Dorothy Kiser

Honorary Membership
Hardin-Simmons University

Dorothy Kiser received her B.S. (1965) and M.B.A. (1992) degrees from Hardin-Simmons University. Dorothy began her career in higher education at Hardin-Simmons University in 1980 as Administrative Assistant to the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences where she helped with editing the catalog. Because she knew so much about the catalog, as all good registrar's do, the Registrar asked her to come to the Registrar's Office because of her knowledge of the catalog. She began January 1985 as the Assistant Registrar and was promoted to Associate Registrar for a year after the Registrar left in 1987. She was named Registrar in 1988 and held that title until she was named Associate Vice President of Student Records and Registration in 2003. Dorothy retired December 31, 2010 from Hardin-Simmons University after 30 plus years. A few of the accomplishments she made during her tenure at HSU were converting from a legacy system to Datatel, which John Hall recalls Dorothy saying was Data.... Well, something that rhymes with it, that Dorothy probably would not say, generating the first computerized transcripts and degree plans and converting all the paper records to the computer so all transcripts are now computer generated. There are no file cabinets in the registrar's office.

Dorothy attended her first TACRAO in 1984 before beginning in the Registrar's Office, and began her involvement in TACRAO with her second meeting. From then on, she served on at least one committee and nearly always served as a recorder or moderator, or in more recent years, as a facilitator for sessions.

Dorothy served her regional association WTACRAO as the Secretary in 1987 and rotated up to Vice President and then to President of WTACRAO and finished as Past President in 1991. She was elected Secretary for TACRAO in 1989. In 2000, Dorothy was elected President-Elect of TACRAO and presided at the annual meeting in Dallas at the Adam's Mark in 2001. Dorothy's list of accomplishments is lengthy, so I will hit just a few highlights. She has served SACRAO and AACRAO in numerous capacities, most notably as a member of the AACRAO Nominations and Elections committee in 2004 and the SACRAO Nominations and Elections Committee in 1997, 2000, 2006, serving as chair of that committee in 2007. She served on the HSU Alumni Board for several years as well as serving on the American Association of University Women board in previous years.

Dorothy and her husband Allen have two sons, Mark and Keith, who live in the Abilene area. Their oldest son Mark is married to Toi and has their only grandchild Kristina. Dorothy looks forward to spending time with family, traveling, and on hobbies. Her passion is supporting the Hardin-Simmons Cowboy and Cowgirl sports teams.

Dorothy noted that her favorite TACRAO experiences included serving with John Hall and Jean Stuart as LAC members and on the Executive Committees. She also enjoyed serving as a Mentor and watching her Mentees grow in the profession.

Her colleagues shared some of the following thoughts: Dave Stones recalled that Dorothy was always ready and willing to help in any way she was asked at conferences. John Hall recalled how much he and Jean Stewart desired to please Dorothy and make the Dallas Conference in 2001 a success for her, and how even good ole' Don Carter from Texas A&M, did his very best to deliver a TACRAO hospitality room with moderation and decorum during the Dallas conference.

I first had the good fortune of being introduced to Dorothy by my friend and mentor, former MSU Registrar Billye Tims, at the TACRAO conference in College Station in 1998. In later years, Dorothy roomed with and mentored me as I shadowed the Dallas and San Antonio LACs in preparation for being LAC of the Wichita Falls conference.

The phrases I personally would use to describe Dorothy are: "Always a lady," dependable, kind-hearted, mentor, colleague, and friend.

It is with great pleasure that on behalf of the TACRAO Honorary Membership and Awards committee, we present her with honorary membership.

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