We Are Smith: Lufandia Tong

Lufandia likes to get all up in your business.

A well-known figure on Smith’s finance and accounting team, Lufandia Tong uses her know-how to handle accounts payable with style and flair. For more than 10 years, her positive attitude and smiling face have turned even the most tedious financial tasks into a pleasant experience.

We are an encouraging, collaborative community. We are Smith.

What career achievement makes you most proud?

The time when I was supervisor - I had very good relationships with my supervisor and my 3 subordinates.

If you could meet any historical figure, who would it be?

Jesus. I want to see him walk on the sea, calm the storm, feed 5,000 people with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fishes, die on the cross and rise in three days.

What is the most interesting thing you have in your office?

Two years ago, I worked in an office that did not have a window. I worked for 6 months when a faculty from LBPP asked me if I liked the office. I said everything was good, except no windows. I told him I like to see outside and I like nature and sun light. After couple days, he sent me an email with an attachment - OPENED WINDOW…  I was so happy so I printed the WINDOW picture with color printer and posted it on the wall that behind me. After couple days, I got an email from FedEx saying there was a color picture (the same I printed from the email) that the LBPP faculty sent to me. The faculty sent an email and mailed a FedEx picture to me. I was so happy because he cared about me. And I have two opened colored windows pictures.

Today I really have two REAL BIG WINDOWS!

What drive your passion for Smith?

As an accounts payable coordinator, paying the bills and reimbursement on time are my main goals.

I try to make all the payments on time. I know a lot of people (students/vendor/faculty) need the payments on time. When I am on time, the students/vendor/faculty show their appreciation by sending an email or verbally reinforcing me that I should keep this passion.

If you could give advice to a large group of people, what would it be?

Technology is good if you handle/control it in good way. Otherwise we will be controlled by the technology. Online shopping, online chat, online games -- do these things help us have good living? Do not explore all the information that someone should not know about it or does not want to know about it.

You have a completely open weekend- where are you and what are you doing?

I would like to go to New York to visit my parents, eat with them, clean the house for them and massage my mom’s feet.

Who are your heroes in real life?

An ex-supervisor in NY. She knew I did not speak English; she was a supervisor that wanted her subordinates to work more than socializes, but she forced me to speak English to all the colleagues. Not only that, she paid for the tuition to NY University for the conversation classes for me for 2 years. She wanted me to be successes in the USA. Two years later she recommended me to get a promotion to another department. She was my hero when I was first arrived in United State and in my first job.

If money were not object, what one project would you tackle at Smith?

I would have more buildings (rooms) for the students and free of charges for all the students.

If you were to die and come back at a thing, what would it be?

Cell phone-everyone needs it.

You have a lunch meeting at Ledo - What’s on your pizza?

Pineapple and ham.

If you won the lottery, what would your buy?

I would buy a big house and ask my parents to stay with me and hire some nurse to take care of my mom. I would spend some money to take a family trip with my family, my parents, siblings’ family with my side and my husband’s side. I’d buy a house close to the Smith School so my two sons can go to school closer and not have to pay the dorm fee. After they graduated, I would rent the house to future students for very low price.

The We Are Smith campaign highlights the dedicated faculty, staff, students and alumni at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. Each person featured fits into one of Smith’s four brand pillars: world-class faculty and research; entrepreneurial spirit; experiential learning; and collaborative community. #WeAreSmith @SmithSchool on Twitter.