Candidate for Region IV Regional Representative
Armando Espinoza
Kansas State University
Biography/Summary Resume
Armando Espinoza enters his second year as Associate Director of Programs at Kansas State University after being promoted in the summer of 2022. Now in his 15th year at Kansas State as a member of the Recreational Services he has worked primarily in Intramurals, but has transitioned to oversee Competitive Sports, Fitness/Wellness, eSports, and Outdoor Pursuits in his current role. In his time at Kansas State, he has served in other capacities including the Honor and Integrity Council, Blue Key Scholarship Committee, and Facilities Master Plan Committee.
Espinoza has been active in NIRSA since 2005 and has been involved with state, regional and national tournaments starting out with as a volunteer for the National Soccer tournament held at the University of Texas. Along with serving on work teams and presenting at various conferences at state, regional and national levels he has served as the Region IV representative for the last 5 months. Armando is committed to helping foster opportunities for others in the field to advance in the profession in the same manner as others have done for him.
What is your NIRSA “Why”? (What does NIRSA mean to you?)
From time to time, it is necessary to take a moment to reflect on your journey and evaluate what you have gained, learned, and experienced through your involvement within your profession. As I sit here evaluating my why and what NIRSA means to me, and I come to one single conclusion. NIRSA has provided me the opportunity to work daily with people from all over the country the enrich their lives through recreation. The experiences I have gained have tremendously impacted me in positive ways that will benefit me long term, and it is my core mission to spread those same core values to impact as many individuals as possible and NIRSA not only allows me to do that but helps facilitate those opportunities.
What are the current trends in collegiate recreation and higher education that you see impacting our work and the Association? How would you collaborate with the members in your region and the Member Network team to solve these issues?
There are several trends in the country that are impacting collegiate recreation and higher education that have negatively impacted our work that include the great resignation, legislative trends impacting sport eligibility, and economic tightening hitting campuses across the country. All these issues are impacting things beyond our little corner of the world and perhaps maybe outside of our scope of influence, so I will work diligently within the region and with the member network to focus on creative solutions to address the needs of our constituency. We must challenge our way of thinking so that we can continue to provide quality programs, experiences, and reach all to meet the rigors we face. The Covid-19 pandemic taught us all a valuable lesson, in that change can happen at any time, and when it hits, we must be ready to pivot at a moment’s notice. Working with the member network, regional leadership team and state representatives we can collectively come up with ideas that ease the costs associated with certain things, improve work/life balance and share ideas to deal with state legislative impacts.
How has your experience in your state, region, and/or NIRSA prepared you to serve on the Member Network? What unique skills or talents would you bring to the Member Network?
I have worked my entire career within Region IV and have the pulse of a sizeable portion of the region that gives me a unique perspective of the needs and desires of the region. I have also served in various capacities in various NIRSA events including NIRSA Championship Series, regional planning committees, and most recently as a mid-term replacement for the Region IV representative. All these experiences have contributed to my greater understanding to what challenges wait for the next Region IV representative. As for what unique talents I bring to the table, I am a high energy individual that can adapt to various situations and connecting with a wide group of people to bridge gaps and find common ground to achieve our strategic goals.
