Student named chair of national board

Gina Pignotti, a member of the Wisconsin Alumni Student Board (WASB), recently was elected chair of the national board for the Association of Student Advancement Programs (ASAP), the official student organization of the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education. Her one-year term begins on May 1.

As ASAP chair, Pignotti will establish connections among the organization’s eight district representatives and the CASE board. In addition, she will oversee ASAP’s membership, awards and conference committees, and run its board meetings twice per year. Before becoming ASAP chair, Pignotti served the organization as a representative from the Midwest-based District V. She was selected by her fellow representatives to serve as chair.

“Gina has great leadership skills and enthusiasm,” says Wisconsin Alumni Association President and CEO Paula Bonner. “Now she has a chance to share her vision with student associations nationwide. We’re proud of her accomplishments.”

On campus, Pignotti has served in a variety of roles in WASB, a student organization sponsored by the Wisconsin Alumni Association. Since joining WASB in 2002, she has helped plan campus events, including an annual All-Campus Party celebrating the successes of the school year and a series of networking dinners that connected alumni and students in the Madison area. Pignotti served as WASB board president from 2003-04.

Pignotti is a senior from Kenosha, Wis., majoring in elementary education and communication arts. She was a representative to the Dean of Students Fan Advisory Board, and she devotes her time to work with the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, Golden Key Honor Society and Catholic Student Union.

ASAP, an association of more than 300 higher-education institutions in North America, is run by students as part of the Council for the Advancement and Support of Higher Education. The association offers annual networking conferences and awards to its members, which include student alumni associations, foundations, ambassadors and spirit groups.