Kyle Ross, NACADA President
As advisors begin another academic year, I find myself wondering where the time has gone between when I started my presidency last October and now. While the time has flown by, I acknowledge that the association has accomplished much in these 11 months.
Last year, the Board of Directors adopted a new Vision, Mission, and Strategic Goals to lead the association through continued advancement of the field of academic advising. Immediately following adopting these statements, the Board of Directors committed to forming a new advisory board that would carry forward the accomplishments of the Race, Ethnicity, and Inclusion Workgroup. I am now pleased to announce the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Education Advisory Board with Ahmad Sims (Christian Brothers University) as the Inaugural Chair. Joining Dr. Sims are the following members who applied for appointment for these positions:
Madeline Goldman, Virginia Commonwealth University Trayle Kulshan, City University of Seattle Jasmine Lee, University of Maryland Rachel Lim, University of Denver Megumi Makino-Kanehiro, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa Jairo McMican, Central Carolina Community College Keenan Mosley, University of North Carolina-Asheville Khadijah Peak-Brown, Tidewater Community College Quinn Peoples, Portland State University Jill Putman, Colorado State University Tyler Rhea, University of St. Augustine John Sauter, Niagara University Kerry Wallaert, LaGrange College
I want to extend my thanks to Teri Farr, Incoming President, who led the Task Force to form this new advisory board, which included responsibilities around soliciting applications and drafting a mission and function. Teri has long been a leader in the association who has consistently followed through on work she volunteers for and delivers high-quality results. It has been my privilege to work with her on both the Council and Board of Directors these past few years. I know she will be an exemplary President, and I know she and incoming Vice President Locksley Knibbs will make an amazing team.
Another major priority for the Board of Directors this year has been to initiate a review of the organizational structure of the association. The review has been divided into three phases. The first phase consisted of developing a request for proposals from potential consultants who will be instrumental in conducting the holistic review alongside what will be a workgroup dedicated to this endeavor. The workgroup’s and consultant’s efforts will serve as the second phase of this review. Once they have made recommendations to the Board of Directors, what is approved will require a third and final phase dedicated to implementation of those revisions. At this time, the task force for the first phase is nearing completion of its objectives and has been on an ambitious timeline to do so. I thank current Vice President Michelle Smith Ware for chairing this task force in addition to her responsibilities as an Officer of the Board of Directors. I also want to express my deep gratitude for her as someone I have leaned on every day as President. She has given so much of herself to this association, and I cannot thank her enough for always being a listening ear and for providing an essential perspective to me when decisions needed to be made quickly.
As I look forward to the Annual Conference in Portland, Oregon, I want to thank several others for their commitment to NACADA. The work of this association would not be possible without the immense and unwavering support of the Executive Office and Dean Debbie Mercer from the College of Education at Kansas State University. Executive Director Melinda Anderson has now completed a full year in the role, and I cannot imagine anyone else assuming the responsibility following the achievements of retired Executive Director Charlie Nutt. She has been and will continue to be the partner the Board of Directors needs to ensure the success of the association.
Words cannot express my appreciation of my fellow Board Members this year: Michelle Smith Ware, Zoranna Jones, Mehvash Ali, Teri Farr, Rebecca Hapes, Quentin Alexander, Locksley Knibbs, and Kimberly Smith. Each Board Member has been vital to the conversations had over this year. It was my honor to serve among them.
For me, Portland is the perfect point of looking forward to where the association goes next and looking back at my 10 years of membership with NACADA. My first engagement with the association was at the Region 8 Conference in Portland in 2012, and I shall now conclude my presidency in Portland in October. My biggest thanks goes to the membership, as so many people have taught me invaluable lessons, helped me develop as a professional, and given me life-long friendships. It has been the utmost honor to give back to the membership through the roles I have served over the years.
Kyle Ross, President, 2021-2022 NACADA: The Global Community for Academic Advising Head Academic Advisor College of Business Oregon State University Kyle.ross@oregonstate.edu
Cite this article using APA style as: Ross, K. (2022, September). From the president: Looking back and moving forward. Academic Advising Today, 45(3). [insert url here]
