Q&A WITH PAT MASTERTON, DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD WINNER

Q: What does being chosen to receive the Distinguished Award mean to you?
A: It was a huge honor as far as I’m concerned. It was really a wonderful validation from my peers that meant a lot to me. I never felt that any of the work I did with Illinois ASBO was work – I always learned from it. You learn something every time you go to a workshop. At committee meetings, we spent a quarter of the time on the task at hand and the rest talking about issues we are facing. It was my own professional development as well as providing professional development.

Q: What was your reaction when you first heard about the award?
A: I was shocked if you want to know the truth. I think the best word is flabbergasted. It was a big surprise because there are so many people who put as much time into the organization and are just as deserving.

Q: What was the experience of being an award winner at the Foundation Banquet like for you?
A: The experience at the banquet was thrilling. It was wonderful to have my family there, and it was nice to receive an award at the same time Shelley got her award. Like Shelley mentioned, it’s kind of like a circle, in that things come around again. You see people who you haven’t seen in a long time, and people you met a day ago, can talk about what happened twenty or thirty years ago and issues you face today. Conference was a blend of the past, what’s going on in the present and seeing the future at the same time. It was a great experience and a lot of fun to see everyone and hear what’s going on with others.

I especially got a kick out of hearing in Mike’s deep, serious voice that I planned to become a “beach bum.”

Q: What are your thoughts on the value of recognizing outstanding school business officials?
A: That’s a hard one. I think there is a value in recognition for school districts to understand that the business manager position is one that is very complex. We are just as much educators as anyone else is. Its important that people learn and understand we are an ethical organization and important to the way schools are run. It’s important for outsiders to understand what our organization is about and the importance of the positions we hold.

I’m not a big believer in individual recognition because we the work we do is so collaborative. It’s hard to pick out one person and there are so many that are deserving. But there is value in showing outsiders the value of what a business manager does.

Q: What advice would you give to those that aspire to follow in your footsteps?
A: Just get involved. Find the things that you particularly enjoy in your profession and you’ll find a committee who deals with that and get involved.

Under normal circumstances, I’m not a “joiner.” It’s not my nature, but maybe that's why I have so much affection for Illinois ASBO, because they turned me into a joiner – whether it was serving on committees or applying to be a Director.

IASBO honestly helped me survive. I’m not positive I could have done well at all if it was by myself. We have so much on our plates that we can’t survive without the input of others and how they are doing things.

I’d like school districts to understand the only place we really have that professional development is through Illinois ASBO and it’s extremely important to their success.

Q: What’s next for you in your career? Where do you go from here?
A: Honestly, I’m not really sure. At one point I did a lot of counseling to people retiring early and told them to have a plan, now I don’t have one! I want to try something unique and different. I want to do some volunteer work, since I haven’t had a chance. (This has been a job and a half!) I’m sure I’ll work again. Who knows? Maybe as a substitute teacher.

Q: Why do you think it is important to have the Illinois ASBO Foundation?
A: In this day and age when there are so many fiscal constraints and administrators are the first target and the ones who get the cuts, the availability of scholarships and other resources to help business managers learn more about the profession is extremely important.

I can think of multiple instances where I got an idea about something from a presentation or meeting that I brought back to my organization and saved money. You can’t work in a vacuum.

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