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EACE 2026 Board of Directors Elections

President-Elect Candidate

shannon zelek headshotShannon Zelek
Senior Director, Career Development
Merrimack College

1. Describe your interest in serving on the EACE Board in this capacity.

I was welcomed into the EACE community without hesitation when I began my career development journey. Committee co-chairs, board members and peers consistently modeled a leadership pathway from volunteer to co-chair to board service, reinforcing that growth is supported and encouraged. I have experienced this progression firsthand through multiple conference committees, including serving as Annual Conference Co-Chair in 2024 and 2026.

Through these leadership roles, I have gained a comprehensive understanding of how our association functions and where strategic decisions matter most. As we plan for EACE26, our committee has approached every choice with a member-first mentality, allocating resources intentionally and aligning our budget to strengthen the overall member experience. I serve as a liaison across committees and partner closely with HQ to foster collaboration, alignment and accountability throughout the year. These experiences have prepared me to think beyond individual initiatives and contribute at the board level. Since EACE invested in me, I feel a responsibility to invest in others and elevate the collective work of our membership. I am particularly motivated to engage emerging professionals while honoring the expertise of our seasoned leaders, ensuring our multi-generational community remains connected and inspirational. As we begin to utilize a new strategic plan, I am ready to help steward EACE with a focus on thoughtful execution, inclusive leadership and shared responsibility for growth. I would be honored to serve as President-Elect and help guide our association into its next chapter with clarity, intention and purpose.

 

2. What skills and experiences do you possess that have prepared you to be successful in this role?

My time in EACE has allowed me to develop and apply strategic decision making, delegation, budget management and cross-committee collaboration while maintaining high organizational standards. Planning the 2024 Annual Conference exemplified these skills as we navigated delayed site selection, volunteer gaps and a change in association management. By intentionally developing committee members through mentorship and clear delegation, I successfully prepared several to step into co-chair roles the following year, strengthening our leadership pipeline and ensuring continuity.

In my professional role at Merrimack, I manage a team of 7 FT staff, 3+ graduate students and 5+ undergraduate interns which has strengthened my skills in long term strategic planning, event execution, stakeholder engagement and communication strategy. Serving on multiple campus-wide committees has given me insight into how different leadership layers take ownership while leveraging their teams and how strong relationships are essential to executing strategic initiatives successfully.

My leadership foundation was shaped through five years as the president of my local Alpha Omicron Pi chapter in Boston, where I prioritized engagement and meaningful participation. I have also served on international committees focused on volunteer recruitment, retention and training, further sharpening my skills in mentorship, education and collaborative leadership. Together, these experiences have prepared me to serve EACE as President-Elect. I bring a record of strategic leadership, cross-functional collaboration, mentorship and organizational stewardship, skills that will allow me to support the Board, engage members across generations and help guide the association’s next chapter with impact.

 

3. What ideas and/or goals do you have for this position?

If elected President-Elect, I would focus on three key priorities to strengthen EACE and its membership.

1. Prioritize succession planning across our committees to ensure continuity of work year-round, even when leadership transitions occur. Establishing clear processes, mentorship opportunities and cross-committee collaboration will help sustain initiatives, foster leadership development and maintain organizational knowledge, strengthening the association’s capacity to execute strategic goals.

2. Building on the existing work of our members to enhance membership and recruitment, I would focus on helping members fully leverage the programs, resources and networks available to them. By exploring engagement strategies, personalized pathways for participation and opportunities to translate involvement into professional growth and meaningful connections, I hope to ensure that every member experiences the full value of their EACE membership.

3. Focus on preparing our members for the future workforce, particularly the incoming Generation Alpha. EACE can position members to anticipate shifts in higher education and workforce engagement by developing programs, resources and discussions that highlight trends, expectations and technological preferences of this generation.

These initiatives will provide practical tools and insights that are relevant across professional roles, ensuring the association remains inspirational and impactful. Together, these goals emphasize member engagement, organizational resilience and strategic foresight. As President-Elect, I would work to advance these priorities, supporting the board and membership while guiding EACE toward a dynamic, relevant and sustainable future.

 

4. EACE History & Other Experience

Years of Membership: 7 years

EACE Service History: 

  • Current Roles:
    • Co-Chair of EACE26 Annual Conference (2025-2026) and
    • EACE Mentor (2025-2026)
  • Previous Roles:
    • Chair of Awards Sub-committee within Leadership & Recognition (2024-2025),
    • EACE Mentor (2024-2025),
    • Co-Chair of EACE24 Annual Conference (2023-2024),
    • Co-Chair EACE23 Conference Experience Sub-committee (2022-2023),
    • Member of Conference Programming Sub-Committee 2020-2022,
    • Member of Connections Committee 2019-2020,
    • Member of Conference Hospitality & Newcomers Sub-Committee 2019-2020,
    • EACE Mentee 2019-2020

Awards & Presidential Citations:

  • Presidential Citation (2022-2023)
  • Presidential Citation (2023-2024)
  • Presidential Citation (2024-2025)

Additional Experience (outside of EACE):

I have served on the Boston Area Alumnae Chapter of Alpha Omicron Pi’s Board since 2019. I started in this organization as the Communications Chair - prioritizing newsletter and social media engagement amongst members. In 2020, I was elected President and will complete my term later this spring. My role as President has navigated the pandemic, bringing about virtual engagement opportunities and re-invigorating sisterhood when the world re-opened. I have had extensive budget experience, strategic decision making and liaising with the international headquarters.