Symposium Workshop
Saturday, Feb. 8 | 1:20 p.m. | Union Ballroom E
"Let's Balance!" is a board game designed as a fun, interactive way to train student leaders by simulating the process of balancing an SGA budget. Student governments are often responsible for allocating millions of dollars in student activity fees, yet the students making these decisions often have little budgeting experience. In this session, participants will play “Let’s Balance!” and learn how it can be adapted for their own student government to not only equip student leaders with the tools they need to make impactful budget decisions, but also to make the SGA budget process much more transparent for their student body and other campus stakeholders.
About the speaker
Andy Johnson is the Program Director for Student Governance & Advocacy at Florida State University. Working with hundreds of FSU’s most accomplished and motivated students each year, Andy also has the unique opportunity to help prepare student leaders for professional success by helping them to build effective relationships with the University’s Administration team and business partners throughout the campus community, helping them to think and govern strategically and in partnership with other branches of SGA, sharing best practices in governance and familiarizing them with the principles of effective board-executive relations, and much more.
Prior to joining FSU in 2023, Andy served in senior leadership roles with two county governments in Florida. During that time, he planned and implemented COVID-19 relief and recovery assistance campaigns utilizing federal CARES Act and American Rescue Plan Act funds; led the development of After Action Reports for Hurricanes Hermine, Irma, and Michael, leading to the successful implementation of more than 200 specific recommendations to improve emergency management, response, and recovery efforts.
Andy holds Master’s Degrees in Public Administration and Urban & Regional Planning as well as certificates in Florida City and County Management and Real Estate Development from FSU. He believes strongly in the principle of “leaving the world in a better place than you found it,” and as such, he is passionate about helping the next generation of leaders to develop their skills and grow professionally.