Candidate for 2026-2028 ACHA Treasurer: Tondra Moore, PhD, JD, MPH

Candidate Q&A

1. How do you feel that your background and experience qualify you for the position for which you are nominated, and what do you believe you can contribute to the organization?

The knowledge and competencies acquired by managing operational budgets in excess of $4M, construction budgets at $4M, and grant budgets in excess of $4M have prepared me for this role, along with formal training.

• Managing an operational budget of a state institution requires familiarity with different funding sources and restrictions, policies, and procedures, while practicing excellent stewardship. Transitioning from an academic role in higher education to an administrator of an auxiliary unit that generates revenue to support operations required that I take the initiative to learn the intricacies of the budgeting process at a level that went far beyond any previous training. This resulted in increased revenue and sustained healthy financial standing.
• Construction budgets are more dynamic than operational budgets and require not only strong stewardship but also strong evidence-based projections and shrewd negotiation practices to help manage extreme expense increases that could threaten the project status. Working on several capital projects and clinic renovation has increased my understanding of different aspects of financial implications for higher education institutions.
• Because grant budgets require strict adherence to funding guidelines, my attention to detail and background in legal and policy analysis have supported compliant management of restricted resources.

The role of treasurer aligns with skills I have honed and developed over years of leadership in higher education, which translate well to many different settings.

2. Given that our mission is to advance the health of all students and the campus community, what do you think the priorities should be for the association?

Considering the current climate, I think the Association needs to prioritize:

• Financial stewardship with multiple-year projections to plan and prepare for possible tough times;
• The expansion of all opportunities and not just leadership, such as (1) the network of College Health & Wellness Consultants, (2) authors for commissioned white papers, and (3) foundation board members to make them more inclusive, which can expand the appeal of individual membership and participation; and
• Creating a plan focusing on the data hub and research for the Association as self-sustaining revenue-generating assets.

Prioritizing these three areas will help to create a culture within the Association that is member-centered, non-exclusionary, and strategic in revenue-generating endeavors, all of which will allow the Association to meet the needs of its membership and demonstrate the added value of membership to more institutions. This, in turn, will expand the reach of the Association’s efforts in college health.

3. Given your significant involvement in the association, what are the key strategic initiatives you would like to be involved in?

If elected Treasurer, the strategic initiatives I would like to be involved in are #2: Deliver innovative and actionable intelligence to help guide decision-makers, and #1: Promote the value of college health and well-being across higher education.

#1 Promote the value of college health and well-being across higher education.

The Association has reached a precipice where it can enhance the value it provides to its members and the profession. Funding for professional development and travel is waning at many institutions of higher education, and our members must be able to demonstrate why participation in the ACHA is critical to their success in delivering college health and well-being services. Over the last decade, college health practitioners have leveraged their expertise to move their respective campuses toward more holistic health approaches. This, in turn, has increased the profession’s contributions at the executive level in higher education. Still, many campuses lag behind. To demonstrate the ROI for college health and well-being, campus leaders can be significantly supported by the development of foundational resources and frameworks for college health. The work has begun in several pockets; however, collective action will allow the field to advance. I would like to be part of the collective efforts of the Association to build a strong foundation.

#2 Deliver innovative and actionable intelligence to help guide decision makers.

As the Board liaison to the Data Research and Strategy Committee, I have gained significant insight into the investment the Association has made in its data and research strategy. As a trained health services researcher with over 20 years of experience, I am committed to helping the Association realize a return on its investment by becoming a significant contributor to the body of knowledge through the provision of rich and dynamic datasets. The Association has the opportunity to explore ways to maximize its ability to not only collect critical data but also create pathways to enrich the breadth of the data by exploring critical partnerships. As health care providers, our careers have centered on the use of evidence-based practices. While it has taken many centuries, we are eerily approaching an era that resembles the time prior to the Scientific Revolution. Through our data, we can remain a beacon of hope for the profession. I would like to be integral in keeping the torch lit.

4. How might you define the current role of college health programs on campus and how do you think that role will change in the future?

The role of college health programs is currently undergoing a metamorphosis. During the COVID-19 pandemic, college health programs were able to demonstrate their value and return on investment, which helped to elevate the status of the professionals and programs on many campuses. Unfortunately, this has not been the case for all institutions. For many institutions with limited or dwindling resources, services have been limited or outsourced. With the current climate of reduced funding, declining enrollment, state-specific policies, and a growing distrust of science, many institutions are facing increasingly critical challenges.

Unfortunately, I expect to see more underfunded college health programs disappear, leaving a segment of college students without access to primary and preventative care resources. This would prove disastrous for the overall well-being of students and the campus.

5. What would you do to provide leadership in the arenas of advocacy and public policy issues affecting the health of college students and campus communities, and what is the role of the association in these areas?

The role of the association is to collect data and assess the priorities of its member institutions, providing support that helps them serve students at their respective campuses. Overall, the association should serve as an advocate for efforts that support the membership and utilize its influence to promote causes that increase access to care for college students and campus communities. I believe that advocacy begins with education, and it is critical that we keep our membership informed.

6. What would you do to encourage increased individual and institutional member participation in the association’s activities?

I would encourage the Association to address potential blind spots that discourage groups from participating and creating tangential structures. Regarding individual membership, I would create a campaign targeting institutions with the lowest percentage of individual members per region to market the swath of benefits available through individual participation. For institutional member participation, I would create a regional recruitment drive, asking each regional association to play a critical role in the campaign with a focus on underserved institutions such as community colleges.

7.  As a leader in our multidisciplinary association, what would you do to foster involvement and help build a more solid relationship between sections (including the student section) and throughout the association?

Multidisciplinary groups of any kind include factions with different interests and priorities. The key is to help them identify those that align with or complement each other. As a leader, a focus on fair and just practices helps factions establish more trust within the leader, the direction of the leadership, and the call to collaborate. Overall, each faction must be valued as part of the collective, and that means no one group can be held to a different standard. Over the past few years, there has been a concerted effort to create space for all within the Association to find community; now, there needs to be a concerted effort to have all find community within the membership at large.

About the Election of ACHA Leadership

The ACHA Election begins in March and ends in April. When you vote in the ACHA election, you are choosing leaders who will advocate for you and the health and wellness of campus communities. The ACHA Board of Directors and Section Leadership play a critical role in helping shape the future of the association and the field of college health and wellness. By voting, members can ensure that ACHA has leaders with the skills and abilities to fulfill our organizational goals and strategic priorities.

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