ResEdChat Ep 61: We Have a Place for You! – Getting Involved with Your Regional Housing Organization

Crystal Lay:
Hello, and welcome back to Roompact’s Res Ed Chat, where we highlight cool people who do cool things, and talk about cool stuff in residence life and college student housing. I’m your guest host Crystal Lay, and I use a she/her series pronouns. I’ve had the opportunity to work in several different regions. I started my career in GLACUHO, went to UMR-ACUHO, then to WACUHO, then back to GLACUHO, back to WACUHO. And now I am in the AIMHO region. What I have appreciated the most was not only the cool opportunity to meet so many humans, and learn about different institutions, but also being a part of the regional committees and events that were offered. I have met so many of my good friends this way. So I thought it would be really neat to talk to two humans who know quite a bit about regional involvement. We have two humans here today who have served the profession as regional presidents. I’ll start off by having our guests introduce themselves.

Brian Moffitt:
Hello, everyone. My name is Dr. Brian Moffitt. I serve as the executive director for housing and dining at the University of Colorado at Denver. I also serve as the current AIMHO president. It’s a term that I just started in November. I’m really excited about the work that we’ll be doing in the next year during that presidency. I have been through a few different regions, starting my graduate work in the UMR-ACUHO region, and been doing quite a bit of work in the Midwest, in the state of Illinois, part of the GLACUHO region, and now proudly part of the AIMHO region where I serve. I’m excited to chat with you all today about the work and the excitement that’s happening within our regions.

Gregory Thompson:
Thanks, Brian. I’m Greg Thompson. I use the he/him/his pronouns. I also go by Dr. G, which is fitting, since I’m here with Dr. B and Dr. C, so we’ve got a lot of nice alphabet PhD work here as well too. So I’m currently the director of Residence Education at the University of Iowa, where I’ve been working for the past 16 years. I’ve actually been involved in UMR-ACUHO since the year 2000, so 23 years in that specific region as well too, where I’ve held a variety of leadership roles, including the presidency a few years ago as well too. So always excited to talk about the ways that our regional associations help nurture and develop a wide variety of our professionals, so excited to be here with you all.

Crystal Lay:
Thanks. Guys. I’m so thrilled to have you all here. Brian is a first time guest, and then having you back. Dr. G. You were here before, where you talked about navigating campus politics, so excited to hear what you all both share about involvement. Let’s start with our first question. Can you all tell me about your role to presidency?

Gregory Thompson:
Dr. B, go for it. I’m ready for you.

Brian Moffitt:
Yeah. I can definitely start us out. I will say that the road to AIMHO presidency was definitely not linear for me. I wasn’t very involved with our UMR-ACUHO in grad school, but had the opportunity to get involved with GLACUHO. And then of course, when my involvement started to ramp up, I took a new position in the state of Colorado, which was a bummer for me, leaving GLACUHO, which is an amazing region within ACUHO-I in our profession in terms of how it supports new, mid and senior level professionals. And so for me, my involvement and interests have always lied in the experiences that we provide to folks that are within our regions. A lot of that having to do with what we provide to new professionals, and the conference experience. And so I have the opportunity to support some of that in GLACUHO.
And then moving into AIMHO and taking a mid-level position, my supervisor at the time had encouraged me just a few months in my position to really think about attending the AIMHO Show Institute. And I was like, “Me? I’m not the show. You’re the show. How about you go?” But she was like, “No, I think it could be very beneficial for you.” And at the last minute, I decided to actually do that in Utah, and had a really good time, and learned a lot of things. I shared in my speech when I accepted presidency or kicked off this year, about how, in the show we were talking about contingency planning, and all of the things that were, I would say, hot topics, but the pandemic hadn’t hit yet. It hit three months later. And so it was just so interesting how we were having those conversations of where we needed to get with contingency planning, and we probably wish we would’ve left the conference with all of our contingency plans.
For me, I’ll say that my role to the AIMHO presidency was definitely a grassroots effort. As a black, queer man in our profession, it was really our Professionals of Color Network within AIMHO that really supported not just myself, but other leaders within our region, because they were saying, we need representation within our region. And really encouraging some folks like Dr. Kyle Oldham to run for president. And then that was followed by Dr. Catherine LaRoche to run for president, and then me running for president. And so it was a really awesome experience to really reflect back and see those grassroots efforts that took place from my community within AIMHO, where our representation is a little smaller than some of our other regions. And to actually be able to sit in a presidency role as the President-elect at the time, where we had three sitting folks of color with terminal degrees, leading our region was incredible. And so that’s briefly my route to the regional presidency.

Crystal Lay:
I am so sorry, Greg. I just want to shout that out, because huge, and I’m so proud of you. And support is so important. And we’re rooting for you, and we know you’re going to do a fantastic job at AIMHO, so congratulations.

Brian Moffitt:
Absolutely.

Gregory Thompson:
Yeah. Mine was a pretty traditional, trajectory, I think for a lot of professionals. So my first UMR-ACUHO conference was in the year 2000, when I was a graduate student at the University of Missouri, Columbia. And I remember it was actually in Des Moines, Iowa. The keynote speaker stood up on stage to give the keynote. And the first thing he said was, “We have more important things to worry about, rather than if we call these things dorms or residence halls.” And I was like, “Whoa. Okay. This might be my place.” Because that was just one of those things that I had already in graduate school been like, “Okay, we’re spending a lot of time on this. Where’s the pieces about student learning? Where are some of these other things that are going on?” So I felt really good about that first conference experience.
And then for the next, I’d say four to five years, I got involved in a variety of committees on UMR-ACUHO, helping to plan the conference, helping to understand the finances of the organization. And then after that three, four or five year window, I decided, like I think a lot of professionals sometimes do, that the regional association wasn’t for me as much anymore, because I was starting to transition into a mid-level role. And so I actually ran for and was involved on Commission 3 with ACPA for housing and residence life for a few years, and took a break from UMR for a few years and would occasionally pop into the conference, but not in any sort of leadership capacity. And then I was at the University of Iowa, and a good colleague and friend of mine decided that she wanted to try to host the conference in town.
And so we had hosted it probably five or six years earlier, but neither one of us had been at the institution at the time. And so she roped me into being a co-chair to help host the conference here in Coralville, Iowa. And so that was my reentry back into UMR-ACUHO, which was nice, because there was a lot of folks that I remembered as part of the organization, and a lot of new folks as well too. And based on that hosting experience, I just got hooked back into the association. I served a couple of years as the technology and sustainability coordinator. And then at that time, decided it was time to go for the presidential cycle, and felt like I had some purpose about what I wanted to do with that presidency. And so in UMR-ACUHO, it’s a three-year cycle where you’re vice president, president, then past president. So I was able to jump in and do that as well too, and really thought it was as fulfilling as I hoped it would be.
It was everything and more in a lot of ways. And my presidency was right before COVID as well too. And so it was nice to be able to do that. And then I had the pleasure of serving this past year again in the past president role for the association, because our president, Keniese Evans, who’s a fabulous human as well too, ended up serving two years as president through the COVID years and trying to keep the association a afloat, and rightly so, was ready to take a little bit of a break. And so was happy to step in and support her ability to care for her own professional development, and finding something else, and serve the association again as past president.

Crystal Lay:
I heard a little bit from both of you all, someone encouraged you, or something encouraged you to either be a part of it or to come back to it. I also think that in mid-level, sometimes folks have this idea of, well, how do I stay involved? Some of the organizations feel a little bit more focused toward entry level. So I would love to come back to that idea of, how do you get re-engaged and involved as a mid-level? So thank you both. So let’s talk about your regions. What are some things that you would like to highlight about UMR-ACUHO, and AIMHO?

Gregory Thompson:
Sure, I can take this one first. So I think UMR-ACUHO plays a really important role for our region. Because we’re the Upper Midwest Region, we are oftentimes an area of the country that is severely underrepresented with historically marginalized populations of staff members, of citizens in a lot of ways as well too. And what I began to realize during the time of my leadership is that UMR-ACUHO has oftentimes served as a place when professionals of color, professionals from differing identities, whether they’re queer identities, women in the field as well too, it’s a place for them to come together and find other folks that are having similar experiences. And I think that’s true of a lot of the professional associations, but I think particularly in UMR-ACUHO, if you are someone that holds a historically marginalized identity, and you’re working in South Dakota or rural Minnesota, you may not get the chance to connect with a lot of professionals that have similar backgrounds or experiences.
UMR became that place, or continues to be a place where folks can come together. And I think that’s true for a lot of our regional associations in parts of the country where representation is a little bit not as reflective of society as well too. So I really love that that is a piece of the conference that comes together. So we have a really strong annual conference. We have some really nice ongoing pieces as part of our association as well too, whether that’s our newsletter and our publication pieces. Prior to pandemic, we were doing a lot of targeted research through the association as well too. And then I think as with a lot of regional associations, we have some strong partnerships with sponsors and vendors that help provide resources to our members.
So we’re able to provide a lot of scholarship opportunities for folks to get involved in leadership institutes in the region, but also at ACUHO-I level as well too. There’s just a really nice rich history of fundraising, of giving in our association as well too. And then the conference is a lot of fun, I think, when we’re able to get together on an annual basis and nothing highlighted that more than being absent for two years during a pandemic, and not being able to do it in person.

Brian Moffitt:
Yeah. Thanks for that, Greg. I think that as I chat about AIMHO, and the special place that I know that AIMHO is as a region. We often talk about AIMHO as being an AIMHO family. We’ve coined and utilized the term “my AIMHOmie.” Because of the relationships that exist within our region, oftentimes whenever I’m getting together with our leadership teams or we’re coming to conference season, it very much feels like we’re coming up to a family reunion. And that is just the feel of our region. One of the interesting characteristics of the AIMHO region is it has, as we think about ACUHO-I as an association, it’s the largest landmass in terms of the region, but one of the smallest regions within ACUHO-I. And that presents challenges and advantages, as we think about folks and their involvements, and how we have to travel to see one another, and to actually connect as a region, where some regions have it very easy in terms of where they can plan and coordinate drive-ins.
And so we invest a lot of energy and time into our regional conference, and the experience that we provide there. One of the things that I really do enjoy about AIMHO is the different learning that we provide for the different levels within the association. So thinking about opportunities for our new professionals to participate in AIMHO College, or our mid-level folks to participate in the symposium, and then our shows. And providing those institutes on an annual basis is something that we love doing. It’s also something that we are spending time and investing in. How do we rethink this, right? I’ve had the opportunity, I’m reading right now a book called Think Again by Adam Grant, which was recommended to me by my previous executive director. And it’s this idea of oftentimes we blame organizations for some of the problems that exist. And oh, the organization is why X failed.
And Think Again, Adam is really talking about, how do we as individuals start to rethink and get in a habit of rethinking what we do? And that’s what we’re doing right now in AIMHO, is rethinking the business of our association, what we’re providing to our constituents. In my presidential address in November, I talked about, we’re going under construction and rethinking what we are delivering in terms of not just our conference experience, but all year long, what are we providing educationally to our folks? How are we working with our corporate sponsors? Which I think is a gem, and a thing that we don’t always talk about across our regions in terms of what our corporate sponsors are doing for our regions.
We love our corporate sponsors in AIMHO. I know we share them. Greg, you have many of the similar corporate sponsors, but the relationship that we have with them is very, I think, personal and professional in AIMHO. And so together, we are really rethinking what we do. And you just mentioned, Crystal, in terms of the mid-level, right? And this group of folks that oftentimes I’ll say is missed in terms of the developmental conversation of, what are we providing? And so that is on the table as we talk about the different entry points, because AIMHO is made up of a lot of new professionals that we’re seeing. And that’s very much different after we’re coming out of the pandemic.
But we also have the investment in terms of a lot of shows actually coming, our senior housing officers showing up to our regional conference. We are just rethinking, how do we keep them engaged all year long? And so that’s some of the exciting things that are happening in AIMHO. We are having an executive retreat here in January to really just rethink what we do as a business, because oftentimes we forget that piece in terms of what we do.

Crystal Lay:
So the regional conference, good vendor partnerships and paying attention to the folks who are a part of your organization. And then also where do you need to pivot or rethink to stay current and relevant for the folks who are in the field? I think that’s what I heard from listening to the both of you all. Wow. I’m just really excited about this idea of when folks watch this, how do I get re-engaged? Do I find my place within the organizations? And I hope that folks are hearing different points, whether it be tech program committee, or being a part of re-engaging mid-level folks, or keeping shows involved. So thank you. So each of you have done some pretty cool things, which you’ve highlighted already in your presidency, or what you hope to do, Brian, in this next year. Is there one signature experience you’ve had that you’re really proud of, that you want to talk about?

Gregory Thompson:
Yeah. I’m happy to go ahead and jump in. I’m going to point to two things that I think are reflective. And one’s not me related. Well, nothing happens in an association without lots of folks around you as well too, I think. But one of the things I always reflect on is, it was 2004 or 2005 that I was at a UMR-ACUHO conference. And I went to a session from the University of Wisconsin Whitewater, that was talking about interaction logs with students, and how they had replaced their wellness wheel programmatic model with this interaction log concept, where we’re doing individual touch bases with students. So for me, it was the first time I’d ever heard of the concepts around what has become residential curriculum for a lot of folks as well too, before I think residential curriculum was being buzzed about in some places.
And so I often think that one of the coolest things that we’re able to provide, and why people should continue to be involved in regional associations and conferences at any level, is that that’s where you’re going to find some of the new innovations that are out there. And it may not be polished, it may not be a firm product, but you’re going to hear these ideas that start to become more commonplace in our profession, and in the work that we do as well too. And it’s cool to be in there, and to see some of that manifest, and to do that. So I love that creativity, that innovation that you can find in entry level, and mid-level, and senior level folks talking about what’s going on on their campus. So one of the things that I did during my presidency that was especially meaningful, is we were coming up on our 50th anniversary as an association, our 50th conference that we were having.
And so part of what I dedicated my presidency toward was to try to continue to find more opportunities for folks of color to get involved, and have more opportunities to get engaged with both the region and ACUHO, and also how we engage our mid-level folks in particular to get involved. And so I connected with one of my colleagues in the field who had previously been working with our corporate sponsors and said, “Hey, what if we decided to raise $50,000 for the 50th anniversary? And we would set aside all that money for scholarships for professional development and target them toward the folks that we want to get involved. So professionals of color, some mid-level folks and how they can get involved.” And he’s a good colleague. And of course he said, “Yeah, I’m in.” I said, “Okay, how are we going to do it?” And he goes, “I don’t know, but we’re going to do it, and we’re not going to fail.”
And I was like, “Great, that’s what I like to hear.” And so we spent the better part of a year and a half conceptualizing the fundraising campaign to be able to bring in that money. And it doesn’t sound like an overwhelming sum, but for a regional association, it can be a chunky amount to get that. And like any good fundraising campaign, I think we were very lucky to have some. We had a major gift. We had some corporate sponsors that really dug in and helped recognize, but as Brian had said, those are built partnerships over so many years that they know that they’re getting good value for that. And then our membership just leaned in and helped us get there as well too. And so that was part of my presidency, and into my past presidency here, that I think was just a cool experience to have. And again, to be able to leave some pieces in place that will continue to help the association serve the folks that maybe have been historically underserved in our association as well.

Crystal Lay:
That is awesome. $50,000, that’s huge.

Gregory Thompson:
That’s pretty cool. Yeah.

Brian Moffitt:
I love that. The thing I would share in terms of… There’s a couple things Crystal, I’m like “Just one?” This last year as a board, we had the opportunity to really just reconsider our conference experience, primarily thinking about the locations in terms of where we’re hosting our conferences, with recent conferences being held in locations where folks that look like me didn’t feel like they were safe in those environments, or were even interested in attending conferences in certain locations. And so we really sat down as an executive team and thought about, yes, equity, but also the inclusivity in terms of our membership, and presented something to our voting body about re-imagining when and how we host our conferences. And so we used to do this rotation through all the different states within our region. And now we’re really focusing on some predominant cities within. And so we have three slated right now with a possibility of adding a fourth. And we’re rotating through those major cities where we know that our constituents should or can feel safe.
And also thought about cost, in terms of being able to get into those locations, and be able to host conferences. And so a conversation where we thought it was, yes, mainly about our membership, but all the different components that went into making this decision, right? Working with our partners in HelmsBriscoe of understanding, when we rotate through a few cities, we have opportunity to build lasting relationships with some of the conference sites where then we’re able to save money. And Greg, you know this. The increasing cost of hosting a conference is going up and up. And so it’s an opportunity for us to really think, how can we save dollars on our member institutions as they send folks to our conference? And so that’s something that I’m proud of, that we were able to clear and actually have moved into a rotation of doing that. But also I would say, Crystal, mentorship is really important for me. And I have really valued and enjoyed the relationships that I have been able to create in AIMHO.
And so my heart is really there for our new and entry level professionals. And so I often feel like I was just that person a year ago, even though it’s been a few more years than that. And so really talking and investing with folks at our conferences. And as folks have been applying to committees, I’ve been intentional, picking up the phone and calling them, and talking to them about the committees that they want to serve on. And their investment in their region, and thanking them. And so for me, it’s just those relationships at a different level that I have really, really enjoyed being a part of.
The other thing that I’d say is, we just changed rate structure for our member institutions. And it was something that I was apprehensive about, and lost maybe a little bit of sleep over it, but our senior housing officers were on board. And that just shows the amount of investment within our region, and just being able to have that tough conversation about the vitality of our organization, and knowing that they’re like, “AIMHO’s not going to fail. We’re not going to let it fail. We’re willing to pay X, Y, and Z in this fee structure.” Still being one of the cheaper regions to be a part of. And so those are some things that I’m proud of in terms of the work that we have collectively done as a regional association.

Gregory Thompson:
And I just want to amplify Brian, really, that important notion of being very thoughtful about where we’re hosting our conferences, and how it’s allowing our membership to feel safe as well too. I think we both work in some regions, where it gets harder to be able to identify those locations on a whole. And so those conversations I think in UMR-ACUHO have been so important too about, okay, how do we help provide service to our members to make this professional development accessible, while also recognizing that there are some spots and places that make it challenging for a majority of folks that may want to travel, and be safe, to be safe as well too? And the cost factor always just feels like a more relevant piece, especially as there’s a lot of opportunities now through online methods for folks to be able to choose their professional development opportunities, the value proposition of membership plus attendance, it really has come into play even more so.

Brian Moffitt:
Definitely.

Crystal Lay:
It makes me very happy to hear you both as folks who have served or serving as presidents, talk about the location piece too, because I do decide whether or not I’m going to attend based on where something’s hosted. I think about safety. I think about if this thing happens, who do I talk to? Is there a reporting mechanism? And just really naming that, and saying that that’s important really speaks to the equity and inclusive pieces that are important to myself, not just going to a conference, but also places where we work and we live. And so that is a really important piece. And I’m glad that you both name that as a priority for our regional organizations, is just being mindful of everyone’s ability to participate in a professional development opportunity, and to invest in themselves.
So transitioning a little bit, your roles take a lot, not just in your directorships, but also when you’ve served as president, or anyone who’s serving on a regional executive board. I was on an executive board one year and I felt like, I feel like I’m always in the airport, but California is a big state, so that can happen. And so I did enjoy my experience. I truly did. But my question for you all is, how can a board member’s home department show support to those who may be serving? What are the things that have maybe been helpful to you from your own home departments? Or what are some suggestions that you have, so home departments can maybe be more open to supporting those folks?

Brian Moffitt:
I can start with that one. I think this is an excellent question. And it is so crucial as we think about who’s supporting folks who want to get involved in the region. So I think our home institutions can really just start to think about how do they support it, in the way of, what does that support look like? Is it someone wanting to serve on a committee? Someone wanting to take on a role as part of the regional leadership? And just really have the conversation, the professional development conversation with that individual of, what are they trying to get out of it? One thing that I think is really important, also as whoever’s making the decision, whether it’s a supervisor, senior housing officer on the campus about the individual’s involvement, is being really willing to take the step back of understanding that me getting involved within the region might mean more for Brian than it means for that institution.
And so I think that that is crucial to understand that your home institution is not always everything for everyone. And sometimes going to, and being involved within the association is what feeds specific areas of my development and my career advancement, which thus allows me to show up how I need to show up when I’m at work. Greg mentioned earlier about getting involved regionally, and then going nationally. It was the exact opposite for me, in terms of identity, being black in this field of, it was the national involvement, and then being willing to venture in to the regional involvement. Because nationally, I saw people that looked like me. And so much like the conversations that I had to have with supervisors at institutions when I was involved nationally is the same conversation I would have now in terms of, I need to be in places where I see people that look like me in this field.
And so I would challenge our departments to think about that. How are you feeding that development, and that opportunity? Oftentimes, I think the conversation comes down to finances. And there are ways to get involved within our regions that don’t require a lot of finances, especially now that we have discovered Zoom, Teams, et cetera, there are so many different ways to still get involved. And so I also think that, as I mentioned early, Crystal, the piece about the shows and our senior housing officers, we need to see more involvement throughout the year from folks at those levels, because mentorship is so real in this profession. And folks need that mentorship, especially our entry and mid-level professionals as we continue to navigate. How do we provide and do that reach back? And so that’s what I would encourage in terms of our home institutions, in terms of their involvement.

Gregory Thompson:
When you first asked that question, Crystal, the phrase that popped into my head was, “Show me the money.” Because I think that oftentimes has been one of the bigger stumbling blocks for folks to get involved. Now in UMR, if you want to join a committee, it means coming to the annual conference, but it also means coming to summer meetings and winter meetings as well too. And right now, those all exist as in-person meetings for us. Now, those are opportunities for us to negotiate that, but it does take some resource support for folks to do that. And I think it’s just critical for department, and I understand departments are in a lot of different spaces around professional development. We’ve got a state in our region, where basically the state has told professionals that they can’t have any professional development. And so there are obstacles that we have to navigate around that, but it’s still the biggest support, I think, that institutions can give.
And I think it’s super important for two reasons. One, as Brian said, for people that are going to find other folks that look like them, that have had similar experiences that they need to connect with, that they’re not able to on their home campuses, our regional associations, other professional development opportunities are part of their wellness. It’s part of their wellbeing. It’s a chance for not only their professional development, but for their personal wellbeing as well too. And so I think it’s important that we try to find that. Secondly, from my perspective as an employer, and as someone in a department, it’s one of my best recruiting opportunities to get out there to those regional associations. It is a hard sell to commence people from California or the south, to want to come to the University of Iowa to work.
And so right away, if I can get to UMR-ACUHO, I know there’s some folks that are at least amenable to working in the Midwest, but still, they may not know about Iowa. And there’s a lot of stuff out there about Iowa. It’s a chance for me to put staff in those committees, at the conferences, presenting, to talk about what we believe, what our values are, how we show up to make those connections as well too. And so when I hear institutions that say, “Well, it’s not a good monetary investment.” How can it not be, if you have a chance to send your good staff out to talk about the good things that you’re doing, to make those connections, to network, which we know is still just one of the key ways that we bring folks into our institutions, into our work, into the field, to convince folks to do this.
You can’t not invest in some of these opportunities to get out there, and especially in regions where it may be tricky to convince people to want to uproot and move. If there’s people that are already living in the region, when they’re looking for that next opportunity, you want to be there, and you want to have folks that are able to say, “Oh, yeah. I met the folks from this institution at my regional conference. And I heard about this cool program that they’re doing. I spent time talking with them over a meal at the banquet. And so I could see myself being part of that team, or being part of that,” or even just saying, “I was thinking about leaving the field, but I’ve met these professionals that helped me understand that there’s more to it than just the experience I’m having, or seen. Or there’s opportunities that I didn’t even know about as well too.” It’s the way we invest in each other and our field to continue to grow and to be strong. And that’s even more important, I think post pandemic.

Brian Moffitt:
I love that, Greg. Simply put, just talk about your experience. Just tell us. I think about my time of Illinois was able to recruit this Southern California boy to the middle of the cornfields, because Dr. Jack Collins was able to tell me about his experience within this field. We were lucky that we got also a past ACUHO-I president when Alma Sealine came in, and they continuously talk about what ACUHO-I has done for them.

Gregory Thompson:
Yeah. And I think there’s so many institutions where you find folks like Jack and Alma, that have a history of involvement. And for some of them, that started all the way back with [inaudible 00:35:03], and [inaudible 00:35:05] type pieces that roll into as well too. And so you know when you’re in an institution where that is valued. And I think the best thing that we can do, hopefully what Brian and I, and Crystal as well are doing, is perpetuating those doorways that they’ve opened for all of us. So I think that’s part of how I view regional association markets. They’re the opportunities to open doors for other folks to get these experiences, because it’s nurtured a lot of different professionals.

Brian Moffitt:
Yeah. And I think it also starts to eliminate this conversation that we often have in our field about the “Good old boys club.” I’ll never forget that I never went to really the vendor fairs when I was going to conferences. I was like, I don’t have the power to make these decisions. But I’ll never forget when Alma Sealine took me into a vendors fair, and taught me how to engage with our corporate sponsors. Now I love going into those spaces. And so that’s the piece with how folks are socialized in our field, and how we engage them within their region. And so yes, I could go on for days of just how we invest in folks, as they get involved within the association.

Crystal Lay:
I will share. Before I hopped on, I did move one of my vendor bags out of the view of the camera. I love our vendors. And they’re so good to us, and always willing to teach us, and learn, and help us learn, and really engage with what they can offer our students and our campus. And so thanks for sharing that. And then it sounds like I owe Brian a phone call to get more involved in AIMHO. And then Greg, I will happily recruit for your campus, because I’ve been there. Beautiful facilities, and some of the best waffles in a dining hall I’ve ever had. I’m just saying. All right, you all. So the last question I have for you all, or my second to last question, what advice do you have for folks who want to learn more about regional involvement, or how leadership works? Where can they learn more about how to get involved?

Gregory Thompson:
Well, I think from our position, I’m sure Brian would agree is, executives on these regional associations are anxiously awaiting a chance to talk with folks about getting involved. So I’m not sure if it’s been the same for AIMHO, but folks that want to get involved, those numbers have gone down since the pandemic, and for a variety of reasons. And again, I think if you’re interested, or you’re curious, or even if you say, “Well, I went to a conference,” Or, “I see what’s happening. And I just don’t know that there’s something in there for me,” ask the question, because there’s opportunity.
These are volunteer led organizations. There’s not a lot of ideas that we’re going to say, “No, we would hate to pursue that,” or “Hey, there’s no way for you to get involved.” Join a committee is always the easy way, but if that’s not your thing or you don’t have the resources, let’s talk about how you can get engaged and involved. There are infinite ways that we can contribute to the professional development. And there’s a lot of folks that are just anxiously waiting for folks to ask the question, or get the shoulder tap that they need to point them in the right direction.

Brian Moffitt:
Yeah, I would definitely agree with that. You can email me at president@aimho.org, and I will gladly set up a coffee chat virtually, and talk with folks about how to get engaged. I like this question, Crystal, because one of the things that I often talk about with folks who want to get involved with the association is, I’m not just here for folks in AIMHO, right? This is our profession. And so if someone wants to chat about how they get involved generally, across a different region, I’m willing to engage in that way. I also have the conversation, and continue to challenge our board to think about, what if there’s someone within the field that is on the East Coast, but knows that they want to move eventually back to the AIMHO region? Can they get involved with AIMHO? My answer solidly as president is, yes, we have a place for you, right?
I’ll also encourage you to figure out, are there ways also to get involved within your host region, but we can find a place for you in AIMHO, because I think that that’s where we start to make our profession even smaller and closer in terms of proximity. And I think that there’s so much opportunity to get involved. And it’s not this square box, in terms of you can do X, Y, or Z committee. No, if you want to do one, two, or three, and you want to come up with it, let’s chat, because we can create something. And then the other part that I’ll add is, I think that there is definitely a challenge when folks move from one region to another of that just maybe the slump of, how do I now get reconnected or involved in this new region? I’ve got a new job, maybe new house, new school district for my family, et cetera. I don’t have time for the region. And that’s okay. We’ll wait for you. We’re waiting for Dr. Crystal, right?
We will wait, but I think it’s the opportunity to just engage and say, “Hey, not yet, but eventually.” But one thing I’ve loved about some of our shows in our region is, they’ve said, “I can’t do X, but let me know if you need Z, I’m there.” And so I think that even just the outreach of letting folks know, “Hey, I’m here in the region. I’m not going to formally get involved, but you have my involvement if you need me, whether that’s for advice, whether that’s to connect in terms of financially for some things.” I think that there’s just a multitude of ways of getting involved. And so my advice would be, just do it. Reach out to someone within the profession, whether it’s current sitting folks, or folks that have served previously, and figure out ways that you can enter in.

Crystal Lay:
Okay. I just got called out. I’m going to be there. I’m going to be there, Dr. B. I’m going to be there. So we are coming to the end of our time. If folks wanted to learn more about this topic or even your website, where should they start? And are there resources you would recommend? I know Dr. B, you said a name of a book earlier, but are there some other things that we can add to our show notes, where people can learn more about being involved? Or again, becoming a regional president?

Gregory Thompson:
I think, again, asking around the folks that you know in a professional sense, and what their awareness is, or how they have been involved, or what their experiences have been. Our associations have websites, UMR-ACUHO has a website. If you decide to join as a member, it can be a low cost just to do it individually. A lot of our institutions in the region are already members, and so you may just need to get your name added. And then you get resources to our articles, to online training opportunities. You get the chance to come to the conference at a discounted rate. There’s a lot of those benefit pieces as well too, but I think the biggest advice I always have is, ask around and get that piece.
If your institution is not someplace that’s done regional involvement, be a ground breaker. Be the one that takes the step to make the connections, or attend that annual conference. I think you’ll find very easily that it’s a community, like Brian said, that welcomes you in, makes you feel like a member of the family, and will help you get to those next steps and experiences you want to have.

Brian Moffitt:
Yeah. I can share a list. Obviously our AIMHO website is a place where folks can start if you want to get involved with AIMHO. But the other thing that I would share is just, don’t wait to have to do a gap analysis on yourself of understanding what are you looking for, for the next step. That can take years. We all know, we get behind on doing those. I say, just start. And let’s see what happens from you just getting involved. And maybe it will feed you in ways that you probably would’ve never have included in that gap analysis. And so for me, I think it’s making that first move in terms of trying to seek out involvement within the association. And it’s wild to think how many of us within even our regional associations are heavily connected to other associations, even outside of the housing world.
And so I think that there’s just so much opportunity for folks to think about it, especially in a time where I think a lot of folks in our field are questioning “What’s next for me? Is student affairs it? Is the profession of housing the area that I want to be in.” Yes, I think that there’s opportunity for us to interrogate and think about that differently. One of the things that I will say is, as folks think about getting, or having interest in getting involved with our region, oftentimes we see a lot of the traditional Res Life folks at our conferences, and getting involved.
One of the things that we are striving for within our region, is getting folks to understand that we are here to serve full housing and dining departments, and that includes our facilities and operations. That includes our BizOps people. And so those folks are welcome within our association as well. And we have an obligation to serve those individuals. And so we’ll be offering things that serve folks in those different areas. And so for me, we have so many opportunities for folks to get involved. It’s almost like the, “what are you waiting for?” piece.

Crystal Lay:
Thank you both so much. This was a lovely conversation, full of great information. Thank you Brian and Greg for joining me today. And thanks to all of you for joining us on this episode of Res Ed Chat. If you have an idea of a topic or a person you’ll like us to have on the show, please let us know by reaching out to Roompact. Take care.