”Meet the AACRAO Staff" is an occasional Connect feature. It’s one way for members to get to know some of the folks hard at work in the AACRAO office. Another way? Come see us in D.C. – we’ll roll out the welcome mat for you!
This issue, we talked with assistant director of board services Mike Sisson – a versatile, dedicated and laid-back member of the AACRAO staff. Come visit Mike and meet the rest of our AACRAO staff at our 100th Annual Meeting in Denver.
What is your role at AACRAO?
Primarily, I assist the board and committees with setting up meetings and organizing governance-related business. I also work with the meetings and marketing team and provide IT support for webinars and the website. I also work in Communications, help with SEM-EP and write for Connect.
How long have you been working at AACRAO, and how did you get started?
When I was finishing up college, I realized that I had no office experience. A friend of mine introduced me to AACRAO. I applied, I interviewed, and I got an internship here. Last August, I started my full-time position as Assistant Director of Board Services. All in all, I’ve been at AACRAO for about a year and a half.
What have you learned during your time at AACRAO?
I’ve learned a lot about the industry in general – about enrollment management, registrars and how a university is run from an administration standpoint. Personally, I’ve learned a lot. This is my first office job, so I learned a lot about effective time management, project management.
What are some of the most interesting projects you’ve worked on?
I like working on the spotlight interviews and webinars, because you get to talk to some of the experts in the field and personally see what’s cutting edge. In our most recent webinar sprint, I got the chance to listen to people from the Department of Education discuss the Obama Administration’s new federal rating system. The SEM Endorsement Program is also interesting – it’s great following this project from the planning stages through to our first pilot class.
What do you like doing in your free time?
I do a lot of traveling with my girlfriend. Most recently, we went to Italy for Valentine’s Day and her birthday. Last year, we also hit up many national parks such as Glacier, Zion, Bryce, Shenandoah and we’re planning on going to Yosemite and Acadia this year. We do a lot of hiking and sometimes rock climbing. Other than that, I play some nerdy video games and I read some nerdy books.