Full Transcript for Checking In with a State and Regional: NJ NY ACRAO’s Fall Conference

goes by that I don't find some little tidbit, some little fact. 00:02:34.558 --> 00:02:37.258 I'm like, oh, that helps round out the story more. 00:02:37.939 --> 00:02:39.469 Um, so I love what I do. 00:02:39.879 --> 00:02:46.699 So Reed Castle was initially built as a weekend home for a family, the Reed family, hence the name. 00:02:47.080 --> 00:02:52.750 And the family was Whitelaw Reed, who was an ambassador to England and to France. 00:02:53.038 --> 00:02:55.189 He was an early Republican. 00:02:55.399 --> 00:03:05.758 He was a protege of Horace Greeley, but the castle is actually named for his wife, Elizabeth Mills Reed, and she was the daughter of the richest man in California. 00:03:05.879 --> 00:03:07.379 She grew up in California. 00:03:07.868 --> 00:03:14.139 And even though she was 21 years younger than Whitelaw Reed, they really had a very egalitarian marriage. 00:03:14.629 --> 00:03:17.788 And she's the one who brought the resources into the marriage. 00:03:18.110 --> 00:03:28.189 And so it was her name that was on the family properties in the family archives or at the Library of Congress, and you see that she's really making a lot of the decisions on design and things like that. 00:03:28.550 --> 00:03:38.235 So when the family in the 1960s decided that Manhattan wanted to name it for the family, they were Very clear to say, oh, we're naming it for Elizabeth Mills Reed, not Whitelaw Reed. 00:03:38.433 --> 00:03:39.944 And I just think that's important to note. 00:03:40.194 --> 00:03:40.835 I love that. 00:03:41.194 --> 00:03:42.985 When, when was it built? 00:03:43.153 --> 00:03:44.054 What, what year? 00:03:44.675 --> 00:03:49.054 -- So the-- castle series of years, I guess castles don't just like go up overnight. 00:03:49.235 --> 00:03:56.875 Yeah, so there was a property on the, there was a building on the property before in 1889, the Reed family bought this property. 00:03:56.955 --> 00:04:00.115 Their main home was on Madison Avenue in Manhattan. 00:04:00.758 --> 00:04:04.300 And they wanted a weekend home. 00:04:04.719 --> 00:04:08.699 And White actually wrote to his friend John Hay that Madame wants a weekend home. 00:04:09.080 --> 00:04:21.379 Um, and so they buy this mansion in Westchester, which had been built by the Holiday family, and they undertake redoing it from the inside out, and they decide that they're going to be the first house in Westchester with electricity. 00:04:21.877 --> 00:04:27.038 And while they're undergoing the wiring, the, the house lights up and actually burns to the ground. 00:04:27.127 --> 00:04:30.358 Nobody was injured, but they have to completely restart. 00:04:30.677 --> 00:04:32.298 Fresh start, fresh start. 00:04:32.648 --> 00:04:41.117 And so Elizabeth's father, Ogden Mills, he, you know, contacted and he said, you know, we'll cover it, we, you know, build the, the dream home that you want. 00:04:41.548 --> 00:04:48.528 And at the time, particularly in the Hudson River area, castles were kind of all the rage for a certain sector of society. 00:04:48.709 --> 00:04:53.910 And so this was the design that they went with, was this Norman Gothic castle design rather. 00:04:54.278 --> 00:04:55.920 And initially it looked slightly different. 00:04:56.040 --> 00:04:59.420 They eventually built it out in 1911, even more. 00:04:59.639 --> 00:05:02.178 And it was their, it was one of their many homes. 00:05:02.689 --> 00:05:06.838 They would entertain on the property, and it was also a working farm. 00:05:07.160 --> 00:05:12.160 So, Whitelaw was a gentleman farmer, which means he paid other people to do the farming. 00:05:12.488 --> 00:05:15.778 But he believed deeply in this idea of this working farm. 00:05:15.819 --> 00:05:16.980 He was from Ohio. 00:05:17.178 --> 00:05:25.079 -- And-- so I guess that makes me too a gentleman farmer because I pay other people to do the farming for me. 00:05:25.259 --> 00:05:26.358 Yeah, right, exactly. 00:05:26.759 --> 00:05:32.738 And so he, uh, so they had hundreds of head of cattle and acres of, of crops and all. 00:05:32.829 --> 00:05:36.250 All sorts of award-winning sheep, um, he was really into. 00:05:36.548 --> 00:05:43.970 And they would grow their food on this property and then kind of dispense it to their home in Manhattan or their home in the Adirondacks or their home in California. 00:05:44.588 --> 00:05:47.889 And so this was really kind of a farm to table location for them. 00:05:48.069 --> 00:05:53.170 So it was both a farm and a castle, which is an interesting combination of two spaces. 00:05:54.399 --> 00:06:11.230 Elizabeth in 1931, her husband Whitelaw had passed away, uh, 20 years before, and the State Department contacted her and said the King of Siam needs to get eye surgery, and we need someplace for the surgery to take place and to house his entourage. 00:06:11.350 --> 00:06:14.750 Would we be able to use the Reed property for that? 00:06:15.160 --> 00:06:19.298 And so Elizabeth actually left and went to live with her daughter in Europe at the time. 00:06:19.399 --> 00:06:24.720 And so the king of Siam and his entourage came to the Reed property. 00:06:24.988 --> 00:06:30.298 He had surgery somewhere in the castle, and I don't know the room yet, and I'm going to figure it out one of these days. 00:06:30.959 --> 00:06:34.720 Um, and he recovered from his surgery there and spent 5 months there. 00:06:34.959 --> 00:06:43.959 So it was a really interesting kind of random, random chapter to that as well, a little, a little claim to fame we have, but I'm still trying to figure out what room that, that the surgery took place in. 00:06:44.459 --> 00:06:45.470 Yeah, that's amazing. 00:06:45.709 --> 00:06:53.230 Tell me a little bit about Manhattanville itself and how the university was the castle there and then the university came in around it. 00:06:53.319 --> 00:06:58.500 Was the castle built next to the, how does this all unfold? 00:06:58.548 --> 00:07:00.170 It's, it's an interesting

tale. 00:07:00.389 --> 00:07:03.209 Um, so Manhattanville was actually founded in Manhattan. 00:07:03.389 --> 00:07:05.069 An interesting thing is neither Manhattan College. 00:07:05.173 --> 00:07:07.514 Nor Manhattanville College or in Manhattan anymore. 00:07:08.095 --> 00:07:09.514 But we both started there. 00:07:10.004 --> 00:07:22.754 And so Manhattanville was first founded on the Lower East Side, and then it moved to this little farming town called Manhattanville, which is today their property was at 135th Street and Convent Avenue. 00:07:22.923 --> 00:07:25.894 And so it was the Upper, Upper West Side of Manhattan. 00:07:26.329 --> 00:07:27.850 And they loved that spot. 00:07:27.920 --> 00:07:29.410 That was a great place for them. 00:07:29.569 --> 00:07:33.850 Over the course of 100 years, they were on this property from 1847. 00:07:34.009 --> 00:07:36.119 In 1947, they celebrated their centenary. 00:07:36.488 --> 00:07:43.879 However, in after World War II, the college student population in Manhattan was really growing very rapidly thanks to the GI Bill. 00:07:44.369 --> 00:07:47.509 And City College was our neighbor right across the street. 00:07:47.730 --> 00:07:58.024 And so they launched a campaign at the At the time, they had about 13 acres, City College did, and we're greeting about 6000 students to campus on a daily basis. 00:07:58.345 --> 00:08:00.134 Manhattanville had 18 acres. 00:08:00.264 --> 00:08:05.524 They were the largest private landowners on Manhattan, and only had about 450 students. 00:08:05.704 --> 00:08:14.483 And so there was a commission put together on higher education, looking at all the boroughs and all of the spaces and kind of really trying to figure out how to grow out the CUNY system and how to do all that. 00:08:14.899 --> 00:08:20.410 And it was decided that through eminent domain, the Manhattanville campus would be actually given to City College. 00:08:21.178 --> 00:08:25.920 And so Manhattanville was kind of, you know, told, find, find a better location. 00:08:26.019 --> 00:08:30.639 They were initially offered just $2 million from the city for their troubles. 00:08:31.019 --> 00:08:41.455 And at the time, Manhattanlle was an all women's Catholic school run by And they fought back and they took it to court and eventually were given 8.8 million for their for their property. 00:08:41.534 --> 00:08:43.296 Now today, the way to go, sisters. 00:08:43.416 --> 00:08:44.245 I know, right? 00:08:44.565 --> 00:08:47.125 Today, the value of that property would be unimaginable. 00:08:47.455 --> 00:08:47.466 Yeah. 00:08:48.166 --> 00:08:50.275 And so they were looking for a location. 00:08:50.416 --> 00:08:54.815 They knew that Westchester and interestingly, the Reed family, the property had laid. 00:08:55.121 --> 00:08:57.552 Pretty much vacant since the 1930s. 00:08:57.921 --> 00:09:02.991 Uh, and Whitelaw and Elizabeth's children were waiting for the right buyer. 00:09:03.131 --> 00:09:14.892 They had been approached by various companies and various other, and it wasn't until Manhattanville contacted them that they agreed that that would be the right buyer for, for their property and that their mother would be happy with that decision. 00:09:15.379 --> 00:09:22.399 And so in 1949, they purchased the property for $500,000 and then started to build up the, the property. 00:09:22.700 --> 00:09:30.019 And so we were able to expand because of that, you know, by staying at our original campus, the school had to stay small, just given the facilities. 00:09:30.580 --> 00:09:37.519 Within 10 years of moving to Westchester, the school was able to triple their student body and greet the baby boom as they were entering college. 00:09:37.940 --> 00:09:42.019 Um, so ultimately, it was a positive story, but that's how we, how we ended up with on. 00:09:42.229 --> 00:09:43.690 Castle on the grounds with castle. 00:09:44.119 --> 00:09:44.840 That's incredible. 00:09:44.960 --> 00:09:45.320 I love it. 00:09:45.389 --> 00:09:48.149 And what is the castle used for today? 00:09:48.519 --> 00:09:49.700 We were at an event there. 00:09:49.759 --> 00:09:52.418 And so is that its primary purpose? 00:09:52.719 --> 00:09:54.558 Are there other things that happen at the castle? 00:09:54.719 --> 00:09:58.418 Yes, so the castle is our main administrative building on campus. 00:09:58.639 --> 00:10:02.779 It is often the very first building that prospective students and their families walk through. 00:10:02.840 --> 00:10:04.469 That's where admissions is located. 00:10:04.719 --> 00:10:06.609 It's where students have various traditions. 00:10:06.719 --> 00:10:08.619 They'll have, um, student events there. 00:10:09.099 --> 00:10:11.019 It is where many alums have gotten married. 00:10:11.090 --> 00:10:12.619 You can come back and get married. 00:10:12.759 --> 00:10:20.139 I know of many alums who've gotten married there, and it is also, um, a location of a lot of, um, filming of, of late. 00:10:20.259 --> 00:10:23.418 So Hollywood filming actually, we greet them to campus. 00:10:23.538 --> 00:10:24.969 There's actually one going on right now. 00:10:25.219 --> 00:10:35.899 And so productions such as The Time Traveler's Wife on HBO, The Gilded Age shoots here, uh, pretty frequently, the Thomas Crown Affair, so all sorts of different, um, because it's a. 00:10:36.000 --> 00:10:37.000 Beautiful place. 00:10:37.119 --> 00:10:39.798 Like it's amazing, you walk in and you're like, I'm in a castle. 00:10:40.038 --> 00:10:46.820 It is, and it is, there's so much like structural integrity, like it's really original to the original building. 00:10:46.960 --> 00:10:51.379 And a lot of that is due to because there wasn't a lot of finances to spend in the castle. 00:10:51.399 --> 00:10:54.960 It almost was a benefit that the castle then kept those original bones. 00:10:55.000 --> 00:11:02.759 I mean, you look at these, there's various rooms, the French parlor, the Ophira Room that if you

compare the images from the Reid era to now, they're exactly the same. 00:11:03.219 --> 00:11:06.500 So I think that's really great that the building kept that integrity. 00:11:07.250 --> 00:11:08.109 That's fantastic. 00:11:08.330 --> 00:11:10.719 And it is an event venue. 00:11:11.129 --> 00:11:18.788 How do people in the Westchester area, how would someone go about being like, I'd like to have an event at Reed Castle? 00:11:19.048 --> 00:11:22.320 Yeah, so we, that's actually they have a site called Reed Castle Events. 00:11:22.649 --> 00:11:25.960 They are delightful to work with the, the staff that do that. 00:11:26.330 --> 00:11:36.729 And it is, um, everything from we've had sweet 16 to, you know, 50th birthday parties, and then of course welcoming organizations all around as well, like large. 00:11:36.822 --> 00:11:37.942 Groups of registrars. 00:11:38.182 --> 00:11:39.582 Yeah, exactly, exactly. 00:11:39.663 --> 00:11:40.582 It's a great space. 00:11:40.663 --> 00:11:45.442 It's so beautiful inside, centrally located, easy for people in the tri-state to get to. 00:11:45.991 --> 00:11:47.222 Yeah, it is beautiful inside. 00:11:47.302 --> 00:11:52.413 I like, I poked my head into the chapel and was just like, oh wow, this is incredible. 00:11:52.543 --> 00:11:59.143 And then we spent time in, I think it's the library part and the, um, there's a bigger room. 00:11:59.275 --> 00:12:01.065 I don't remember what the West Room it's called. 00:12:01.235 --> 00:12:02.634 Yeah, yeah, OK, in the West Room. 00:12:03.115 --> 00:12:04.306 It was just stunning. 00:12:04.514 --> 00:12:08.735 So yeah, bang up job, Manhattanville University and Reed Castle. 00:12:09.155 --> 00:12:21.575 Yeah, no, it really is a great, and what's really wonderful is a tradition that we have on campus is during convocation, the first year students walk into the castle and they head to the convocation in that chapel. 00:12:21.960 --> 00:12:33.798 And then when they graduate, they robe up and then they walk back outside of the castle and there's this moment where the faculty all line up in the castle and applaud them both ways, um, and I get chills every single time. 00:12:33.899 --> 00:12:39.918 So it's been a really grand place to celebrate a lot of different and grand events, uh, that we have. 00:12:40.399 --> 00:12:41.070 Lauren, thanks so much. 00:12:41.119 --> 00:12:43.379 I appreciate you chatting with me today. 00:12:43.719 --> 00:12:44.840 It was a, it was a real pleasure. 00:12:44.918 --> 00:12:45.320 Thank you. 00:12:46.379 --> 00:12:51.379 And I gave a plenary session in a castle titled Leading with Empathy. 00:12:51.668 --> 00:12:52.779 Here's a little snippet. 00:12:53.029 --> 00:12:54.769 I think it's much better in person. 00:12:55.190 --> 00:13:02.529 The historian and activist Howard Zinn said, the future is an infinite succession of presents. 00:13:03.178 --> 00:13:14.859 And to live now as we believe human beings should live in defiance of all that is bad

around us, is itself a marvelous victory. 00:13:15.989 --> 00:13:20.899 Friends and colleagues, be marvelously victorious. 00:13:21.479 --> 00:13:31.000 Make connections with the people around you by noticing them, by paying attention to their emotions and needs, and by genuinely responding with compassion. 00:13:31.700 --> 00:13:33.989 In short, lead with empathy. 00:13:34.750 --> 00:13:38.609 And please, please drink some more water and every now and then stretch your legs. 00:13:40.029 --> 00:13:41.308 Thank you very much for having me. 00:13:41.389 --> 00:13:42.389 My name is Doug McKenna. 00:13:42.548 --> 00:13:43.369 This has been a pleasure. 00:13:43.788 --> 00:13:44.308 Thank you. 00:13:51.320 --> 00:13:54.279 Association conferences don't happen by magic. 00:13:54.808 --> 00:14:04.668 So while I was there, I took the time to chat with some of the board members and conference committee members about New Jersey, New York, Acro, and their involvement with the organization. 00:14:05.710 --> 00:14:11.899 So tell me who you are and what your role is, what you used to do, what you're doing now. 00:14:11.989 --> 00:14:25.288 OK, Sue Hamilton, president of New Jersey New York ACR, have been involved with New Jersey New York ACR for probably 30 years, was president probably 15 years ago, but stayed active. 00:14:25.908 --> 00:14:30.849 I recently retired from my position at Rutgers University in the Rutgers Health division. 00:14:31.500 --> 00:14:33.210 I was assistant assistant. 00:14:33.418 --> 00:14:34.239 I gotta get it right. 00:14:34.538 --> 00:14:43.639 I was assistant vice chancellor for academic and student affairs, so I supervised our registrars across the Rutgers Health 8 schools. 00:14:44.058 --> 00:14:50.440 I also supervised our Title IX office, our victim assistance office, and our admissions folks. 00:14:50.979 --> 00:14:53.928 So I did a little bit of the academic and the student affairs. 00:14:54.259 --> 00:15:00.619 Uh, Rutgers Health is one division of the larger Rutgers University, the State University of New Jersey. 00:15:01.259 --> 00:15:09.940 Two medical schools, a dental school, a nursing school, health professions, anything you can think of, pharmacy, it's a big place, lots of students, very dynamic. 00:15:10.070 --> 00:15:17.029 Um, we had a, most recently had a very dynamic chancellor who increased grant money to the university and Rutgers Health. 00:15:17.408 --> 00:15:20.519 Tremendously, so that was always a good thing to be associated with. 00:15:21.080 --> 00:15:24.129 Um, my true career is as a registrar. 00:15:24.349 --> 00:15:44.379 Started that right out of college, worked in the registrar's office as a student, as many of us have done over the years at Saint Peter's College in Jersey City, and kind of went through the ranks there, moved from one institution to another, wound up at Rutgers toward the end of my career, and then took on the additional responsibilities beyond registrar. 00:15:45.149 --> 00:15:59.259 And I've been presenting with ACro and Mzacroa over the years, uh, really trying to engage younger colleagues and, and staff, you know, kind of populate the ground with people to take over when we boomers are ready to go. 00:15:59.840 --> 00:16:01.340 So as I said, I've I've retired. 00:16:01.479 --> 00:16:05.859 Yeah, let's talk a little bit about your relationship with the New Jersey, New York Akro. 00:16:05.889 --> 00:16:07.830 You said 30 years. 00:16:08.440 --> 00:16:10.298 How did that start the very first time? 00:16:10.739 --> 00:16:15.570 And then we'll bring you up to present day and how you got back involved. 00:16:15.849 --> 00:16:33.590 Yeah, so as I, as I mentioned, I was a work study student at Saint Peter's College for 4 years, got very friendly with the registrar there, uh, Joan Shields, who was, uh, very involved with New Jersey, New York, ACR, and Ms Aroa at the time, graduated, went back as a part-time assistant registrar, and Joan. 00:16:33.658 --> 00:16:42.500 Really got me involved, um, encouraged me to attend, of course, and then kind of pushed me out of my comfort zone to present, which was really taxing for me. 00:16:42.538 --> 00:16:43.668 I have to say. 00:16:43.859 --> 00:16:46.928 I look back now and I think, how did I ever do that? 00:16:46.960 --> 00:16:49.658 But it really is somebody to pull you along, right? 00:16:49.979 --> 00:16:56.538 And once I did it, I realized that it's not as scary as it feels, it's not as scary as it might look, and you do. 00:16:56.719 --> 00:17:12.029 Once you do it twice, a bigger audience, you know, I remember someone saying that all you have to do is believe that you know more about what you're talking about than the people in the audience, but don't be afraid if somebody asks you a question and you don't know the answer. 00:17:12.250 --> 00:17:13.509 Just say, you know, I don't know the answer. 00:17:13.568 --> 00:17:19.529 Maybe somebody else in the room does, you know, and that kind of put me at ease, so I try and pass that on. 00:17:19.930 --> 00:17:27.367 So from that position I was always surrounded by people who were engaged with either New York, New Jersey, Misaroa, or even ACR. 00:17:27.969 --> 00:17:36.729 And again, you know, spread my wings to, to try presenting at ACR and grabbed a colleague from Rutgers and we presented together. 00:17:36.848 --> 00:17:43.608 So that was always comforting, you know, you had somebody that could cover your flaws or pick up your misses and then. 00:17:44.140 --> 00:17:52.519 As I got more mature in my career, I knew my staff should get involved, so I sort of dialed it back a little bit, tried to present, push them out. 00:17:52.858 --> 00:17:58.568 I often thought, you don't want to be at a conference with your boss, you know, you wanna let your hair down, you wanna have some fun. 00:17:58.779 --> 00:18:04.500 Maybe having your boss at that same lunch or dinner or party is really not what you wanna do. 00:18:04.779 -->

00:18:11.799 So I kind of dialed it back, um, but stayed in touch, you know, and, and have some older colleagues that we've known for years as well. 00:18:12.489 --> 00:18:15.868 So when during the pandemic, New York, New Jersey kind of went cold. 00:18:16.049 --> 00:18:17.930 Yeah,-- that's-- sort of a common refrain. 00:18:18.130 --> 00:18:18.650 Yeah, yeah. 00:18:18.809 --> 00:18:25.449 So we, a couple of us who are here today, we all said, you know, it's a shame New York, New Jersey is, is dormant right now. 00:18:25.539 --> 00:18:26.838 Why don't we do something about it? 00:18:27.130 --> 00:18:34.489 And because I had recently retired, they all kind of, you know, tag you're it, um, so I said, OK, I'll do it. 00:18:34.650 --> 00:18:36.068 And that's kind of how we got here. 00:18:36.368 --> 00:18:38.049 Yeah, tell me what the process. 00:18:38.311 --> 00:18:43.332 was like for coming in and planning this conference? 00:18:43.832 --> 00:18:49.701 Well, we went back to our steering committee list, you know, recent people who had been on Engaged. 00:18:50.381 --> 00:18:53.112 M, who is our host today, I met through Miz Aroa. 00:18:53.381 --> 00:18:57.651 So we started talking at Misakroa 25. 00:18:58.192 --> 00:19:02.131 Hey, we should start this over, and they immediately said, I'll host. 00:19:02.391 --> 00:19:03.871 And having a host. 00:19:04.013 --> 00:19:15.313 The Institution is critical because everything else can come together, but if you have no place to meet, we're sitting in a castle in Manhattanville University outside of White Plains, New York, and it's a castle. 00:19:15.884 --> 00:19:17.644 It's amazing,-- literally-- a castle, yeah. 00:19:17.962 --> 00:19:29.733 So once you get the host institution and you have someone who says, you know, we'll do it, then it's just sort of shaking the bushes and finding somebody to do evaluations and finding somebody to be the conference chair like Michelle. 00:19:29.945 --> 00:19:41.836 is and finding someone to do the website and so we had, so we just kind of literally shook the bushes and so and so recommended so and so and said, hey, this guy in my office is really good at that. 00:19:41.845 --> 00:19:49.474 And so we got a web manager, we got a secretary, we got a registration manager, we got a treasurer, one of my colleagues at Rutgers. 00:19:49.515 --> 00:19:52.595 So when you have that core, you can sort of get going. 00:19:52.836 --> 00:19:55.536 We put a call out for sessions, people responded. 00:19:56.209 --> 00:19:57.689 We put a call out for vendors. 00:19:57.769 --> 00:19:58.750 People responded. 00:19:58.848 --> 00:20:01.680 It feels like, you know, they're just waiting for that email to come, right? 00:20:01.848 --> 00:20:05.049 And if you send it, they will come, you know, and that's what happened. 00:20:05.608 --> 00:20:17.739 What would you say to someone in a state association or a regional association who similar situations sort of maybe dipped in activity or in engagement? 00:20:18.170 --> 00:20:23.489 How would you counsel them about sort of refreshing their entity? 00:20:24.000 --> 00:20:28.430 Uh, well, certainly social media, any way that they can regenerate some of that. 00:20:28.650 --> 00:20:36.430 We, we, you know, had someone dedicated to Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, all of those things, and that kind of sparked a little interest. 00:20:36.809 --> 00:20:44.289 And then going back to whatever your most recent mailing list, membership list, any kind of content that you have, we don't have membership per se. 00:20:44.328 --> 00:20:47.989 We don't charge for membership, but we have a literally a mailing list. 00:20:48.529 --> 00:20:52.630 So we just went to our mailing list and started hitting people and you know, you get the. 00:20:52.943 --> 00:21:04.703 Backs and you get the forwards and all that, but that's really what we did just kind of beat the bushes and I think they're, well, I don't think I can see from the turnout today that there was interest. 00:21:04.963 --> 00:21:06.684 Yes, there were people who wanted to present. 00:21:07.064 --> 00:21:10.693 There certainly were people who wanted to come and now we have it. 00:21:11.184 --> 00:21:20.144 We have two other posts lined up for next spring, next fall, so that's kind of gives us a future even though there is no future. 00:21:20.255 --> 00:21:21.404 We're, we're going to get there. 00:21:22.890 --> 00:21:25.009 So that that will help us start start planning. 00:21:25.088 --> 00:21:33.910 So the minute we wrap up here today we turn it around and start all over again and I think as long as we can keep the exec board engaged. 00:21:34.199 --> 00:21:53.838 And somebody's ready to step up and be president after I am, and we can continue to fill those holes as they move up, we'll be fine and literally I think having, you know, 75, 80 people come today is proof that this is it's, it's wanted, it's valuable, it's affordable, it's, it's nearby, you know. 00:21:54.390 --> 00:22:06.858 What has been the most gratifying thing about your association with the New Jersey New York acro throughout your career or with this most recent stint as the president? 00:22:07.180 --> 00:22:11.259 I, I think the most gratifying thing is just the friendships and the connections that I've made. 00:22:11.338 --> 00:22:18.459 I, I don't see these people a lot, but when I see them again, it's like yesterday that we saw each other and you know, we see each other at Mi Aroa. 00:22:18.549 --> 00:22:33.900 Maybe, maybe we see each other only at New York, New Jersey, um, or only at Acro, but it is amazing to have those people in your life and they feel your pain, they see your success, they know what you're dealing with in a way that your family really can't, and. 00:22:34.189 --> 00:22:43.568 You know, we have this, this tension as you were speaking about at higher in higher ed admissions and registrar fight and student affairs and the faculty and all this stuff.

00:22:43.750 --> 00:22:53.848 It's nice to sit and chat and BS with people that feel your pain and and know what you're doing and that that's really sustaining and I, I hope that other people see that as well. 00:22:54.739 --> 00:23:05.059 So I'm here with Eileen Romero, and we are at the New York, New Jersey Acro annual meeting, biannual meeting, fall conference. 00:23:05.259 --> 00:23:06.660 Fall conference, fantastic. 00:23:06.930 --> 00:23:10.358 Tell me about your role with, first, who are you? 00:23:10.900 --> 00:23:11.529 Where do you work? 00:23:11.699 --> 00:23:18.449 And then tell me about your role with New York, New Jersey or New Jersey, New York,-- which one-- did it's New Jersey, New York, New Jersey. 00:23:18.500 --> 00:23:20.118 I always want to say New York first too. 00:23:21.209 --> 00:23:22.380 I am Eileen Romero. 00:23:22.420 --> 00:23:30.608 I'm the registrar at New York Medical College, and, uh, I've been at the college for over 36 years. 00:23:30.689 --> 00:23:35.029 Big time, and, uh, New York Medical College is part of Toa University. 00:23:35.670 --> 00:23:40.348 And my role with New Jersey New York ACR is I am the secretary on the board. 00:23:40.559 --> 00:23:52.549 -- And-- what does that mean exactly for someone who's never been involved in a state and regional or who doesn't have, you know, sort of the background of what that that might look like? 00:23:52.559 --> 00:23:54.729 What, what does your role actually entail? 00:23:55.150 --> 00:23:57.049 Yeah, so as the secretary. 00:23:57.549 --> 00:24:10.568 Uh, my role is to take the meeting minutes when there are, uh, meeting, board meetings and also steering committee meetings, and then send those minutes out to the members so that they can review them and approve them for the next meeting. 00:24:10.910 --> 00:24:17.338 That's the main role of the secretary, but the secretary does do other things, um, that the president might need if they. 00:24:17.509 --> 00:24:24.699 They need something, you know, printed out or written up, or, uh, purchasing things for a conference. 00:24:25.068 --> 00:24:30.529 Um, so really, it's whatever is needed to support the conference and, and the organization. 00:24:31.068 --> 00:24:32.979 And how did you get started? 00:24:33.229 --> 00:24:37.449 How did you, how did your involvement with New Jersey and New York Acro start? 00:24:38.029 --> 00:24:40.568 I went to a M A Crow conference last year. 00:24:41.078 --> 00:24:43.078 And I met Sue Hamilton there. 00:24:43.170 --> 00:24:50.118 I actually, by chance happened to sit at the board table, not knowing it was the, the Ms. 00:24:50.189 --> 00:24:51.029 Crow aboard. 00:24:51.479 --> 00:25:10.088 Um, and of course I was welcome to sit with them and, uh, and then Sue asked me, uh, a little bit about myself and then if I was interested in getting more involved with New Jersey, New York because they were really, um, trying to get things put back together, um, after COVID and, and really build

up the organization again. 00:25:10.328 --> 00:25:32.404 Yeah, and what has been the Most sort of gratifying thing about working with New Jersey New York ACR and or putting together this conference, the most gratifying thing I would say is just being able to support such a passionate group of people that really want to bring professional development to registrars and admissions folks. 00:25:32.693 --> 00:25:33.703 Awesome, yeah. 00:25:34.568 --> 00:25:36.108 And how's your day been so far? 00:25:36.219 --> 00:25:37.338 How's the conference going? 00:25:37.739 --> 00:25:38.680 It's going great. 00:25:39.009 --> 00:25:46.380 Um, as I was telling you, Doug, I was in two admission sessions, which I found very interesting. 00:25:46.739 --> 00:25:51.779 And I learned a lot actually in these two sessions that I had not planned to be in. 00:25:52.259 --> 00:25:58.739 I usually choose registrar sessions to go to, but I'm happy I, I chose the admission ones. 00:25:58.818 --> 00:25:59.219 I love that. 00:25:59.299 --> 00:26:01.098 That's the great part about these conferences. 00:26:01.199 --> 00:26:13.699 It like gives you an opportunity to get some exposure to some things that you might not have any insight in or any involvement in at your institution, but then like opens a door or a window even for, for that. 00:26:14.568 --> 00:26:15.059 -- Exactly good-- stuff. 00:26:17.858 --> 00:26:20.430 My name is Michelle Tigarrias Weller. 00:26:20.818 --> 00:26:26.309 I work at New York Law School and I'm the registrar and the assistant dean of academic operations. 00:26:26.818 --> 00:26:36.130 And I'm also a member of a very active member of ACR as the co-chair of the Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Caucus. 00:26:36.269 --> 00:26:40.108 Whoop whoop, and I'm on the board for the National Network for Law School Officers. 00:26:40.338 --> 00:26:41.539 Triple poop for that. 00:26:42.000 --> 00:26:44.559 N, yeah. 00:26:45.750 --> 00:26:50.430 And then New York, New Jer New Jersey, New York, New Jersey, New York, Akro. 00:26:50.630 --> 00:26:52.769 I just joined a steering committee this year. 00:26:53.348 --> 00:26:55.529 Um, everything happened very quickly. 00:26:55.709 --> 00:26:56.449 Tell me about that. 00:26:57.029 --> 00:27:00.368 Well, I saw that there was a regional meeting. 00:27:01.029 --> 00:27:03.209 I hadn't seen a regional meeting in a while. 00:27:03.949 --> 00:27:05.729 I attended a steering committee meeting. 00:27:06.479 --> 00:27:09.338 And they said, hey, somebody needs to be the conference chair. 00:27:09.680 --> 00:27:11.779 I said, how much time would it take? 00:27:12.380 --> 00:27:14.670 Probably not more than an hour a month. 00:27:14.910 --> 00:27:15.848 Sure, that's a lie. 00:27:16.269 --> 00:27:18.949 But actually a lot of it was preset. 00:27:19.029 --> 00:27:24.789 There was not too much I had to think for myself, so I'm, I'm not inventing anything from the beginning. 00:27:24.979 --> 00:27:27.868 -- She She-- used a template or like a conference something. 00:27:27.979 --> 00:27:32.729 Um, there, there was some pre-made, uh, a lot. 00:27:33.029 --> 00:27:34.769 There was a plan already in place. 00:27:35.229 --> 00:27:38.789 So Sue Hamilton, Emma La Beau did, I think, most of the heavy lifting. 00:27:38.910 --> 00:27:41.430 They had been already thinking about this for a long time. 00:27:41.949 --> 00:27:51.979 After the call for proposals was out, which I think that is the biggest hurdle, is making sure you have presenters, because if you don't have presenters, why would people want to come? 00:27:52.509 --> 00:27:55.588 And then if you don't have a good, uh, keynote, why would people want to come? 00:27:55.640 --> 00:27:57.559 It's so important. 00:27:57.949 --> 00:27:58.380 So important. 00:27:58.430 --> 00:28:01.229 I'm glad we had such a wonderful keynote for this. 00:28:01.500 --> 00:28:05.088 Uh, it's one of the draws really for this event. 00:28:06.868 --> 00:28:17.108 You know, it's, uh, I'm glad I didn't have to invent anything, uh, in the same way that ACR has been around for so long and JNY Acro has been around for so long. 00:28:17.170 --> 00:28:26.618 It may have been, uh, not as active recently, but there is a good solid core of people who want to do things and want to see everyone else succeed. 00:28:27.029 --> 00:28:27.949 So why not? 00:28:28.098 --> 00:28:36.088 And I said, OK, it doesn't seem like it's taking more than the amount of time that I would spend on, um, professional development. 00:28:36.900 --> 00:28:49.380 And it's a great way for me to meet people, get out of my comfort zone, learn more about the, the field, uh, advances in so many parts of the job that I do that I'm just learning every day. 00:28:49.449 --> 00:28:53.608 I feel like sometimes I get thrown into something or I volunteer. 00:28:53.709 --> 00:28:56.969 I'm a serious serial volunteerer. 00:28:57.309 --> 00:28:58.568 But you're also serious about it. 00:28:58.949 --> 00:29:05.640 I'm a serious serial volunteer and it's, it's I just like the people. 00:29:05.910 --> 00:29:16.939 I like people who love what they do and being surrounded by other people who love what they do because I think in the end, why are we doing what we're doing if we don't somehow want to do it? 00:29:17.500 --> 00:29:29.729 I mean, that's one of the questions I've been asking people is like, what is the most gratifying part for you about Participating in the New Jersey and New York acro, but also. 00:29:30.500 --> 00:29:36.400 In not just participating but in working with and for like why do you do this? 00:29:37.299 --> 00:29:43.098 I think, uh, I'm learning more that I, I get a high from executing. 00:29:43.420 --> 00:29:48.489 You know, you have some people who will get excitement from leading or inspiring others. 00:29:48.729 --> 00:29:56.608 Um, so I'm feeling that my transition now is moving from getting that, that high or that feeling of, um. 00:29:57.459 --> 00:30:03.489 Completion

from completing a project to moving on to leading others and inspiring others and mentoring others. 00:30:03.578 --> 00:30:06.920 So I'm in in that part of my professional journey. 00:30:07.500 --> 00:30:12.858 So I like being around other people who also like to execute to, to, to get things done. 00:30:13.180 --> 00:30:20.539 But while I'm doing that, I'm also learning from those other leaders how to mentor, how to lift other people up. 00:30:20.900 --> 00:30:23.900 So sometimes it means I don't do everything, which is really hard. 00:30:23.993 --> 00:30:28.314 For me because I just love to see something finished and I love to see that it's done well. 00:30:28.434 --> 00:30:34.154 I think a lot of registrars have that thing in them that they're like, we want to get this done and this done and this done. 00:30:34.364 --> 00:30:34.515 Yeah. 00:30:34.674 --> 00:30:44.154 And then to make that sort of step away from the actual doing and more into the directing, supporting, coaching, mentoring. 00:30:44.489 --> 00:30:46.689 It is a process for sure. 00:30:46.769 --> 00:30:50.130 And I'm just finding a lot of kinship with all these people around me. 00:30:50.170 --> 00:30:54.318 They understand what I'm doing, even if I don't have to explain what something is. 00:30:54.368 --> 00:31:02.430 I don't have to explain what this term means, but we also all geek out on the same Microsoft or Excel shortcuts. 00:31:02.930 --> 00:31:06.108 It's, it's another shortcut goes a long way. 00:31:07.328 --> 00:31:08.130 goes a long way. 00:31:08.170 --> 00:31:10.269 It fills me, sparks joy. 00:31:10.559 --> 00:31:14.719 It does, yeah, and I think if AI ever took that away from me,-- I-- don't know. 00:31:14.789 --> 00:31:15.279 I'd be mad. 00:31:15.598 --> 00:31:16.348 I'd be mad about it. 00:31:16.439 --> 00:31:18.009 It'd take a while to get over, yeah. 00:31:18.680 --> 00:31:24.338 You've talked a little bit about like the engagement and the sense of kinship and camaraderie. 00:31:24.640 --> 00:31:26.578 What would you say to someone? 00:31:26.834 --> 00:31:42.943 Who is either considering stepping into a leadership role in their state and regional or to someone who has already decided to say yes and is at the beginning part of an active involvement with their state and regional, how would you counsel that person? 00:31:43.394 --> 00:31:50.334 Well, that person probably doesn't even know what they don't know, just like first generation students,-- which is think about they-- said yes. 00:31:51.358 --> 00:32:02.818 Well, yes, of course, but they don't even know that in my early, early part of my professional development I didn't know that going to a conference would be more than just learning something. 00:32:03.118 --> 00:32:05.559 It's about connecting, but what does connecting mean? 00:32:06.209 --> 00:32:09.608 Uh, if someone who's never learned how to network, what does that even mean? 00:32:09.699 --> 00:32:10.900 Is it superficial? 00:32:10.979 --> 00:32:12.118 Is it making a friend? 00:32:12.578 --> 00:32:15.019 Are you doing something to benefit yourself? 00:32:15.098 --> 00:32:16.318 Is it benefiting someone else? 00:32:16.779 --> 00:32:25.390 But the more you attend, the more you're surrounding yourself with other people, you get to see what's culturally appropriate around certain people. 00:32:25.904 --> 00:32:27.654 How do you talk to certain people? 00:32:27.703 --> 00:32:28.493 It's very different. 00:32:28.555 --> 00:32:33.223 It's I never grew up in this professionalized life. 00:32:33.614 --> 00:32:37.094 Uh, so first of all, you're learning how to become a professional. 00:32:37.295 --> 00:32:39.255 You're learning how to even socialize. 00:32:39.414 --> 00:32:44.775 A lot of the younger people that are coming through school don't know how to socialize, which is different from networking. 00:32:45.255 --> 00:32:51.993 So back to the original question of what would I say to someone who's maybe nervous about doing something new. 00:32:52.709 --> 00:32:56.868 I'm learning a lot from some of my mentors that tell me do it afraid. 00:32:57.180 --> 00:33:02.900 It's OK to be afraid it's OK to be uncomfortable because discomfort means that you're learning. 00:33:03.150 --> 00:33:13.348 The only way you can get to a place of knowledge or transcendence, whatever the next part of it is you have to get through that hard part and there's no way to skip that hard part. 00:33:14.005 --> 00:33:17.723 So if you feel uncomfortable, maybe you're doing the right thing. 00:33:17.844 --> 00:33:19.943 Maybe you're on the right path to something. 00:33:20.243 --> 00:33:22.924 Everybody in this space wants you to succeed. 00:33:23.233 --> 00:33:29.664 There is no reason for anybody who is a leader in Acro and NSO in the regional. 00:33:30.410 --> 00:33:32.939 They want you to succeed because we're not competing with each other. 00:33:33.049 --> 00:33:34.709 I'm not trying to steal your students. 00:33:35.209 --> 00:33:37.578 I'm not trying to say I'm better than somebody else. 00:33:37.939 --> 00:33:41.029 We're only helping each other because I want to see something better in the world. 00:33:41.170 --> 00:33:43.729 I think that's wonderful and I couldn't agree more. 00:33:43.930 --> 00:33:44.439 Love that. 00:33:44.608 --> 00:33:47.650 Growing up in the military, I'm not in the military. 00:33:47.689 --> 00:33:51.269 My dad was in the military growing up around the military, that's more accurate. 00:33:51.529 --> 00:33:56.969 There was this idea that being afraid it was like not manly or something, and my dad was like, whoa, whoa, whoa. 00:33:57.729 --> 00:34:00.469 You can't be brave if you're not afraid. 00:34:01.328 --> 00:34:03.880 Fear is a prerequisite for bravery. 00:34:04.199 --> 00:34:07.868 Brave is when you are afraid and you do the thing anyway. 00:34:08.728 --> 00:34:12.478 If you're not afraid and you just do the thing, you're just doing the thing. 00:34:12.849 --> 00:34:16.409 And so

like to your point, do the thing afraid. 00:34:16.789 --> 00:34:20.628 I love that phrase and the way that you said it was so great. 00:34:20.697 --> 00:34:26.677 I stole it was from somebody else from another ACro meeting 57 years ago. 00:34:26.938 --> 00:34:28.278 Well, it's going to live on now. 00:34:28.509 --> 00:34:28.918 Yeah. 00:34:29.298 --> 00:34:30.378 So congratulations. 00:34:30.458 --> 00:34:32.938 Ask, uh, uh, Doctor Connie. 00:34:33.039 --> 00:34:36.177 I think she knows who said she told it to me and she heard it from someone else. 00:34:36.338 --> 00:34:38.099 So I think, uh, it reminds me. 00:34:38.217 --> 00:34:45.677 -- And-- isn't that a great also thing that you brought to mind someone from Acro that you were like, this person told me this thing and it has stuck with me. 00:34:46.010 --> 00:35:06.929 And that thing was told to that person by someone from Acro and it stuck to her and like that's really like what I feel is the purpose, one of the main purposes of these professional associations and and these get togethers, the conferences, and it gives that opportunity for the succession of. 00:35:07.409 --> 00:35:20.349 Knowledge and the the passing down of professional wisdom that without these sort of events we lose those we lose that continuity so I think these are really important. 00:35:20.969 --> 00:35:26.148 One more part of being afraid of which you kind of talked about in your keynote too, you have to be vulnerable. 00:35:26.559 --> 00:35:31.909 You also have to be humble and you have to say I don't know this yet, but I'm learning. 00:35:32.469 --> 00:35:38.579 So I mean, I feel like every single day at my job, I feel like, I know this, I know this, I know this. 00:35:38.628 --> 00:35:40.090 Oh, this is interesting. 00:35:40.590 --> 00:35:41.510 How do I do this? 00:35:41.590 --> 00:35:43.010 Who do I talk to now? 00:35:43.820 --> 00:35:55.110 So or interacting with a person who I might not agree with, whether it's for personal reasons or for whatever reason, you disagree with the way they do something or how they approach something. 00:35:55.478 --> 00:36:02.179 You have to be humble enough to say, let me learn something new, and then we can work on it together. 00:36:02.840 --> 00:36:20.570 So, um, if you're thinking of becoming a leader within ACro, if you're thinking about just developing yourself as anything for knowledge, you have to be willing to say, first, I don't know something and I want to know something. 00:36:20.958 --> 00:36:23.739 How can I ask somebody else for help? 00:36:24.949 --> 00:36:25.550 Mic dropped. 00:36:27.510 --> 00:36:28.269 So that's it. 00:36:28.628 --> 00:36:32.289 That's a wrap on the New Jersey, New York Acro Fall Conference. 00:36:33.628 --> 00:36:40.250 Thanks to Manhattanville University for hosting the event and thanks to Sue and Eileen for inviting me up to give a presentation. 00:36:40.628 --> 00:36:45.110 It's pretty easy and fun to get involved with your state or regional association. 00:36:45.188 --> 00:36:49.809 I recommend looking into it if you're in the earlier part of your career, especially. 00:36:50.389 --> 00:36:57.849 You'll learn so much about the way organizations work, the way conferences come together, and of course you'll meet amazing people. 00:36:58.909 --> 00:37:08.070 As they showed with New Jersey, New York acro, even if it's been quiet for a little bit, it just takes a couple of enthusiastic people to get things rolling again. 00:37:08.898 --> 00:37:10.329 Thanks very much for listening. 00:37:10.780 --> 00:37:20.780 Please share the podcast with your colleagues, and the best way to never miss an episode is by subscribing via your favorite podcast delivery method. 00:37:23.699 --> 00:37:27.119 Until next time, drink some more water and stretch your legs. 00:37:27.369 --> 00:37:29.938 Practice empathy and smash the patriarchy. 00:37:30.139 --> 00:37:32.938 I'm Doug McKenna, and this is For the Record.