Sean Bridgen, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA

Past Involvement in NACADA:

Years in NACADA: 4 years

National Offices Held and Accomplishments Achieved While in Office:

Regional Activities/Offices Held, including accomplishments achieved while in office:

• Co-Chair, 2008 Region 2 Conference 
• Presenter at 2003 Region 2 Conference
• Attended Region 2 conferences, 2002, 2003

Committee/Task Force/Advisory Board Activities and Accomplishments:

Commission/Interest Group Activities and Accomplishments:

• Steering Committee Member, Theory and Philosophy of Advising Commission (formerly Interest Group)
• Current Member — Theory and Philosophy of Advising Commission, Undecided and Exploratory Students Commission, Liberal Arts Advisors Commission, High School to College Advising Interest Group

Other:

• Presenter, 2006 National Conference, Indianapolis, IN

Platform Statement:

• Highlight your previous involvement within this unit that will help you in leading this unit. What roles have you played within this particular unit as a member thus far?  

I only recently became involved with the Theory and Philosophy of Advising Interest Group/Commission. I was appointed to the Steering Committee and have been working on developing ideas with the current chair. I have also begun to collaborate with another commission to work on a joint project.

• What do you believe are the most important goals and initiatives for this unit in meeting the strategic plan for both the unit and the Association?

It is important for NACADA to further the scholarship of our profession. Now that we are a commission, I would like to see us sponsoring presentations at the national and regional levels and writing for our various publications. I am also interested in using technology to cultivate knowledge though online forums such as discussion groups and Wiki.

• Why are you interested in serving in this leadership position or what influenced you to run for this leadership position? 

We have a tremendous amount of academic talent in our profession which has only begun to be brought to light. I am excited about the opportunity to work with interested, creative people toward the goal of deepening our understanding of our profession.

• Provide any additional comments or information (either personal or leadership-related) that you want potential voters to know about you that is not covered elsewhere in your platform information. 

I strongly believe in teamwork. It is very important for everyone involved to use their unique gifts and talents to benefit the whole. For example, some people are very good with details, facts, and figures. Others are good with the 'big picture', concepts, and ideas. It is crucial to recognize and capitalize on these differences in order to maximize the effectiveness of the team and the satisfaction of the team members.

I thoroughly enjoy working with ideas. I am a 'big picture' person, and I am looking forward to collaborating with other professionals to refine and realize our vision and direction for this new commission.