Candidates for Treasurer-elect 2016-2017
Christine Grotzke
Regional Admissions Manager
Michigan Technological University
Education:
- B.A. in Physics Education, Ripon College (2003)
- M.S. in Predictive Analytics, DePaul University (pending)
IACAC Member: 13 years
IACAC Activities:
- Annual Conference On-Site Co-Chair (2013–present)
- Annual Conference Exhibitor Co-Chair (2009–2010)
- College Director/Board Member (2007–2009)
- Annual Conference Raffle Co-Chair (2007–2008)
- Government Relations Co-Chair (2006–2008)
- Annual Conference Program Co-Chair (2006–2007)
- Currently serving as a committee member for the following: Annual Conference Exploratory Ad Hoc Committee, Professional Development Grants, and Professional Liaison
NACAC Activities:
- Member 8 years (non-concurrent)
- Legislative Conference Attendee (2007, 2008)
- National Conference Attendee (2004, 2010, 2014)
Other Professional Activities:
- CARR Member (2003–2007, 2008–present)
- CARR Treasurer (2010–2012)
- CARR Professional Development Chair (2005–2007)
Considering the recently adopted strategic plan for IACAC, what do you hope to achieve within this role as it pertains to the objectives of new plan?
Overall, I believe our team should be tasked with improving the day-to-day oversight of IACAC’s financials, looking for ways to ensure the long-term financial health of our organization, and aligning how we are spending our funds with what is important to us as an organization.
An online reimbursement process for IACAC committee members that requires the approval of one of their committee co-chairs and the treasurer before reimbursement is a necessity. It will increase oversight of budgets while streamlining the process to ensure efficiency. As part of this online system, committee chairs should have access to view their accounts in real time to help them better manage their budgets.
Also, for the long-term financial health of the organization we need to enlist the help of a financial planner who would be able to strengthen our investment profile. We are not all financial planners, and with the cyclical nature of this position, we need someone to help guide us consistently on the best ways to maximize our investments and minimizing our risks.
Last, but definitely not least, encouraging IACAC board members and committee chairs to find creative ways to fund new initiatives and reduce costs while increasing the quality of the services we provide to our membership is important. Together, we can use the strategic plan to help prioritize how we spend our funds and put us in a position that allows us to continue saving for our future.
If elected, what experiences, skills, and qualities do you bring to this specific position?
If elected, I would be honored to serve as Treasurer-Elect on the IACAC Executive Board.
As an IACAC member, I have participated on multiple committees as well as served as co-chair for a few. I have a vast knowledge of how IACAC functions, and my previous experience as Treasurer of the Chicago Area Regional Representatives would also translate well to IACAC.
I have experience writing grant proposals from my years as a Physics major and from sitting on various organizational boards. It is a tedious process, and I love it. My junior year of college was spent writing a ninety page grant proposal along with one other colleague in order to conduct a zero-gravity experiment with NASA, and we got it!! Just ask me about the vomit comet if you want to hear more.
In addition, I have had the pleasure of previously serving on the IACAC Board as a College Director and understand the amount of time and passion required of those who serve. I appreciate everything the current board members have done for the organization and hope to have the opportunity to continue their legacy. If elected as Treasurer-Elect, I will proudly represent and serve this wonderful organization that has given me so many opportunities to network and develop professionally over the years.
Ben Wetherbee
Assistant Dean of College Counseling
Lake Forest Academy
Education:
- B.A., Knox College (2012)
IACAC Member: 4 years
IACAC Activities:
- Summer Institute Co-Chair at DePaul University (2016)
- Summer Institute Co-Chair at Knox College (2015)
- IACAC Mentor (2015)
- Management Institute Attendee at Augustana College (2014)
- Summer Institute Attendee at Elmhurst College (2012)
NACAC Activities:
- Member 2 years
- National Conference Attendee in Indianapolis (2014)
Other Professional Activities:
- Collegeboard Midwest Forum Attendee (2015)
- CACCA Member
Considering the recently adopted strategic plan for IACAC, what do you hope to achieve within this role as it pertains to the objectives of new plan?
Two things:
1. Working alongside a financial planner, I’d like to comprehensively review IACAC’s investment strategies and identify areas of strength, weakness and opportunity.
2. Continue to find ways to improve transparency, while simplifying and creating greater clarity for committees’ budgeting processes.
If elected, what experiences, skills, and qualities do you bring to this specific position?
I believe anybody who has the opportunity to serve in a leadership position must possess one fundamental trait, and that’s that they care. They care about the populations they serve, the people they work with, and the work that they do; and I hope those who know me best would say that I care very deeply about all of these things, and about striving to do them better.
Being still somewhat new to the profession, I hope to bring a new voice to the table. I also believe my experiences on both the secondary and post-secondary side of college admission counseling will give me a unique perspective on important issues in our profession.
Speaking more to my interest in the role of treasurer, I’m someone who’s always gravitated toward numbers. Whether it is predicting the outcomes of basketball games using Excel regression models, managing my own investment portfolio, or majoring in Economics, I’ve always had a vested interest in math and finance, and I look forward to hopefully leveraging my knowledge in these areas as treasurer.
