LEAD: Kevin Reese has just been named the new Director of OMA.

Kevin Reese is no stranger to Higher Education and has worked in the field for nearly 15 years in a variety of roles that provide services, resources, and support to students. He has worked at small, private, liberal arts institutions and large, public, research universities. He came to do what he enjoys doing the most which is “advocating for students from underrepresented populations and being a voice for those who may or may not have that voice or seat at the table.”

Some of Reese’s values include:

• “Growth at all costs. Take in your moments of challenge and transform those into moments of triumph.”
• “Growth and engagement and being able to look back and say that’s where I came from and now this is where I’m at.” 
• Taking students from where they are to where they need to be.

Reese stated that he is excited about “the student success initiatives housed in OMA to include the Minority Advisement Program (MAP) Hispanic Outreach and Leadership Achievement (HOLA), Men of Vision and Excellence (MOVE), Sisters With Vision (SWV), Asian Pacific American (APA) and Truly (Trust, Respect, Understand, Love, Yourself) You [He is] excited to see what they’re planning for the spring semester to really engage all the students in the programming.”

• Reese stated, “I’m always excited to see first year students transitioning to college and exploring all of the opportunities available to them.” 

 Kevin has a few things he would like to start implementing here at Georgia Southern.

• OMA Awards where we acknowledge the “Best of The Best” to include fraternities, sororities, student organizations, student leaders and much more. This event will give students a chance to celebrate their peers for their tireless work throughout the school year.
• A weekly/biweekly conversation that allows students, staff, and faculty the opportunity to come together to discuss current events, the influences of pop culture, diversity, inclusion, social justice and belonging.

By the time Kevin’s one year anniversary at Georgia Southern comes, he wants to achieve three goals. 

• “Students can look at the OMA staff and know that when [they] go there, [they] have a safe space. A safe space for [them] to confide in for them to thrive and know that OMA supports what they do”.
• He wants to prepare “students to be dynamic, global, engaged citizens ready to take their place in an ever-changing society.”
• He wants the campus community to see that the people of OMA “love the work that they do and that students are thriving through the programmatic arm and academic support of OMA”.