Jon Schausten, CPP, is APA’s Region 7 Advisor. He serves as the liaison between APA and local chapters in Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland. In 2017, Jon won APA’s Prism Award for Management.
Learn more about Jon Schausten, CPP, with this exclusive Q&A session!
What were your thoughts when you were asked to serve on the Board of Advisors?
I thought I was being pranked! In all seriousness, I felt overwhelmed and humbled to receive such an honor. I called my wife to share the news, and she told me to go for it. In addition, I spoke to my boss, who fully supported my involvement with the APA. After serving as President of the Indianapolis Chapter of the APA, I knew from working with Levi Meeske, CPP that the Board of Advisors provide a lifeline to APA National to help chapters succeed. I was nervous about whether I was qualified to do this, so I reached out to Christine Stolpe, CPP to ask about her experience. She shared how awesome her time was as an Advisor and that I should do this. She helped push me to accept the opportunity and quickly became a great friend.
What are some of the struggles you have experienced and overcome as an Advisor?
The struggles I’ve faced as an Advisor all stem from balancing responsibilities of work, family, the local chapter, and the regions. I am one of those people who strive to give 100 percent, and I did not want to disappoint my region. I hope they feel that I provide them the support they need to be successful in their chapters.
What is a fond memory you have made with your region during your term as Board of Advisor?
Where to begin? First and foremost interacting with my chapters on the phone, through the Region 7 LinkedIn group page, and at Congress has been the best. The time spent with chapter officers at Congress talking, laughing, and working together to share ideas about helping the chapters stand out is the best part of being an Advisor.
What advice would you like to give to the chapters in your region?
Never settle and never give up. No matter what challenges your chapter faces, the resources they need can be found in themselves as a chapter, in other chapters, and at APA National. We all work on the same team, and this is a winning team!
What question do you get the most from your region and what is your response?
How do we connect with payroll people in our area to grow our chapter? I always shared that I found success working with the local payroll vendors and searching for payroll professionals on LinkedIn. I regularly search for payroll professionals in Indianapolis that I am not connected to on LinkedIn and ask them to connect. Every time I have reached out to someone, they have accepted my invitation to connect. I then use this connection to share information about our chapter and invite them to attend one of our meetings.
What do you like most about being on the Board of Advisors?
That is an easy question, because it is the people! The people in the chapters amaze me by how they dedicate themselves to payroll and their chapters as volunteers. The other Advisors and APA Officers demonstrate to me how to serve others and shine as leaders. The people that work at APA National made me feel part of the team from the moment I started. I have made such great professional connections and great friends from this experience that it will be hard to leave the position after my two years of service!
What were you surprised to learn about the chapters in your region?
Their willingness to accept me as part of their team! Every chapter warmly welcomed me and wanted my ideas and suggestions. They never shied away from speaking their minds, asking for help, and wanting me to provide guidance on how to improve their chapters. This pushed me to work harder to help serve them and act as their voice with the National APA!
Are you a proud chapter leader in Region 7? Introduce yourself to Jon in the comments or send him an email.
Jon Schausten, CPP began his 2-year term as the Region 2 Advisor in May 2017.
