Talking Stick - May/June 2017 - 8

VISION

The Race of Your Life
I recently saw an article that said the average person will spend more than 100,000
hours of their life at work. That's a fairly intimidating statistic. The good news for us
is that, during that time, our work will take many different shapes. I suppose a good
analogy would be that if you think of your career as a race, it would be like a cross
country triathlon that takes you through a variety of paths and environments, with the
scenery changing along the way. Different stages will offer different challenges and
different rewards. That certainly sounds better to me than lap after lap around the
same oval track.
Another important aspect to remember about your career race is not
to bypass opportunities along the way to recharge your batteries. In that
way, I like to think of ACUHO-I as those water stations found along
race courses - and our events, publications, courses, reports, and other
professional development resources as the nutrients you need to keep
moving forward.
I understand the challenge of keeping up with professional development goals. We are all busy with day-to-day responsibilities at our
jobs, not to mention responsibilities with friends and family. However,
I strongly believe that it is incumbent upon each of us to take the
responsibility to seek out and maximize the resources within our grasp.
Not only do we need this information and training to help us with our
career progression, we also need it simply to keep up with our rapidly
changing times. You may think you're at a bit of a career plateau and
things have leveled off, but I guarantee you that the skills and knowledge you need to meet your responsibilities today are not the same as
they were five years ago and certainly not the same as they will be five
years from now.

. . . IT IS
INCUMBENT
UPON EACH OF
US TO TAKE THE
RESPONSIBILITY
TO SEEK OUT
AND MAXIMIZE
THE RESOURCES
As ACUHO-I executes its strategic plan, we continue to create new
WITHIN OUR
items for our professional development menu, as well as to modify
GRASP.
existing ones. A purposeful curriculum is in place to guide campus

TALKING STICK
Symbol of International
Friendship
Talking Stick magazine
takes its name from the
symbol of international
friendship presented
to ACUHO-I in 1973 by
the Ohiat Band of the
British Columbia Indian
Nation. The talking stick,
or speaker's staff, is
hand carved, and the
inscription explains, "It is
a sign of authority carried
when proclamations
are to be made or a
meeting of chiefs is in
session. It is a token
of common heritage
both to Canadians and
Americans."

ON THE
COVER

housing professionals through the different stages of their career and
address a wide variety of core competencies. Just last month we celebrated the first Mid-Level Managers Leadership Institute, and, back in
January, the State of the Profession symposium hosted approximately
60 senior housing officers.
I hope to see many of you this June in Providence, Rhode Island, for
our Annual Conference & Exposition. This is the longest running of all
ACUHO-I events, and this year will certainly be filled with fascinating
speakers and invaluable sessions, but it is far from the only opportunity
available. I encourage you to follow us online and watch your mail for
notices of all ACUHO-I has to offer. Find what is right for you and,
then, on your mark, get set, GO!

TALKING STICK

Beth McCuskey

 @BethMcCuskey

ACUHO-I President

 Beth McCuskey

 bmccuske@purdue.edu

 Beth McCuskey

The University of
Oregon in Eugene is
just one institution
that provides
welcoming and safe
environments for
their LGBTQ students.
Read about their
communities along
with others from
across the world
in the feature on
page 36.
Photo Credit:
© University of
Oregon

Talking Stick - May/June 2017

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Talking Stick - May/June 2017