Top CA is ‘at the service of the chapter officers’

Alison Robak received the 2022 Chapter Administrator of the Year award at Legatus’ Summit 2023 in February. She is a stay-at-home mom who went to work for Legatus as administrator of the Madison Chapter in 2018.
 
“I could not think of a better job for me right now,” she said. “I am able to be home with my kids, create my own hours, use my gifts and talents for the service of the Church, and selfishly enjoy our chapter events – kid-free.”

The Madison Chapter was chartered in 2016 and has 22 members. The chapter has “struggled against the progressive culture in Madison,” she said, but with the support of Madison Bishop Donald Hying and former regional vice president Nate Wine “it feels like we’ve finally hit the momentum we’ve been waiting for.”
 
In 2022, she noted, five members were added, with another four so far in 2023.

What chapter programs have been most popular?

Our chapter has really grown in friendship over the years. Being so small, we’ve really had a chance to get to know each other. The summer social and the Advent celebrations are always a welcome change as they allow us to devote the evening to continuing to foster these friendships. We’ve made a tradition of going outside of Madison to a hunt club for our summer socials. Couples enjoy an afternoon together at the hunt club prior to Mass and dinner. Then the rest of the evening is spent socializing around the firepit. It’s a great mini getaway for the day!
 
What qualities make for an effective chapter administrator?

An effective CA has to be well organized and efficient and must have strong written communication skills. It has taken me years to find the organizational system that works for me and our chapter. I’m constantly making changes and implementing new ideas, but having email templates and a system that works has allowed me to be efficient and avoid the long email chains.

What are some of your proudest accomplishments?

Back in the first or second month after I started, a member admitted to me that he didn’t even know the names of a lot of the other members. I got a sense that the members enjoyed the speakers, but there was very little community. It was important to me to aid in building up that community. Personal check-ins at our leadership meetings, newsletters, picture directories, forum groups, biannual quality socials, member introductions, sharing prayer requests, and rotating the seating chart have all been ways we’ve helped build the strong community we have now.

Describe some challenges in administering the chapter.

With a smaller chapter, being able to put on high-quality events with great speakers and venues on a small budget has been a challenge. We need to be creative in ways to save money. It has taken a lot of time to find the venues that fit our budget but can still provide the delicious food and space for which we’re looking. We have also made sure to look local for great speakers right in our backyard!

How can chapter officers and CAs together build good working relationships?

I am at the service of the chapter officers. I need to understand their vision for the chapter and provide them with the necessary information for them to make decisions that will benefit the chapter. With that said, chapter officers come and go, and during my tenure I have seen things that have worked and haven’t. So, a board willing to hear the suggestions of the CA honors the CA’s experience and vision too. Working together, we make a great team!

I am so thankful and blessed to serve the Madison Chapter. They have welcomed me and loved me like family. They are so kind, supportive, and encouraging. It makes my job so easy and fun where it doesn’t feel like work.