W
hile it feels a bit early to be reflecting on my term in office, this is the last time I will appear in this publication as your president. So, I will take this opportunity to thank you for your support and the trust you placed in me to lead this amazing Association, your professional home. However, it is never too early to acknowledge all our incredibly talented and passionate volunteer leaders. With their help – your help – we have accomplished much in 2022, and as we round the bend into 2023, we do so with some important, game-changing initiatives in the works.
This year, our Association modeled how to bring diversity, equity, and inclusion values to life and into action. Following recommendations from the Anti-Racism Task Force, we revised our DEI statement and then took that one step further by charging a group of expert members with turning those words into specific, actionable items to engage the Board, volunteer leaders, and ACUHO-I staff. We established several new affinity networks and renamed the Black Professionals Network. The Leadership Academy cohort of people who identify as Black women was extraordinary in accomplishing their goals of support, fellowship, mentorship, and leadership development. And a work group is examining our Executive Board nominations process to identify barriers that may hinder our ability to present a diverse slate of candidates. All this work means that ACUHO-I is walking our talk.
The current Board has functioned as a tight team, comfortable with their responsibility of focusing on the strategic direction of the Association. Now members of the class of 2023 have joined our meetings as part of the onboarding process, learning from their counterparts and preparing to hit the ground running in January.
In addition, under the direction of Steve Herndon, we have made great progress in better understanding, responding to, and crafting the future of our profession. This has been a complex and sophisticated task that has required input from a record number of volunteers like you to curate information and resources. As the Future of the Profession project continues into its second year, few projects in our Association’s history have felt more necessary.
While this year has held so many more milestones, I cannot forget the Certification for Student Affairs Educators initiative. As one of many partners in this project, ACUHO-I will ensure that student housing professionals can demonstrate their competence in their chosen field but also pursue certification in other areas of student affairs to support their career progression as effective higher education leaders.
With projects of such magnitude, it is important that our leadership transitions smoothly from year to year. The current Board has functioned as a tight team, comfortable with their responsibility of focusing on the strategic direction of the Association. Now members of the class of 2023 have joined our meetings as part of the onboarding process, learning from their counterparts and preparing to hit the ground running in January. ACUHO-I is powered by these and other dedicated volunteer leaders who strive to serve our members effectively. There is always more to do, but I am proud of the work we have done. I also recognize that none of it would have been possible if not for the talented and dedicated ACUHO-I staff. My gratitude and appreciation go out to all; you’ve inspired me and allowed me to do my best work. Thank you for this tremendous gift.
— Pam Schreiber, ACUHO-I President
Talking Stick magazine takes its name from the symbol of international friendship presented to ACUHO-I in 1973 by the Ohiat Band of the British Columbia Indian Nation. The talking stick, or speaker’s staff, is hand-carved, and the inscription explains, “It is a sign of authority carried when proclamations are to be made or a meeting of chiefs is in session. It is a token of common heritage both to Canadians and Americans.”
