The OU Undergraduate Student Congress unanimously passed a bill to appoint the new chief of staff for the Lissau-Akuffo administration during its Tuesday evening meeting.
Parliamentarian Abby Halsey-Kraus said the Student Government Association chief of staff works mainly with the executive branch departmental directors to coordinate the projects of the executive branch. The chief of staff will also maintain the SGA president and vice president’s campaign platform.
SGA President Zack Lissau authored the bill and said he believes his appointee Lauren Roberts, a pre-law finance and entrepreneurship and venture management junior, is extremely qualified to take on the role of chief of staff.
“Lauren could be my boss,” Lissau said. “Denzel and I, being leaders who know the pulse of campus, wanted to also have the person head our cabinet be that same type of hungry, bold, intentional leader that Lauren (is) day in and day out.”
Halsey-Kraus said Roberts’ nomination was the first recommendation of “do pass” in her years in congress, meaning the Congressional Administration committee was particularly adamant for this bill to pass. Lissau said he thought this was a “great move” and it highlights how “perfect” Roberts is for the job.
“I think Lauren really has set the bar for what this office should look like in the future,” Lissau said. “Somebody that is determined, somebody that is intentional and someone that’s kind, and that’s something that Lauren continues to embody.”
Roberts is a former member of the SGA External Affairs committee, the OU Dance Marathon Business Development committee, and a current member of the OU Vice President’s Advisory Council and the Price College of Business JCPenney Leadership Program. She also serves as the Henderson Scholars Program chair and is a venture fellow at Atento Capital.
Roberts was unable to attend the meeting because of a class conflict, but she wrote a letter for the congress body. She wrote that she was “incredibly honored and grateful” to be nominated and, if appointed, looked forward to working alongside the other two branches of SGA.
Roberts wrote that her time as chief of staff would be driven by a strong emphasis on “addressing the interests and needs of marginalized communities on campus” and “advancing the interests and needs” of the OU community.
“Above all else, I am here to listen,” Roberts wrote. “My role as chief of staff is one that is important, but I cannot effectively lead without purpose — and that purpose will come from listening to students, communities, organizations, and administrators to better execute the Lissau-Akuffo Administration’s initiatives and platform.”
Roberts will replace Cricket Kaya, the chief of staff of the Farzaneh-Gray administration.
