Candidates for Council Team Director – Postsecondary 2013-2014

Candidate Statement:
I remember standing in the basement of the Michael J. Howlett building in Springfield, Ill., cite-checking a law brief for local attorney Ed Coleman, when it hit me—“I have to get out of here,” and I wasn’t only referring to the basement. This desire for a change and the need to be around like-minded people, along with the “nudge” from someone upstairs, led me to a new career in admissions and I haven’t looked back!

My admissions career began by zooming through every high school from beautiful Galena, Ill., to the banks of Lake Michigan at the Navy Pier (and everywhere else above I-80 for that matter) for Blackburn College. It was during this first year that I realized that I finally had the opportunity to give back to so many people simply by offering them an opportunity, and this quickly became my passion. I worked northern Illinois territory for three years for Blackburn while building great relationships with students, families, and guidance staff. Those first few years in admissions opened the doors to a new and amazing career, ultimately resulting in the chance to become Dean of Admissions and Enrollment Management at Rend Lake College.

Prior to becoming a dean, I served for about eight years as Director of Recruitment and Dual Credit at RLC, a rural community college in Southern Illinois. During this time I was given the freedom to be involved with IACAC in a myriad of ways, such as assisting committees, tri-chairing Project Reach (with Cindy Rodkin and Marie Feehan), and presenting at different seminars and conferences. Most importantly, I have been blessed to work so many amazing people within this organization. The passion is obvious when attending any IACAC event, and this is what I think of most fondly when I reflect on the roots of this organization, and more importantly, where it is destined to be. It is this passion, shared by our members, which fuels our desire to push ourselves to the limits to create higher education opportunities for our youth.

It is with a humble enthusiasm that I accept the nomination of Post-Secondary Council Team Director. If elected I will serve the IACAC Executive Board and the members of this amazing organization to the best of my ability.