whatever else is needed to help the pharmacy director, Stacie Bukowsky.
What was your first job? What path did you take to get here, or what led you to Scottish Rite?
My very first job was working as a busboy at an Italian restaurant my family owned in Arlington! It was a fun job and helped me pay for pharmacy school, of course with the financial help of my family, too. I graduated from the University of Houston College of Pharmacy in 1994 and worked for a couple of retail pharmacies for 20 years. I came across a job opening at Scottish Rite for Children and was given the opportunity to work as a pharmacy team member in 2014. In 2016, when the pharmacy manager position opened, I was promoted to the pharmacy manager. In the meantime, I received my M.B.A. with a concentration in health care administration from Texas A&M University Corpus Christi. I can honestly say that the last 10 years working at Scottish Rite has been the greatest part of my career.
What do you enjoy most about Scottish Rite?
The staff. Everyone is so nice and professional. I enjoy interacting with nurses, Supply Chain, Engineering, Child Life and staff from other departments. The pharmacy team is awesome — we are more like a family.
Tell us something about your job that others might not already know?
Pharmacy involves a lot of reporting. Sometimes, running reports and making sure we are ready for state audits takes a lot of time.
Where is the most interesting place you’ve been?
This was the hardest question to answer, and I changed my answer a couple of times. The most interesting place for me has always been the Persian Gulf. I lived there for about 10 years, and we would go fishing, swimming and walking by the water. I miss its salty humid air and the friendliest people I have ever met.
What is your favorite game or sport to watch and play?
Soccer is my favorite sport, and I love watching the World Cup. We were so happy when Morocco played in the semifinals during World Cup 2022. I am so excited that a few games of the World Cup 2026 will be played in Arlington. We will definitely be there!
Even though I do not understand football that well, I like the Kansas City Chiefs and was so happy they won the Super Bowl again. Go Chiefs!
If you could go back in time, what year would you travel to?
Probably 2019! It was a terrible year for me. If I could return to that year, I would do things differently.
What’s one fun fact about yourself?
I like to sing! I do that all the time at home or in the car — even though some people in my family may not find my voice desirable.
