What a great NASPA Board Meeting it was!

If you haven’t already heard the news, Dr. Kevin Kruger has been selected as the first NASPA President after the title changes.  (You may recall that we had a bylaw vote in August that changed the appointed head of NASPA from Executive Director to President, and our current elected President will become Chair of the Board).

I am particularly excited for Kevin’s hire because he has been with NASPA and has been through all the conversations about how we want to improve and use all that we have learned over the last couple of years.  Kevin will be able to help us keep moving forward and making necessary changes to impact our profession and our organization. 

Conference:

The 2012 Conference is moving forward with a ton of programs and initiatives –32 preconference programs and over 900 program submissions !  NASPA is still working with local organizations to identify ways that we can aid their work, not take it over. 

Since the Convention Center is built on sacred ground, this history will be honored during the Opening.  The conference will kick off with keynote speaker John Legend discussing his Show Me Campaign to reform education and alleviating poverty.  Throughout the conference there will be an art display that explores immigration by a former NUFP fellow.   And watch for more information on the NASPA values purposeful sharing modeled after the NPR “this is believe.”  I hope you will consider participating.

International Programs:

NASPA is working with IASIS (International  Association of Student Affairs and Services) to create a database for international experiences in higher education.  If you are considering working abroad, I encourage you to check out the IASIS website and listserv.

While the majority of the meeting was spent on the selection of the NASPA President, we did take a lot of time discussing how the Board works (and doesn’t work).   This really focused on how the board currently uses their time together and how we should be using our time together to best impact the strategic plan of NASPA.

And lest you think we didn’t enjoy ourselves,  Stephanie Gordon, Senior Director of Educational Programs, arranged for us to cook dinner together at Culenaire in DC.  Here you see Dr. Larry Roper, our Denver Keynote and 2012 National Conference Chair, leading the cooking of a wild mushroom bisque with Tisa Mason about to jump in.

And my contribution…..a lovely brandied cherry bread pudding.  It was gooood.  Yes, I am both a comedian and a cook!

So whether it was great interviews, good conversations or homemade food, the 2012 NASPA Board Meeting was a fantastic experience.