{"id":7534,"date":"2024-12-02T09:00:46","date_gmt":"2024-12-02T14:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/?p=7534"},"modified":"2024-12-02T09:08:35","modified_gmt":"2024-12-02T14:08:35","slug":"meet-allison-speagle-the-planner-traveler-and-radiology-coordinator-extraordinaire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/2024\/12\/meet-allison-speagle-the-planner-traveler-and-radiology-coordinator-extraordinaire\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet Allison Speagle: The Planner, Traveler, and Radiology Coordinator Extraordinaire"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"When you meet Allison Speagle<\/strong>, it doesn\u2019t take long to realize she\u2019s a natural organizer with a knack for connection. Whether she\u2019s coordinating major events or fostering relationships with residents, Allison\u2019s ability to juggle responsibilities shines in her role as Education Manager and Diagnostic Radiology Residency Program Co-Coordinator<\/strong> at UNC Radiology.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are so excited to be promoting Allison into the position of Education Team Manager following her years of work as a co-coordinator of the Diagnostic Radiology program,\u201d says Blair Allan, Business Operations Manager. \u201cAnyone who has worked with Allison can attest to her kindness, patience, and attention to detail in her role. Allison is a cornerstone of not only the education team but our staff team as a whole, and she brings a positive attitude and smile to every interaction. Allison is always willing to drop what she is doing to help out a trainee or other staff member in need, and embodies the culture we strive for in our staff team and department as a whole.\u201d<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s dive into Allison\u2019s story and learn more about who she is!<\/p>\n

From Weddings to Radiology: A Journey of Discovery<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"
Allison with her cat Jazz<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Allison\u2019s career began with event management\u2014a field that fit her like a glove. Armed with a degree from Johnson & Wales in Rhode Island, she started as a wedding planner and later took on catering management at a country club. But life had other plans.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter that, I ended up at an orthodontist\u2019s office doing front desk work, which was a surprising but pivotal step,\u201d she recalls. \u201cIt taught me to handle busy schedules and led me to my first job at UNC.\u201d<\/p>\n

From classroom scheduling to diplomas in the registrar\u2019s office, Allison honed her organizational skills across various roles at UNC. Eventually, her path led her to radiology, where she found the perfect balance of structure and connection.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to interact with students more, and this position lets me do just that. Plus, it\u2019s still within the School of Medicine but on a much more personal scale.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAllison is always ready to jump in and help out when someone else needs support,\u201d says Gina Besaw, Diagnostic Residency Program Co-Coordinator<\/p>\n

Event Planning Redux<\/strong><\/p>\n

Allison\u2019s passion for planning hasn\u2019t gone to waste. In fact, it\u2019s central to her role in radiology.<\/p>\n

\u201cI organize major events like graduation and orientation, and honestly, it feels like I\u2019m doing more event planning now than I did in my early career\u2014except for weddings!\u201d she jokes.<\/p>\n

Home Sweet Hybrid<\/strong><\/p>\n

Living in North Durham, Allison works a hybrid schedule: two days in the office and three from home. Her living arrangement is as organized as her career\u2014she shares her house with her retired parents, who live in a cozy basement apartment.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s perfect. They have their space, I have mine, and it allows me to be there for them as they get older,\u201d she explains. \u201cAs an only child, it all falls on me, but I wouldn\u2019t have it any other way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
Family trip to Dollywood<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Travel, Paris, and Shopping Sprees<\/strong><\/p>\n

When Allison isn\u2019t working, she\u2019s most likely planning her next adventure.<\/p>\n

\u201cTraveling is my absolute favorite thing to do. Paris is my all-time favorite place. I\u2019ve been to Paris a few times and have fallen in love with the city more each time. People always say the French are rude, but I\u2019ve never had that experience!\u201d<\/p>\n

Her bucket list? \u201cAustralia. Definitely.\u201d<\/p>\n

And then there\u2019s her love for shopping. \u201cIt\u2019s my weakness. I call it my exercise, though it\u2019s probably more of a sport,\u201d she laughs.<\/p>\n

Rapid-Fire Fun<\/strong><\/p>\n

– Superpower of choice:<\/strong> Flying\u2014\u201cIt\u2019d make travel so much easier!\u201d<\/p>\n

– Personal chef or trainer?<\/strong> Chef\u2014\u201cI can\u2019t cook to save my life!\u201d<\/p>\n

– Dream dinner guest:<\/strong> Her grandfather. \u201cI\u2019d love to learn more about his fascinating life. I didn\u2019t get that chance before he passed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
Allison and her parents in Greece in 2023<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Work She Loves<\/strong><\/p>\n

What Allison cherishes most about her job is the human connection.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love getting to know the residents and building relationships. It\u2019s much more rewarding than just being a name on an email.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her favorite compliment? A heartfelt thank-you note and Edible Arrangement from an older couple she helped in a previous job. \u201cIt was so sweet and unexpected. I still have the note\u2014it reminds me of the impact we can have, even behind the scenes.\u201d<\/p>\n

“Even before Allison joined our department a few years ago, we thought we would be lucky to have her join our team,” says Cody Schwartz, Diagnostic Radiology Residency Program Director. “Since joining our department, that sentiment is true, but she means so much more to us. Not only is she a joy to work with, but she is the heart at the center of our educational programs. We could not do this job without her! Thank you for ALL that you do for our department and education programs.”<\/p>\n

Wisdom to Share<\/strong><\/p>\n

When asked what advice she\u2019d give her younger self, Allison\u2019s answer is both personal and universal:<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t stress so much. Things will work out, and you don\u2019t have to be perfect. Just do your best and let go of the things you can\u2019t control.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wise words from someone who\u2019s learned to balance a life of planning, purpose, and the occasional Parisian escape.<\/p>\n

\u201cAllison has been a pillar of our department since the day she started,\u201d says Janet Zhang, PGY5 Diagnostic Resident. \u201cShe’s been instrumental in keeping our residency running smoothly. I always love stopping by her office and saying hi too–she’s very approachable and always, without fail, extremely helpful.\u00a0We are so lucky to have Allison in our department!\u201d<\/p>\n

Thank you, Allison, for all you bring to UNC Radiology!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When you meet Allison Speagle, it doesn\u2019t take long to realize she\u2019s a natural organizer with a knack for connection. Whether she\u2019s coordinating major events or fostering relationships with residents, Allison\u2019s ability to juggle responsibilities shines in her role as Education Manager and Diagnostic Radiology Residency Program Co-Coordinator at UNC Radiology. \u201cWe are so excited … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":83776,"featured_media":7543,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"layout":"","cellInformation":"","apiCallInformation":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[83,91],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7534","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-department-news","category-homepage-news","odd"],"acf":[],"featured_image":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1384\/2024\/12\/Speagle-Allison_1A4A2806-scaled.jpg","featured_image_medium":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1384\/2024\/12\/Speagle-Allison_1A4A2806-300x200.jpg","featured_image_medium_large":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1384\/2024\/12\/Speagle-Allison_1A4A2806-768x512.jpg","featured_image_large":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1384\/2024\/12\/Speagle-Allison_1A4A2806-1024x683.jpg","featured_image_thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1384\/2024\/12\/Speagle-Allison_1A4A2806-150x150.jpg","featured_image_alt":"headshot of Allison Speagle, young white woman with long straight hair in a black dress with polka dot ruffle neckline smiling at the camera.","category_details":[{"name":"Department News","link":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/category\/department-news\/"},{"name":"Homepage News","link":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/category\/homepage-news\/"}],"tag_details":[],"_links_to":[],"_links_to_target":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7534","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/83776"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7534"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7534\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7543"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7534"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7534"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7534"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}