Hey Wildcats,
Welcome to the start of another dead week at K-State! It’s safe to say this semester has flown by. It seems like just the other day we were starting our spring classes, and just like that, we’re a few exams from summer.
In this week’s column, I want to take the opportunity to introduce my cabinet. These are the people Vice President Cody Kennedy and I hand–selected to help effectively lead and represent the student body. They have different experiences and come from a wide variety of backgrounds, but they all have something in common: a passion for K-State and a relentless desire to make our university the best it can be.
First up is our chief of staff, Andy Hurtig. Andy is a sophomore from Wichita studying regional and community planning with minors in leadership studies and economics. He’ll oversee and advise cabinet members and chair cabinet meetings.
One of the most important positions is executive initiatives director. Joseph Wenberg, junior in journalism and political science from Wichita, will work closely with Cody, Andy and I as executive initiatives director to realize our major platform goals. He’ll establish committees, write legislation and conduct a vast amount of research.
When we have any financial questions, we’ll turn to our chief economist Brodie Herrman, junior in political science from Manhattan. He’ll be researching proposals for tuition and credit-hour fee increases, as well as analyzing the monetary side of our platform initiatives.
It’s crucial for K-State to maintain positive working relationships with our local and state governments. That’s where state relations director Asher Gilliland, sophomore in finance from Topeka, and local relations director Christa McKittrick, sophomore in accounting and finance from Prairie Village, Kansas, come in. They’ll be our links to elected officials in Manhattan and Topeka.
Our student organization outreach directors Lizzi Petite, junior in human resource management from Junction City, and Sarah Truman, junior in life sciences and gerontology from Hutchinson, Kansas, will be key players in the rollout of OrgSync. They’ll also work with the Office of Student Activities and Services to develop and facilitate leadership workshops.
As the world becomes increasingly digital and mobile, it’s important for K-State to keep up. Technology director Tucker Styrkowicz, sophomore in industrial engineering from Leawood, Kansas, will represent students in discussions about iSIS, Canvas, Outlook and more.
Cody and I care deeply about the well-being of students at K-State. Katie Gehrt, sophomore in political science from De Soto, Kansas, will work to increase safety for students on and off campus as health and safety director. She’ll work with campus officials, local businesses and community partners on programming aimed at a safer, healthier campus environment.
We strive to represent students from all walks of life. Multicultural affairs director Christine Caban, sophomore in marketing from Junction City, and Youwei Yang, sophomore in agricultural economics from Jingtai, Gansu, China, will be our liaisons to the multicultural and international communities at K-State. Residence hall liaison Lindy Billberry, freshman in agribusiness, will represent the concerns and interests of students living in campus housing.
As K-State continues to grow and serve a larger student body, we need to ensure a sustainable future. Sustainability director Caitlyn Webb, sophomore in international business and economics from Colorado Springs, Colorado, will work with campus organizations and university administration to study development opportunities and recommend utilization of resources with this goal in mind.
One of the broadest positions on the cabinet is student affairs director. Becky Brady, sophomore in elementary education from Wichita, will be our liaison to student organizations around campus. She will also review impending policy changes and campus decisions and bring us up to speed on how they could affect different groups.
Last but not least, we have our public relations director. Mike Stanton, sophomore in journalism from Olathe, Kansas, will be in charge of communicating what we do in office to the student body. He helps organize these columns in The Collegian, runs social media campaigns and publishes posts to the SGA blog.
We have quite a group working for us, and we’re excited for the year ahead. All of us are focused on representing students and ensuring that your K-State experience is the best it can be.
That’s all for this week. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @KStateSBP_SBVP to keep tabs on what we’re doing throughout the summer. Good luck with finals, and have a fantastic break!
Go Cats,
Reagan Kays
Student Body President
Your Education·Your Passion·Your Life
