The NACADA Board of Directors is the official governing body of the Association, and provides direction for the Association by developing and maintaining the Association's strategic plan.
Board of Directors - 3 positions available, three-year term each (October 2014-October 2017). Nominees must have served a full term as a Chair of a Division level sub-unit (region, committee, commission).
Dr. Dana Zahorik
Fox Valley Technical College Appleton WI
Platform
Platform Statement: Part I
1. If elected to this position, what will you attempt to accomplish that will help to meet the strategic goals of the Association?
As part of the NACADA Council, I was fortunate to be part of the recent development of the strategic goals of the association. It helped me realize how important these goals are to the association since it brings us all together and creates a common ground for us to work towards. Similar to the work on our own campuses, assessment helps us meet our student’s needs, maintain effective processes, and determine whether the work of the association is meeting the needs of our members at various levels. It is my hope to engage in activities that will move us all closer to the strategic goal, Engage in ongoing assessment of all facets of the Association. These activities could include working with the various Divisions to assist in determining goals, activities, and outcomes they hope to see for their group on an annual basis. I believe it’s important for NACADA leadership to remain engaged with these individuals and the members they serve, to continuously assess these goals and...
As part of the NACADA Council, I was fortunate to be part of the recent development of the strategic goals of the association. It helped me realize how important these goals are to the association since it brings us all together and creates a common ground for us to work towards. Similar to the work on our own campuses, assessment helps us meet our student’s needs, maintain effective processes, and determine whether the work of the association is meeting the needs of our members at various levels. It is my hope to engage in activities that will move us all closer to the strategic goal, Engage in ongoing assessment of all facets of the Association. These activities could include working with the various Divisions to assist in determining goals, activities, and outcomes they hope to see for their group on an annual basis. I believe it’s important for NACADA leadership to remain engaged with these individuals and the members they serve, to continuously assess these goals and the progress towards those goals; keeping in mind that each of these goals ultimately meets the needs of the individual members of NACADA at a grassroots level.
Pursing innovative technology tools and resource to support the association is an important endeavor that we all play a role in. To remain one of the most prestigious advising organizations in the world, it’s important we stay competitive with the ways we capture, deliver, and support advising related materials such as webinar delivery, website renovations, blogs, etc. It also allows us to support our goal in creating an inclusive environment with the Association that promotes diversity. In order to continue our efforts as an association to expand our global offerings and create and maintain relationships with our global partners ,we have to remain creative and utilize technology to its fullest potential.
I was fortunate to be part of the Emerging Leader program through NACADA which was a break-through experience for me. The idea behind it was to bring together NACADA members to create a learning and mentoring experience for interested applicants. My mentee Christy Walker and I quickly hit it off and worked together to develop our future goals. Within the two year assignment, we stayed connected, presented at a conference together, and met our goals. Shortly after ELP graduation, Christy became involved in NACADA leadership herself. I now look back and am excited about the growth and leadership that has taken place with this entire group since 2008. This group represents a small portion of the members who will continue to emerge as leaders within the association. Since one of the strategic goals is to develop and sustain effective association leadership, I hope to continue developing relationships such as those at the ELP level, stay involved in leadership development activities, and encourage individuals to become involved at a level with which they are comfortable. This can be in the form of writing, presenting, chairing a committee or task force, webinar participation, or volunteering to help during the annual conference. Each and every one of these contributions provides valuable resources to the NACADA association and its members. Whether you are the creator or recipient of these resources, it all builds the foundation of an amazing network for advising professionals.
We all realize the challenges of getting involved in professional development opportunities due to constraints of time and budgets. We have all had to find creative ways to provide leadership development for ourselves and fellow staff members. I think NACADA has created a creative and flexible platform for members to become and remain involved in professional development opportunities at various levels. Whether you are presenting at the state, regional or national conferences, participating in a webinar, writing an article for Academic Advising Today, or attending the Annual Conference, you are involved in expanding and communicating the scholarship of academic advising and providing professional development opportunities that are responsive to the needs of advisors and advising administrators. As a NACADA leader, I would continue to reach out to members who have a passion for what they do and are excited to share their knowledge with fellow members. Much like our advisees, I feel making these personal connections with NACADA members, especially those new to the association, provide necessary rapport building and demonstrates a caring environment. All of these connections and professional development opportunities in turn make us better advisors or administrators which promotes the role of effective academic advising in student success to college and university decision makers.
Platform Statement: Part II
2. Describe an accomplishment on your own campus or within NACADA of which you are proud. What do you believe your accomplishment demonstrates about your abilities as a leader?
An accomplishment on my own campus that I am proud of is actually a result of my involvement with NACADA. In 2006, I assisted in the development and implementation of a peer advising program at my institution. The idea developed from attending a Region 5 conference session on development of peer advising programs where we learned about ideas on how to interview, hire, train, and supervise peer advisors. My colleague Kathy Stockwell, past NACADA president, and myself worked together to adapt the materials and information to meet the needs of our specific student population. We piloted a peer advising program that following semester with 8 peer advisors within the Criminal Justice department. Since that time, we have continued to grow and expanded the peer advising program to a total of 23 peer advisors who meet the needs of over 12,000 program students and assist with all 80 of our technical diploma and associate degree programs. I owe all the success of our program to my NACADA colleagues...
An accomplishment on my own campus that I am proud of is actually a result of my involvement with NACADA. In 2006, I assisted in the development and implementation of a peer advising program at my institution. The idea developed from attending a Region 5 conference session on development of peer advising programs where we learned about ideas on how to interview, hire, train, and supervise peer advisors. My colleague Kathy Stockwell, past NACADA president, and myself worked together to adapt the materials and information to meet the needs of our specific student population. We piloted a peer advising program that following semester with 8 peer advisors within the Criminal Justice department. Since that time, we have continued to grow and expanded the peer advising program to a total of 23 peer advisors who meet the needs of over 12,000 program students and assist with all 80 of our technical diploma and associate degree programs. I owe all the success of our program to my NACADA colleagues who were willing to share their ideas and innovative practices to help serve our students advising needs at a whole new level.
My interest in peer advising in turn led to me to serve as the Peer Advising and Mentoring Commission chair for the NACADA Commission and Interest Group Division, co-editor for the newly revised Peer Advising and Mentoring Scholarly Guide for Practitioners, and most recently, as a panelist for the webinar titled The Peer Advising Advantage: Creating Meaningful Connections.
All my knowledge is a combination of NACADA member knowledge shared at conferences, in articles, list serves and conversations in the hallways of conference centers. These interactions represent the heart of NACADA, demonstrate the effectiveness of the organization, and exemplify the importance of the networking amongst the members. We have all tried various advising processes and methods, made mistakes, tweaked processes, perfected them, and handed it off to fellow members. I appreciate that you have all been the “test kitchen” for the rest of us, so each of us can take these processes back to adjust to our own institutions.
Platform Statement: Part III
3. Why are you interested in serving in this leadership position or what influenced you to run for this leadership position?
It all began when one person believed in me and that person was Charlie Nutt. Similar to the relationship we have with our own advisees, it can take just one person to recognize potential and help us grow. Charlie had encouraged me to become involved in leadership and gave me the encouragement I needed to take the first step by getting involved as a committee member. I enjoyed the networking, friendship, and growth in knowledge I gained from being part of the committee at the national level. Call it an addiction, but once you become involved in NACADA leadership, you want to stay involved. The rewards are invaluable. I also feel as though I have the opportunity to “regift” the knowledge I have gained from fellow members. All I have learned is a compilation of creative NACADA members who were willing to share the knowledge and accomplishments relevant to advising.
If elected to this position, I hope to continue representing the members’ voices and to grow alongside fellow...
It all began when one person believed in me and that person was Charlie Nutt. Similar to the relationship we have with our own advisees, it can take just one person to recognize potential and help us grow. Charlie had encouraged me to become involved in leadership and gave me the encouragement I needed to take the first step by getting involved as a committee member. I enjoyed the networking, friendship, and growth in knowledge I gained from being part of the committee at the national level. Call it an addiction, but once you become involved in NACADA leadership, you want to stay involved. The rewards are invaluable. I also feel as though I have the opportunity to “regift” the knowledge I have gained from fellow members. All I have learned is a compilation of creative NACADA members who were willing to share the knowledge and accomplishments relevant to advising.
If elected to this position, I hope to continue representing the members’ voices and to grow alongside fellow members in the body of knowledge related to advising. I would enjoy having the opportunity to see other emerging leaders throughout the NACADA association in the form of writers, presenters, bloggers, committee chairs, researchers, and more.
Past Involvement in NACADA
4. Outline your past involvement in NACADA:
a. Years in NACADA
b. National Offices Help and Accomplishments Achieved
c. Regional Activities/Offices Held, including accomplishments achieved in office
d. Etc.
A. I have been a member of NACADA for 15 years serving in various roles at the National, Regional, and State level.
B. National offices, assistance, and accomplishments achieved include the following:
NACADA Leadership Involvement:
• Consultant and Speaking Bureau Member 11/ongoing
• Council Member 12/14
• Commission and Interest Group Division Representative 12/14
• Co-Editor of Peer Advising: Intentional Connections to Support Student Learning 2nd Ed. 11/13
• Faculty Member – 2011 Persistence Seminar: ”Utilizing Research and Data to Increase Student Persistence and Retention”
• Webinar presenter: Advising as Teaching and Learning: Best Practices, Tools, and Tips 2010
• Commission and Interest Group Division Restructure Task Force – Chair 11/12
• Nominating Committee 10/12, 13/14
• Two Year College Task Force 10/11
• Video Advisory Board 09/11
• Annual Conference Advisory Board 09/12
• Emerging Leader Program – Mentor 08/10
• Chair...
A. I have been a member of NACADA for 15 years serving in various roles at the National, Regional, and State level.
B. National offices, assistance, and accomplishments achieved include the following:
NACADA Leadership Involvement:
• Consultant and Speaking Bureau Member 11/ongoing
• Council Member 12/14
• Commission and Interest Group Division Representative 12/14
• Co-Editor of Peer Advising: Intentional Connections to Support Student Learning 2nd Ed. 11/13
• Faculty Member – 2011 Persistence Seminar: ”Utilizing Research and Data to Increase Student Persistence and Retention”
• Webinar presenter: Advising as Teaching and Learning: Best Practices, Tools, and Tips 2010
• Commission and Interest Group Division Restructure Task Force – Chair 11/12
• Nominating Committee 10/12, 13/14
• Two Year College Task Force 10/11
• Video Advisory Board 09/11
• Annual Conference Advisory Board 09/12
• Emerging Leader Program – Mentor 08/10
• Chair for Peer Advising and Mentoring Commission 07/09, 10/12
• Awards Committee Member 06/07,11/12
• Membership Committee Member 06/07
• Writer for Academic Advising Today 07/08
• Webinar presenter: The Peer Advising Advantage: Creating Meaningful Connections 2013
• 2003 Scholarship Recipient
NACADA Presentations
• 2000 – WACADA – Advisors’ Tool Kit
• 2000 – NACADA – Advisors’ Tool Kit
• 2002 – NACADA – Advisors’ Tool Kit
• 2004 – WACADA – Advisors’ Spa: Rejuvenate your mind, body, and spirit
• 2004 – NACADA – Advisors’ Spa: Rejuvenate your mind, body, and spirit
• 2005 – NACADA pre-con – Advisors’ Spa: Rejuvenate your mind, body, and spirit
• 2006 – UNLV – Advisors’ Spa: Rejuvenate your mind, body, and spirit (NACADA speaker’s bureau)
• 2008 – NACADA - A Panel of Experts: Challenges, Triumphs, and Best Practices in Peer Mentoring
• 2009 – WACADA – When Life Throws a Curve Ball: Program Development for Dislocated Workers
• 2009 – NACADA - Advising as Teaching and Learning: Best Practices, Tools, and Tips
• 2011 –Program Evaluation- Onondaga Community College
• 2012 – Key Note Presentation - Maintaining a Healthy Advising Environment and Creating a Healthy Student Environment
• 2012 – Workshop – Advising the Underprepared Student
• 2013 – Key Note Presentation – Skills and Techniques: Advising as Teaching
• 2013 – Workshop – Peering into the Future: Utilizing Peer Advisors to Enhance Advising Practices
• 2013 – Evaluator – QEP (Quality Enhancement Plan) Lead Evaluator – SACS (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools)Reaffirmation Committee for Technical College of Lowcountry
• 2013-Workshop – Academic Coaching: A New Approach to Supporting Student Success
C. NACADA Region 5 Involvement
• 2006 – Region V – Developing and Implementing a Peer Advising Program
• 2008 – Region V – Values Clarification: A Journey towards a healthy advising environment
• 2012 – Professional Development Grant Recipient
D. WACADA (Wisconsin Academic Advising Association)
• 2009 - Chair of Hospitality for Annual Conference Planning Committee
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