Established in 2015

Our Mission

The mission of the Association is to support and provide professional development for academic advisors (and others who work with students in an advising or counseling role) throughout the state of Oregon, establish a communication network among academic advisors, establish a liaison to and relationships with NACADA: The Global Community for Academic Advising, and other organizations with similar goals.In addition, the Association supports and promotes the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education’s Core Values of Academic Advising.

Our Leadership Board

Michelle Maller
Oregon State University
President

Michelle Maller is an education and internship coordinator in the College of Forestry at Oregon State University. She has been advising for five years and works with students who are in search of internships or jobs. She also serves as a career counselor. Her expertise is in industry liaison work and connecting students to companies that fit their skill sets. Michelle is also a PhD student in the Leadership in Academic Advising program at Kansas State. 

Serves for 2 years
The President shall preside at all meetings of the Association and Leadership Committee. The President is generally responsible for overseeing all of the Association's activities. The President may call special meetings of the Leadership Committee and will serve as an ex-officio member of all standing and ad hoc committees. After completing their term, the President is asked to serve in a past-presidential capacity to mentor the incoming president and other incoming officers. 

Thomas Shelly
Oregon State University
Vice President

​Thomas Shelly is a Student Success Academic Advisor for the College of Pharmacy at Oregon State University. Prior to his work in higher education, Thomas was a high school English Educator and Speech Coach. When he isn't working, Thomas enjoys playing cooperative games like Dungeons and Dragons. He is settling nicely into his newly purchased home in Albany with his husband, Robert, their Corgi, Spud, and cat Nina.

Serves for 2 years
 The Vice President shall perform the duties and responsibilities of the President in the President’s absence, and when so acting, shall exercise the powers of the President.  Vice President serves as the designated back up to the treasurer when/if necessary. In addition to these duties, the Vice President will be responsible for researching the means and methods of tracking membership, and adding new members. Vice President serves as liaison to the annual Drive-in Conference Committee and is recognized as the liaison of OAAA in its capacity as a NACADA Allied Member.  

William Butler Paisley
​Portland Community College
Treasurer

Will is currently the interim advising coordinator at Portland Community College, Sylvania. He has previous advising experience working specifically with first-generation students, business students, and developing/coordinating an academic intervention advising program. 

​Serves for 1 year 
The Treasurer will have primary custody of all OAAA funds and shall maintain such deposits in a federally insured depository institution approved by the Leadership Committee. The Treasurer shall also maintain a ledger accounting for all receipts and disbursements, provide year-to-date and annual reports at Leadership Committee and Annual Meetings, and have the books available for audit prior to the Annual Meeting. The fiscal year will be from July 1st-June 30th. The Treasurer will also be responsible to include filing IRS annual tax reporting forms and associated government documents. 

Katie Harvey
​Oregon State University
Secretary

Katie Harvey (she/her/hers) is currently an Academic Advisor within the School of Psychological Sciences at Oregon State University.  She has previous experience in a variety of student success and academic advising roles, most recently working at Clackamas Community College before Oregon State. She is passionate about working with students to help facilitate their success in higher education. In her free time, she enjoys reading, spending time with her cats, and daydreaming about taking trips abroad.

​.Serves for 1 year 
The Secretary shall keep records of all meetings of the Association and the Leadership Committee and shall give notice of special and regular meetings to all members.  The secretary will also file all documents for access by all members. 

Vacant
Community College Liaison​

 Serves for 1 year 
The Community College Representative shall act as the OAAA liaison between community college members and the OAAA leadership team. The person elected to this position will help to coordinate and recruit members from within the ranks of Oregon's Community College system.   

Kelly Sullivan
Oregon Tech​
Communications Coordinator

​Kelly Sullivan (she/her/hers) spent six years advising at Columbia Gorge Community College and grew to love the opportunities that community colleges bring students and communities. She joined Oregon Tech's Portland-Metro Campus as a retention advisor in Summer 2021 & is now able to serve a large number of transfer students & see their experience on the university end, post-transfer. She'll continue to use her community college experience and perspective to serve within the OAAA team.

Serves for 1 year 
The Communication Coordinator shall maintain the Association’s website and coordinate communication with the membership through social media, newsletters, or other mediums as approved by the Leadership Committee. 
 

Lea Griess
Southern Oregon University
Communications Coordinator

Lea Griess (she/her/hers) is the Student Success Coordinator for the Division of Social Sciences at Southern Oregon University. She has been in the advising field for almost 10 years now, starting with her graduate advising experience at Oregon State, then serving at Chemeketa Yamhill Valley for 3 years before her current role at SOU. Lea loves working with students, and supporting other advisors through training and development. She has a personal passion for graphic design and enjoys roles like this one with OAAA that let her exercise her creativity. Her most important role currently is parenting her two toddlers with her partner, all of whom keep life interesting and joyful.

Serves for 1 year 
The Communication Coordinator shall maintain the Association’s website and coordinate communication with the membership through social media, newsletters, or other mediums as approved by the Leadership Committee. 
 

Advising with Purpose

The purpose of the Oregon Academic Advising Association is to support the development and professional growth of academic advisors in higher education in Oregon. OAAA serves a constituency, which includes academic advisors, academic counselors, counselors, faculty members, administrators, and others in academic and student affairs who are concerned with the intellectual, relational, developmental, and vocational needs of students. OAAA is a representative and advocate of academic advisors in universities, colleges, community colleges, technical colleges and schools, both public and private, and is a forum for discussion, debate, and the exchange of ideas. OAAA works to promote the recognition of the profession of academic advising in the state of Oregon.

BYLAWS