MSU Administrative Professional Association

John Resotko

1. What is your job title?  Assistant Director, Systems Administration and Support
2. What area of campus (this refers to the area rep info on the APA website, like, East, South, North, etc.) building and department do you work in?  East, the area near the Law College, Broad College of Business.
3. How long have you been at MSU?  My first job was in the basement of the admin building doing phone support for mainframe reporting in January of 1989.  I’ve worked for various colleges and departments over the years since then, with my last 21 years working in the College of Law.
4. How long have you been an Area Representative?  I started as an AR in the spring of 2020 and have continued in this role ever since then. 
5. What do you enjoy most about being an AR?What is the most rewarding part of being an AR? As an AR, I enjoy being a resource for other union members.  Nearly every job I’ve had involved some form of customer support, so I’m used to working with people to find information and solve problems.  I feel like most of my work has helped me train to be an AR. 
6. Why is being a member of the Union important to you and what value does it bring?  In my 20’s, I was not convinced there was much value in unions. I’ve had some pretty bad experiences with other unions at other employers.  As time goes on, I find more and more value in helping people bring their collective voice to matters of fairness and equity in employment.  The need for unions to help employees defend their rights seems more important now than ever before, and I’m glad to do my part in helping people speak up for their rights. 
7. What words of advice do you have for the new hires at MSU?  You are surrounded by other employees with a wide range of experiences, skills, and expertise. Always reach out to those around you for help and advice. Your next mentor may be sitting across the row from you! 
8. What do you love about working at MSU?  This is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever worked.  I can spend my lunch hour in a garden, walking along a river, watching a planetarium show, or a host of other activities. There’s always something going on around campus.  
9. What do you like to do when you are not at work?  I bike and hike with my son.  I’m a stereotypical computer nerd, so I do spend some time online in my favorite MMORPG.  I read, listen to all sorts of music, and enjoy time with my family. We also volunteer at a local animal shelter part time.
10. In high school I was known for chorus, drama club, and tutoring math and computer science.
11. People would be surprised to know I am skilled at music, having played violin, mandolin, recorder, and small harp.
12. I have one older ornery black cat named Suki.
13. I like lots of different music genres so I’d have a difficult time picking a favorite band.
14. I like food too much to have a favorite restaurant, but I could eat Indian food every day!
15. My hobbies include biking, camping, table top RPGs and MMORPGs, games and gaming.
16. My favorite junk food is Chex Mix because, well, it’s awesome! 

The AR’s are appointed by the Executive Board and their role is to assist with distributing APA materials and information and to serve as a resource for members. AR’s are assigned to a geographic area of campus, so if there is not an AR in your immediate building, you can find one nearby. For a list of AR’s go to http://lay.wyz.mybluehost.me/about/area-representatives-2/