Region Steering Committee Election

Since joining the association in 2019, I've been grateful for all of the opportunities in being part of the Conference Planning Committee for Region 8. In addition to the 2019 conference where I was the Volunteer and Registration Coordinator, I held the role as the Communications Coordinator for 2022, 2023, and 2024. In 2023, I was elected to be the Communications Coordinator for the Region 8 Steering Committee.

With this experience, it highlighted my strengths in communication where I get to build a sense of community for the region with my creative skills in creating media assets for our social media platforms.

If I am re-elected for the next term, I hope to create more content that helps engage Region 8. My plan is to create a campaign that highlights the members of the steering committee, social engagement for Region 8 (polls/Q&A), and continuing my streak with creative content for the region's conferences. 

I was on the planning committee for the 2024 Region 8 conference in Boise, ID, where I assisted in the selection of the conference's keynote speaker. I have been on the Region 8 steering committee since March 2024, serving as the two-year college chair until last month, when I transitioned into the new role of Mentorship chair. I wanted to take on this new role, as I have been very involved with the Region 8 Learning Partnership in the past couple of years, 2 years as a participant, and now in this 3rd year, serving as one of the co-chairs in leading this program.

I bring a lot of knowledge of the Learning Partnership into this role, being able to reflect on my own experience as a participant and learning about other's experiences as well. Even in these past 2 years, I have seen how this program can change and adapt to better meet the needs of its participants. In this role, I want to continue to make this a strong program, adapting to the needs of each year's participants, and ultimately serving as a model for learning partnerships across all of NACADA. 

I have participated in NACADA through conference attendance and presentations. Due to the overwhelmingly positive experiences I have had thus far, I am interested in contributing to this community to continue its growth and development in the field of academic advising. With over 13 years of experience and a Master of Education, my background spans training and development, leadership, project coordination, budget management, and event management. I have worked in academic advising, academic support, residence life, crisis management, and teaching. I am a co-recipient of a $45k teaching and learning grant supporting collaborative research to improve student outcomes, and I have presented at two conferences on academic advising and student support. My experience in research and scholarship allows me to understand and guide others in entering these areas, and I am passionate about advocating for PD in student affairs. As Professional Development Chair, I aim to design a suite of PD opportunities tailored to Region 8 members’ needs by identifying trends, gathering feedback, and creating a PD calendar for effective planning and communication. I also hope to collaborate with NACADA members beyond our region to expand PD offerings.

I have previously served as an Oregon liaison from 2022-2025 (my term will end in the upcoming year). I am committed to research and the impact that it can have on NACADA and the advising profession. I am especially passionate about providing development opportunities that are accessible and equitable to all advising professionals within our region and beyond. Beyond my passion for research, I also am passionate about advising as a profession. I served as the President of the Oregon Academic Advising Association for several years and was able to increase membership and offer numerous professional development opportunities for members. My focus was on variety of development topics and equitable access, which meant that the webinars we offered were free, and the conference we coordinated was low cost as well.

A goal for me in this role would be to increase access for advisors in Region 8 to professional development opportunities. Additionally, I would love to be able to spark an interest and even possibly a love of research in some of our membership and encourage others that they can write, present, and publish on their experiences as advisors. Region 8 voices should be heard!  

NACADA region 8 scholarship winner - 2017, 2018, & 2019
NACADA Region 8 Inclusion & engagement Coordinator 2019- 2021. 

I have been a NACADA member since 2006. I have over 24years of academic advising experience.  I have worked in both a university setting and community colleges.  I have professional development consulting and facilitating workshops and session on various topics including DEI, academic coaching, appreciative advising, Title IX , and advising self-care strategies.

I hope to come back to NACADA  leadership and share my experiences and network with others in the region.