Early on in my student affairs career, I felt that the organizations that serve our profession are profoundly important. As an undergraduate, some fabulous professionals sponsored me for organizational scholarships that allowed me to attend conferences and glean the power of professionals serving as resources for one another. Through graduate school, and after becoming a professional, I realized that housing would be my profession of choice for the foreseeable future and found a home with ACUHO-I. I find great value in the organization and the people it represents. One of the strongest components of ACUHO-I is the inherent network it creates for those individuals involved in the organization. By attending, presenting, and writing for ACUHO-I, I’ve made connections with some fantastic individuals. I have made great friends and colleagues that I can call (or tweet) at a moment’s notice to get an answer to a vexing problem. My network, created through ACUHO-I, makes me a far better professional than if I were a stand-alone director of housing.
As I’ve progressed in my career, I’ve tried to do more to contribute to the organization from which I’ve received so much. When the opportunity arose to serve on ACUHO-I’s board, I knew it was something I wanted to do. I feel very strongly about giving back, and having the opportunity to assume a leadership position with ACUHO-I and not simply sustain, but grow the organization, is a tremendous opportunity.
It’s my hope to serve on the executive board and create this experience for other professionals. I feel that I can give more to this organization and am excited about potentially serving in this new capacity. If you want to learn more about my candidacy, feel free to read my profile here. Elections will be held February 7-18. If after reading this, you feel that I’m a good candidate for the Finance and Corporate Records Officer position, I would be honored if you would pass your recommendation on to your colleagues and Chief Housing Officer (CHO). In ACUHO-I elections, only the CHO at each institution has voting rights, and it is not open to the general membership.
In either case, I hope you’ll vote (or encourage your CHO to do so) starting next week. As I wrote in my post about the NASPA/ACPA consolidation, I strongly believe in educated voters. There are some fantastic folks prepared to serve ACUHO-I in new capacities, and I hope you’ll take the time to learn more about them. Thanks again for your consideration, and I hope to see you at the Annual Conference and Exposition in New Orleans!
