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https://www.ucda.com/2022-ucda-board-candidates/

2022 UCDA Board Candidates

The following candidates are running for the UCDA Board of Directors for a four-year term, starting January 1, 2023:

Allison Baumbusch
Shook Chung
Leslie Ehler
Nikhil Ghodke
Katharine McCann

Members may vote for UP TO TWO of the candidates. Voting open through November 15.

Voting may be done using the online ballot.

 
Allison Baumbusch

Creative Director
Strategic Communications
Anne Arundel Community College

Years as a UCDA member: 11

UCDA experience:

  • Attendance at UCDA conferences, local events, online events and summits since 2007
  • Creative Conversations co-host, January 2022
  • Designer Magazine Advisory Board member through December 2022
  • UCDA conference volunteer

Describe Briefly Why You Would Like to Serve on the UCDA Board of Directors
Out of all of the organizations and professional events I have attended over my career, I can say with confidence that UCDA brings me the most inspiration, creativity and value for my time. Every UCDA event, online or in person, leaves me charged and ready to bring new ideas to my college and team. UCDA has given me the motivation and gifts to achieve and move my own career along as well.

Just this past year, the "Design is Storytelling" book club inspired me to share my vision for "frictionless" services to our students. I went on to lead a college-wide team examining services, I'm collaborating with our Facilities team on a new designed experience space on campus and even our college President is lecturing on the value of a designed experience for our students. This one book club lead to valuable and impactful change within our college, and THAT'S the power of UCDA!

What Skills or Personal Qualities Will You Bring to This Role?
On my team, I'm know as the planner/organizer. Taking a vision and creating a plan on how it will be executed is my super power. I'm also known as dependable, responsive and authentic. I love a new creative challenge and I find inspiration pretty much everywhere! I'm always working, always looking for design solutions and always thinking of how design solutions can impact our students.

How Can UCDA Enhance the Professional Lives of its Members or Their Institutions?
How CAN'T UCDA enhance its members lives?! If you have a passion for higher education and design, you will find something you need here. The solo designer finds therapy, the designer among many finds inspiration, and even those on other non-designer teams can find value in UCDA. This organization truly understands how we want to connect as well. As a large group of introverts, there's never any pressure to move into uncomfortable territory, which I also love. UCDA continues to reinvent new ways to engage and connect through online programming, which was incredible through the pandemic. The increased focus on diversity is also important to members and their institutional goals.

 

Shook Chung

Senior Creative Designer/Lead Web Designer
College Services
College of Marin

Years as a UCDA member: 7

UCDA experience:

  • Attended multiple conferences.
  • My photo was selected as the Designer Spring 2022 cover image
  • Contributed a journal blog entry for UCDA.

Describe Briefly Why You Would Like to Serve on the UCDA Board of Directors
I hope to develop skills beyond my job and expand my professional network.

What Skills or Personal Qualities Will You Bring to This Role?

• A diverse array of graphic design skills
• Strategic planning and collaboration
• Organization and project management skills
• Provide creative solutions

How Can UCDA Enhance the Professional Lives of its Members or Their Institutions?
UCDA provides opportunities and programs where designers can develop professional growth, find affirmations, and continue to strive to be better.

 

Leslie Ehler

Director of Creative Services
College of ACES
Univrsity of Illinois

Years as a UCDA member: 15

UCDA experience:

  • Volunteer at every conference since first attending in 2008.
  • Speaker for a Pecha Kucha session with then co-worker, Justin Parker, at the Montreal conference in 2012.
  • Rotated responsibilities of Volunteer Coordinator and Co-coordinator with Elissa Chudzicki every year since 2014, growing the volunteer coordinator's role to more than just placing people during the conference to now soliciting for larger volunteer positions on committees, chairing and co-chairing events, and having a booth at the annual conference.
  • Participated in UCDA webinars and Creative Conversations
  • Serve the Workshops and Webinars committee
  • Part of the inaugural mentor program that started in 2021 as a peer-to-peer role
  • Currently a mentor in the mentor program.

Describe Briefly Why You Would Like to Serve on the UCDA Board of Directors
I would love to give back to an organization that has truly been a lifeline for me. When work gets to be too much, or struggles seem to be never-ending, there is an entire group of peers for me to reach out to that can understand the same struggles I face in my daily work. I could never say “thank you” enough because the friends I have made now extend beyond work and have more of a personal connection. They know me, they know my story, they know my family.

What Skills or Personal Qualities Will You Bring to This Role?
I think the skills I would bring to this role extend beyond things like leadership, being organized, etc. I think I bring familiarity to members that might trust me enough to share thoughts and ideas. I love to brainstorm and collaborate with people. I think energy feeds off of energy. I have a willingness to roll up my sleeves and pitch in! I will put time and effort into things that have the potential to succeed. And I want to be a part of something that I believe in. You can’t sell it if you don’t drink the kool-aid!

How Can UCDA Enhance the Professional Lives of its Members or Their Institutions?
UCDA is doing all the right things to help its members be successful in their careers. By helping people be better at what they do, our professional lives and our institutions reap the benefits. It’s a great way to network and meet new people. It’s a great way to see all the possibilities of where your career can take you and help you figure out how to get to the next level (if that’s something you want). It’s not always a clear path, but maybe it can open doors to possibilities. And the resources can be invaluable to your professional development, as well as the institutions that we work for, as it offers its members the opportunity to network, receive feedback, get recommendations, and hear from experts in the field.

 

Nikhil Ghodke

Associate Professor of Graphic Design
Department of Fine Art
Auburn University at Montgomery

Years as a UCDA member: 2

UCDA experience:

  • Co-Chair of Design Awards 2020
  • Chair of Design Awards 2021
  • Panel presentation at Design Education Summit in Johnson City, TN 2022

Describe why you would like to serve on the UCDA Board of Directors
I enjoyed my experience with UCDA, whether it has been attending a conference, both the design educational summit and design conference has been informative plus inspiring. I had the opportunity to serve as design awards chair and that was a valuable experience that allowed me to see how UCDA functions as a family.

What skills or personal qualities will you bring to this role?

Time and project management, problem-solving. design, animation and web development, plus photography and videography.

How can UCDA enhance the professional lives of its members or their institutions?
The programming is appropriate in how UCDA is able to cater to both the design professional and educators working in educational institutions. Maybe there could be chapter/regional mixer events for the two groups (professionals and educators) to interact and share ideas.

 

Katharine McCann

Art Director
University Communications and Marketing
University of Lynchburg

Years as a UCDA member: 21

UCDA experience:

  • UCDA Design Conference Attendee, 2011-2013, 2015-2016, 2019-2021
  • UCDA Design/Creative Summit Attendee, 2001-2006, 2008, 2021-2022
  • UCDA Design Conference volunteer, 2012-2013, 2015-2016, 2019-2021 (speaker introductions, comment card collections, publications swap setup)
  • Creative Conversations panel member, 2020
  • Webinars/Workshops committee member, 2015-present
  • Mentorship program (mentor), 2021

Describe Briefly Why You Would Like to Serve on the UCDA Board of Directors

UCDA has given me so much inspiration as both a designer and a leader. I’ve seen some truly amazing and inspiring work from within our organization. I’ve met people who’ve helped me realize that leadership comes in many different forms, and have given me the confidence to stretch myself and my career goals. I believe so much in UCDA’s mission of educating, inspiring, and giving designers in higher ed a voice. I want to help other designers and creatives know they can find their place and their voice here, too.

On a more personal note, I've built relationships and made solid friends in the UCDA community, and UCDA's importance in my life became even greater during the pandemic.

What Skills or Personal Qualities Will You Bring to This Role?

I believe one of the greatest skills I bring to anything I do is being a good listener and a thoughtful person. Like a lot of introverts, I observe and listen before I make a judgement or decision, and I try to weigh my words carefully. I like to be helpful and supportive.

I'm also good at seeing and making connections between things. A quote from Steve Jobs explains it nicely: "Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That’s because they were able to connect experiences they’ve had and synthesize new things." Listening and observing play a big role in that, but I also give credit to people who've given me such a broad range of experiences (some good, some bad) to pull from. You can find inspiration anywhere.

Most of all, I’m passionate about helping UCDA thrive because they've helped ME thrive. My UCDA membership is one of the longest adult relationships I’ve had, and I'm ride or die.

How Can UCDA Enhance the Professional Lives of its Members or Their Institutions?

I love how UCDA reaches out to all corners in the US and Canada (maybe one day we'll reach even farther?) to provide meaningful experiences, education, and interactions to designers. We're often in our own little bubble, sometimes due to staffing and budgets, sometimes due to geography.

Conferences and summits gave me the chance to travel and meet new people (Fun fact: I took my first flight at age 23 for a UCDA Summit!). Webinars and online workshops have changed the way we're able to connect with one another, and UCDA has done a great job of embracing that, mixing professional development sessions with sessions that are purely for fun (and a little commiserating). In-person workshops across the country provide creative experiences like glassblowing or printmaking — stuff that gets you away from the computer and gets your hands dirty.

The UCDA Slack chat has been a wonderful addition for bringing members together more spontaneously to share thoughts, share work, ask questions, and blow off steam through a healthy stream of memes. It's the "party in the back" to the "business up front" of conferences, summits, and webinars. (I love that we have a great sense of humor.)

My personal favorite mini-event? The feeding frenzy that is the Publications Swap Shop. I love snatching up beautiful pieces from other schools and using them as inspiration. We're collectively doing a lot of cool stuff, y'all.

Ideas that are born out of these experiences don't just stay in our brains — we take them back to our schools and creative teams, where they hopefully grow and take on new life.