Meet the Leadership: Jason Schmidt

Jason Schmidt is NETA’s incoming president and talks about the impact that NETA and the board have had on his professional career.

1. How did you discover the NETA Board?
I first learned about the NETA Board when I attended my first conference. Board members were there to answer my questions and help make my experience at the conference awesome.

2. What made you decide you wanted a leadership role in the organization?
I developed some really good friendships with people who were serving on the board. The more I saw the work they were doing and how the organization was run, the more I wanted to become a part of it. NETA has so many awesome programs beyond just the conference, and I wanted to become a part of something great that could amplify my impact.

3. What’s the best thing about your position?
Working with such a diverse group of professionals on the NETA Board has been one of the distinct professional privileges of my life. The leaders elected by the NETA membership really are top notch people, and I really enjoy getting together with everyone to do the work we do.

4. What’s the most challenging thing about your position?
There are a lot of demands on my time as a member of the board. Since we are all volunteers, we need to fit in the work we need to do while balancing work, family, and life in general. A lot of time and effort goes into running the organization behind the scenes, and we all need to make sacrifices to make it happen. It’s totally worth the effort, though, when we see how other educators grow and learn because of our support!

5. What’s your favorite memory since serving on the board?
A few years ago, several other board members and I were entertaining one of our keynote speakers in the Old Market. At the end of the night, as we were making our way back to the hotel, we decided to have a few races down the Gene Leahy mall slides. I don’t remember who the champion was, but I do remember great conversation and camaraderie. It was a lot of fun to gather with such awesome people in a more informal setting to have a memorable experience!