Region Steering Committee Election

I have been a member of NACADA since 2017, and have served on the R7 conference planning committee since 2022. From 2022-2023, I served as the Evaluations Co-Coordinator for our conference in OKC, and from 2023-2024 I served as the Service Project Co-Coordinator for the combined R7/R4 conference in New Orleans. I am looking forward to assisting the planning committee once again this year for our upcoming conference in Memphis as the Service Project Coordinator. I have strong interpersonal and networking skills, and I look to find common ground with others as a way to foster professional relationships. I am an effective academic advisor who has been recognized by my university and peers for my work, and I am a strong proponent of continued professional development for advising professionals. As a newer advisor who greatly benefitted early on from connecting with more seasoned professionals from peer institutions, I want to help foster a sense of collegiality and community among R7 advisors. I would also like to highlight current opportunities for professional development for advising personnel, and look for ways that we can help advisors overcome some of the barriers that may be preventing them from participating in programs.

I have been involved with my region for the past three years, serving on two regional conference committees as a Communications Coordinator and currently as the Networking Coordinator for the combined Region 3 and Region 7 conference. Additionally, I am engaged in planning my university's annual advisor conference, where I manage proposal submissions and communications. I also completed the Region 7 mentorship program as a mentee, with the goal of mentoring in future cohorts.

My strengths include a proven ability to manage complex communications and coordinate networking initiatives, strong organizational and collaboration skills, and a deep commitment to professional development. My experience overseeing communications, facilitating networking, and organizing conference proposals has prepared me to coordinate, promote, and execute professional development opportunities effectively.

I aim to enhance professional development by organizing online events, supporting research initiatives, fostering networking and mentorship, and promoting advisor growth across the region. I hope to address advising challenges, strengthen connections, and contribute to a culture of continuous learning.

I am excited to become more active regionally, building on my national experience as a conference proposal reader and Emerging Leaders Program participant. Starting as the Professional Development Chair would allow me to use my administrative skills—effective communication, attention to detail, and problem-solving—to help advisors engage more effectively with students. My goal is to equip advisors with a solid understanding of NACADA’s core competencies, advancing academic advising.

With a background in advising and strategic planning, I have developed clear goals and programs to address immediate and long-term objectives. I understand the importance of aligning resources to optimize impact. As Professional Development Chair, I’m eager to build a professional development agenda that meets regional needs, organizing events, coordinating workshops, and designing training to address advisors' challenges.

I also bring committee experience, contributing to discussions, decision-making, and project implementation. I look forward to developing a comprehensive framework for advisors at every career stage, supporting diverse needs through NACADA-aligned strategies. Thank you for considering m, I look forward to our collaboration

I’ve noticed how difficult it can be with limitations in funding and staffing to plug fully into professional communities as advisors at two-year institutions. I want the opportunity to consider what roles we are extending to two-year advisors (and how those invitations are sent) to ensure that advisors in two-year schools grow into leadership positions and find community despite barriers. We have a lot to offer to the broader advising community!

I’ve been involved with NACADA since 2014 while working on my master’s at Missouri State University with the hopes of advising full-time. Since then, I’ve advised in TRIO at Avila University, the University Honors Program at the University of Kansas, and am currently at the Honors Program at Johnson County Community College (since 2022).

In NACADA, I am the copyeditor for the online publication Academic Advising Today, served on the publications board from 2018-2022, and joined the Advising High Achieving Students Steering Committee from 2022-2023.

My varied advising positions have been helpful in navigating advising at a two-year school, and I hope that my NACADA experience working both with the executive and regional teams would add value if elected.

Thanks for reading!

I have been involved in and a member of NACADA for one year. I have taken advantage of several webinars and have joined several Advising Communities, including the Two-Year Advising Community and the Small Colleges and Universities Advising Community. I have also served as a reader for NACADA Global Awards.

I have experience as an Assistant Registrar and Director of Enrollment Management at two different two-year institutions in Louisiana as well as Admissions and Academic Advisor experience at a 4-year institution in Louisiana. In all of my roles, I have worked directly with students to help achieve their goals and dreams. I am passionate about higher education and specifically passionate about the unique opportunities that two-year institutions can provide.
I hope to bring greater involvement to the two-year institutions of Region 7 in this role, including focusing on the unique needs and challenges of students in Community, Technical, and Junior College settings. I also hope to bring an increased awareness of NACADA resources and communities to two-year institutions throughout the Region. 

I currently serve as president of the Missouri Academic Advising Association. I served last year as president-elect, and the year before as the southeast MO representative. I've been in higher education for over 30 years as a recruiter, professor, academic dean, and now an academic advisor. I am very interested in the two-year college liaison because I firmly believe in the mission of the community college and how vital academic advising is to the success of the student and the institution. My goal would be to bring more two-year college advisors into the fold. This was my objective in participating in MACADA two years ago, and since then our two-year college membership has increased from 10 to 39. I give credit to our board members and officers for taking this initiative and running with it. I love working with this organization and would enjoy working with two-year colleges at the Region level.

I am currently the Past-President of our Arkansas Academic Advising Network (ArkAAN). Last year I had the opportunity to serve as President and the year before that the the President-Elect. Before serving in the Presidency role I was the VP of Membership for two years. In total I have been active in the State Advising Network for 7 years. I would love to become more involved in our Global Advising Network. I had the opportunity to attend the Region 7 Conference in Springfield MO back in February of 2020 and had a fabulous time. Unfortunately budgeting has not allowed me to attend additional NACADA events other than those offered online. I have participated in several online conversations offered through NACADA. Strengths include: leadership, conversational skills, creativity, planning, hard working, team building, and many other strengths. With the Arkansas Liaison role I hope to accomplish more state engagement with NACADA regional activities, as well as build upon the NACADA mission and step into more leadership roles within NACADA. It is my hope that ArkAAN members become more actively involved in NACADA activities. 

I'm currently the Region 7 liaison for MACADA (Missouri Academic Advising Association). I joined MACADA in 2021 and NACADA in 2022. I attended my first MACADA conference in the fall of 2023 and my experience at that conference confirmed for me in my heart what I knew my passion was and that was for solid academic advising that truly cares about the whole student (not just suggesting classes to take). At that conference, I was asked to run for Southwest Region Representative and while I didn't get that position, I was sent an e-mail that said 'hey the person that was the liaison took another position outside the advising realm and needs to step down. Would you consider taking it? I wavered on it for about three weeks before I said 'yes' and it has truly been one of the best decisions ever.

One strength I bring to this position is continuity and I hope to be able to continue what I got into when I made a commitment. This position has been responsible for growing my love for academic advising even more than I possibly knew. What I hope to accomplish through this position is to continue to be a strong advocate of and continue to be a resource for academic advisors around the state. Thank you for your support and I ask for your vote.

Missouri (MACADA)
-Co-President 5/22 – 9/23 
-Past-President / Historian 9/21 – 5/22
-President, 9/20 – 9/21
-President Elect, 9/19 – 9/20
-Vice President for Membership, 9/17 – 9/19 
-Member, ‘17 – Present 
-Conference Attendance: ‘17, ‘18, ‘19, ‘20, ‘21, ‘22, ‘23
-Conference Presentations: Two in ‘19
Region 7 Steering Committee
-Missouri Liaison 3/23 – 11/23  
-Communications Chair 1/22 – 3/23
-Conference Attendance: ‘18, ‘22, ‘23
-Conference Presentations: Two in ‘22
National Academic Advising Association (NACADA)
-Emerging Leaders Class ‘22 – ‘24 
-Excellence in Advising – New Advisor Certificate of Merit ‘18
-Member, ‘14 – Present 
-Conference Attendance: ‘14, ‘22, ‘24

I believe my previous experience within the region and state level will help me to be a strong liaison for Region 7 and Missouri (MACADA). I would hope to advocate for our region and state to increase our engagement, professional development, and membership opportunities (with current and future members) and to create a welcoming and safe community where professionals can grow and learn together as friends and colleagues. 

While I'm new to NACADA this year, I'm excited and determined to get involved in this amazing organization as much as possible and connect with other advisors. I believe the more we connect with each other, the more we can learn from one another to ensure our students not only succeed but grow to become the best versions of themselves. I'm a great problem solver who is always willing to jump in whenever needed, which also means I'm flexible in any situation. I love to brainstorm ideas and ways to make organizations better and stay current with the interests of everyone involved. Should I be selected, I hope to keep Missouri participants involved and updated on current NACADA activities, events, and way to step outside their comfort zone within their schools to learn from others to become better advisors and contributors to the advising community. 

I am honored to nominate myself for the NACADA Region 7 Oklahoma Representative position, bringing 14 years of advising experience and a commitment to advisor development and community-building. In my role as Coordinator of Professional Development at Oklahoma State University, I lead initiatives within our newly re-established Advising Network to promote advisor growth and enhance campus-wide communication. I am passionate about creating impactful opportunities that support advisors in their roles and foster continuous professional development.

I currently serve as a Member-at-Large for OACADA and am committed to supporting state initiatives that advocate for academic advisors. My approach reflects a belief in holistic advisor development, providing continuous support through ongoing engagement. If elected, I will champion accessible, innovative professional development and foster strong connections among Oklahoma advisors, ensuring they feel supported, connected, and prepared to meet students’ evolving needs. Thank you for considering my nomination.

This would be my first time participating in anything within my region. I went to the NACADA conference last year and this year and really enjoyed it. I appreciated the opportunity to network with other advisors and discuss pressing topics we see with our students and higher education as a whole. This opportunity would help me to be able to network with other people regionally and be able to talk about issues we face more often throughout the year. I also think it is important to learn from other advisors and apply those within your role at your institution and I feel like that would give me the opportunity to do that more frequently.

I have been in my current role for almost 4 years at Oklahoma State University. I am primarily at our Tulsa campus and go to the Stillwater campus occasionally for meetings and events. I work with some of our online MBA students and our part-time students at the Tulsa campus. I think something unique I would bring is that I work with the "non-traditional" graduate student, so I would have a different insight of the needs of that student population.