NACAS West Newsletter - The West Connection
Member Highlight
Tricia Ejima, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa
In each newsletter, we will be highlighting a NACAS West member or institution.
Member Highlight: Tricia Ejima
What is your role at your university and how long have you been there?
Director of bookstores; manage nine university bookstores that service 13 campuses
state-wide.
What made you decide to be a part of NACAS? What has been your favorite
NACAS moment or experience?
I became involved in NACAS when I started my former position as assistant director of
campus services. NACAS was a great way for me to learn more about the various
auxiliary units. My background was in bookstores so NACAS was a great resource for me
in my learning process.
I have two favorite moments/experiences. My first favorite NACAS experience occurred at
this past NACAS West/Central Regional Conference. I was honored to be asked to
introduce a session that featured five women leaders in auxiliaries. The panel shared their
experiences working in auxiliaries and how they became the leaders they are today. They
inspired me and taught me to not be afraid to “sit at the head of the table” and be a strong
voice.
My second favorite moment was at the NACAS annual conference in San Antonio where I
got to carry a live armadillo! My sister and brother in-law live in San Antonio and they said
they have never seen a live armadillo. I came for a conference and got to carry a real
one…as an animal lover, it was such a treat!
What have you learned while being part of NACAS?
I’ve been an active member for the last six years where I have been lucky enough to have
attended three NACAS West conferences and three NACAS annual conferences. What
I’ve learned through being a part of NACAS is how important our jobs and functions are
for our university campuses. The services provided by auxiliaries at each school may
vary in setup, but what’s common is that we form the essential infrastructure for a campus
to function through our services of mail, food, security, parking, housing, print, course
materials, etc. And while my position now oversees just a portion of that total service,
through my participation in NACAS, I understand the full breadth of what we do as
auxiliaries as a whole.
What is one piece of advice that you would give to a new NACAS member?
The one piece of advice I would give a new NACAS member is to go to the social events
and get to know people and network. The educational sessions are always great and you
gain a lot of good ideas and information, but the connections you make with colleagues
proves to be invaluable throughout your career. I’ve learned the most from talking and
learning from other colleagues and schools and NACAS is a great way to do that.
What do you like to do for fun, outside of work?
I love to play and coach soccer. I’ve been playing soccer for 30 years and I currently
coach a local high school varsity girls’ team where we took the state championship this
past year. I also love to play with my four dogs, travel, and spend time with my family and
friends. I am a sucker for big roller coasters and love high-risk adventures like bungee
jumping, zip-lining, ATVing, etc.
Conference Re-Cap
The 2016 NACAS West Annual Conference – Two Regions, One Purpose
Members from throughout Central and West gathered this past summer in Boulder,
Colorado for our first-ever combined regional conference, which was held at the University
of Colorado, Boulder. With the help of a dedicated conference planning committee and
our outstanding CU Boulder hosts, this year’s conference provided auxiliary professionals
with bountiful tools and resources to ensure peak success.
Networking opportunities were everywhere as 188 institutional members joined 49
business partners for the occasion. Not to be outdone, the educational program was
packed with 25 breakout sessions. There were three general sessions, four campus tours,
and a lively exhibit hall featuring the latest innovations in our sector.
The bulk of the 2016 conference educational offerings took place at CU Boulder’s
Memorial Center and the newly renovated Glenn Miller Ballroom. Session topics included
campus climate, leveraging bookstores, emerging professionals, the expanded role of
campus dining, emergency management, branding, performance standards, conference
services, sustainability, transportation with a safe ride program, and much more.
Guests were given the opportunity to tour the Ricoh innovation center, the University
Memorial Center, the bookstore, campus dining, the card service office, the recreation
center, and the campus recycling center.
Social events provided wonderful networking and fellowship opportunities for attendees,
starting with the “Reaching Peaks” opening event at the Millennium Harvest House
conference hotel. The camaraderie continued the following evening with the
second annual sponsored dinner program, during which participants dined at several
delectable Pearl Street Mall restaurants with dinner sponsors The Baker Group, Barnes &
Noble, Einstein’s, Nebraska Book Company, Partners by Design, Ricoh, Sidewalk, Steak
& Shake, and Tapingo. The conference was capped with the magical “NACAS Mountain
Festival” closing gala at the St. Julien Hotel, which provided a stunning backdrop of
Boulder’s famed Flatirons.
The NACAS West board would like to extend our gratitude to all the volunteers, sponsors,
and attendees who helped make the combined Central/West Boulder conference be “one
of the best ever,” as was heard numerous times through the coconut wireless (Google
it!).
Coming soon – details on next year’s Orange County conference! We hope to see you
there!
NACAS West Business Partner of the Year 2016
NACAS West is proud to announce Ricoh as our 2016 Business Partner of the Year
recipient! Ricoh was selected as the NACAS West 2016 Business Partner of the Year for
their commitment to the advancement of NACAS West. This commitment has included
participating in regional conferences, providing input on value-added enhancements for
institutional members and business partners, and financially supporting the efforts of the
region each year.
For 80 years, Ricoh has transformed the way people work through technology. Ricoh
Higher Education partners with more than 2,000 U.S. colleges and universities to
transform the campus experience for students, faculty, and administrators. We streamline
campus mail and package workflows, reimagine onsite print services, enhance classroom
technology and collaboration, simplify student records and admissions operations, and
ultimately improve campus services for students. Ricoh makes information work for higher
education.
For more information about Ricoh, please visit: https://www.ricoh-usa.com/
Please e-mail Jeff Rensel at [email protected] if you have a suggestion for an article, if
would like to write an article, or if would like to be featured as a member or member
institution.