Shelby Catalano was appointed as the new Missouri Students Associations Budget Committee chairwoman Saturday night. The appointment came after her predecessor, senator McKenzie Morris, was elected Senate Speaker.
A senator for two and a half years — all spent in the Budget Committee — and close to wrapping up her third year, Catalano said she has experience. Before her appointment, she served as co-chair to the previous two chairmen of the Budget Committee.
But when she was first elected as an MSA senator, her interest was not in working on the budget, she said.
“There were actually no girls in the Budget Committee at one point, so I kind of infiltrated it there and became the only female member for about two semesters,” Catalano said.
After two semesters of being the only woman on the Budget Committee, more began to join, Catalano said.
Despite her experience, it is Catalano’s leadership style and ideas that allowed her to obtain the appointment, she said.
After the Student Fee Review Committee was no longer a part of the Budget Committee in spring 2012, Catalano said she wanted to fill the void it left, doing so by created an eight-step process for senator to read and understand MSA’s budget, Catalano said.
“This will effectively help Budget Committee become more of an influence in the budgetary process, and the vice president will be able to utilize us just a little more,” Catalano said.
When it comes to heading the Budget Committee, Catalano said she considers herself a servant leader. Committee members consider Catalano a friend and know they can approach her and ask just about anything, she said.
Down the road, Catalano said she doesn’t care about whether or not she is remembered, but she would like to see the Budget Committee remain stable and coherent.
“I want (the Budget Committee) to be something that’s easy enough for other people who come in after me to keep on doing,” Catalano said.