All things Elvis decorate Dalana Moore’s office on the eighth floor of the Northbank Center at UM-Flint. Black and red velvet paintings of Elvis, toiletries from the Heartbreak Hotel, a bowling ball from Graceland and sheet music of Moore’s favorite song, “Love Me Tender,” are a few of the pieces in her collection.
Moore’s fascination with Elvis began as a 10-year-old when her grandmother gave her two records, “Elvis Live” and “G.I. Blues.”
“I played the records cover to cover,” Moore says. “I thought Elvis and I were going to get married.”
Thirty years later, a love for the “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll” has evolved into a way to make work fun for the assistant division controller of Financial Services and her colleagues.
The first Elvis decoration in Moore’s office was a bronze-colored ceramic bust that she painted for her grandmother. The collection expanded after Moore discovered eBay. Friends and co-workers encountering her office also contribute items such as old concert tickets, PEZ dispensers and magnets.
“When people find out you like something they end up giving you tons of stuff,” Moore says.
In addition to her office tribute to the King, Moore decorates for holidays and special occasions and gives her co-workers Valentine’s Day cards.
“It’s nice to bring out that aspect of fun and make people smile,” she says.
Moore brings to work her passion for teaching others as well as her creativity. She mentors accountants in other departments, directs two accounting interns from UM-Flint’s School of Management and serves as a financial liaison between the Ann Arbor and Flint campuses.
Also, she created fund-accounting training courses to help faculty and staff understand auditing and funds. “I really try to take accounting principles down to less accounting lingo and put it in more basic terms,” she says.
A member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, descendant of two Civil War veterans, and granddaughter of a British immigrant who passed through Ellis Island, Moore is a history buff and has a collection of Civil War artifacts in addition to her Elvis memorabilia.
Born in Ann Arbor, Moore lived in Florida from fifth grade until college and earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Eastern Michigan University in 1996. She started working full time for Financial Operations in 1997 and transferred to Flint in 2004. She lives in Pinckney with her husband, Brian; 8-year-old daughter, Elayna Marie; and 4-year-old son, Peyton.
Moore’s family shares her love for Elvis’ music: Brian Moore’s first record also was “Elvis Live,” and the couple met at a country two-step class. Moore says she considered naming her son Elvis, but it “didn’t fit well with the last name.”
She adds that the combination of her kids’ initials does, however, spell “E.P.”
The weekly Spotlight features staff members at the university. To nominate a candidate, please contact the Record staff at [email protected].
