As part of the Membership Committee over the past three years, I have participated in all the discussion conference calls and have been able to attend the national conference and Membership Committee meeting 2 of the last three years.  During this past year I have served as the chair of the Graduate Student sub-committee.  This committee is looking at this ideas and issues of getting graduate students connected to NACADA:

• Initiate mentoring/connections with graduate students.
  
• Require graduate students to have a mentor to sign off on their scholarship application.
• Assign to a current member at institution/state for current applications.
  
• Use Certificate Program Graduates to act as mentors for future graduate students
  
• Encourage Regional Conference to host mentoring/information session for graduate students.
• Webinar for graduate students
  
• Creating a mentoring handbook/resource for new mentors
  
• Marketing to graduate programs
  
• Graduate school NACADA Liaison -meet with students at other schools with related graduate programs.
  
• Incentive program for mentors who bring a paid graduate student membership.

With many great ideas on this list, I will admit that we have not been able to move forward with action to these ideas.  My role during the past year of establishing and serving as president of the newly formed Iowa Academic Advising Network (IowAAN) has diverted much of my time and attention.  However, I believe that it is time that we, as a professional organization, made the effort to develop these connection and put an individual face to NACADA to graduate students as well as through the regional and state levels.

What do you believe are the most important goals and initiatives for this unit in meeting the strategic plan for both the unit and the Association?

We as the professional organization and network for academic advisors we need to look to new and diverse ways of connecting to and bringing the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) to individuals from the United States as well as from throughout the world.  NACADA should be about having each individual member find a personal connection and involvement to their professional environment and situation.  My goals would be to include ways of bringing NACADA to individuals, which includes:

• connections / opportunities through technology based resource or information sharing
• encouraging NACDA involvement at the regional or a local level,
• putting a "face" to NACADA through enhanced regional and local connections of NACADA members, and
• developing resources and a mentor program for graduate students to become connected to NACADA early in their educational program.
  

Why are you interested in serving in this leadership position or what influenced you to run for this leadership position? 

I am interested in this leadership position as I believe that membership for NACADA is going to change with the diversification and globalization of the organization and the pressures that individual members will experience with the financial challenges faced by many of our institutions.  I want to play an active role and encourage collaboration and shared ownership in moving NACADA to new ways to connecting with and being a part of the organization.

Provide any additional comments or information (either personal or leadership-related) that you want potential voters to know about you that is not covered elsewhere in your platform information. 

Past Involvement in NACADA:

Years in NACADA: 11 years

National Offices Held and Accomplishments Achieved While in Office:

Regional Activities/Offices Held, including accomplishments achieved while in office:

• State Liaison to Region 6 for Iowa, July 1, 2008 - present
  
• President, Iowa Academic Advising Network (IowAAN), 2008 - present
  
  • Development of statewide webinar -Retaining Students in Iowa through Academic Advising, October 2009
    
• Served on planning committee for Iowa Academic Advising Network (IowAAN),  May 2007 - present
  
• NACADA Regional Conference
  
  • 2008 NACADA Region 6, May 2008, Ames, IA
    
  • 2006 NACADA Region 6, May 2006, Iowa City, IA
    

Committee/Task Force/Advisory Board Activities and Accomplishments:

• Region 6 Representative, Membership Committee, October 2006 - Present

Commission/Interest Group Activities and Accomplishments:

• Current Member: Commission on Undecided & Exploratory Students, Technology in Advising Commission, Advising and Academic Coaching Interest Group, Advising First-Year Students Interest Group

Other:

• University of Northern Iowa activities:
  • First-Year Council, member, October 2009 - present -- charged with the oversight of first-year programs at the University of Northern Iowa
  • Foundations of Excellence (FOE) in the First Year of College Self Study, University of Northern Iowa  2008-2009
    
    • Dimension 4 - Faculty committee, member
      
    • Dimension 9 - Implementation committee, member
  • Co-chair, Implementation Team / NACADA Consultant Visit, May 2007 - August 2007
    
    • Co-chaired team to prepare / follow up with NACADA consultants visit to the University of Northern Iowa
  • Co-Chair, University of Northern Iowa Advising Council
    
    • Co-Chair: 2005 - 2006
    • Member: November 1999 - May 2006
• Member, National Career Development Association, January 2007- present
  
• Global Career Development Facilitator, 2006 - present