Editor’s Note: This is the first in a weekly series about the people and responsibility behind Iowa State’s Government of the Student Body.

It was a job he could design, and Rick Cordaro, chief of staff for the Government of the Student Body, has spent the last nine months perfecting it.

The position of chief of staff, leader of the executive cabinet, has changed slightly from previous years to become a role as coordinator between GSB President T.J. Schneider, GSB Vice President Joe Darr and the members of the cabinet, said Schneider, senior in management information systems.

Cordaro’s primary goal is to organize the cabinet and to ensure the goals of the president and vice president are being met, while keeping the best interests of the students in mind, he said.

Cordaro, senior in electrical engineering, was appointed to his position by Schneider, who, as president, appoints all executive cabinet members.

Schneider said he selected Cordaro on the basis of his prior experience working with him in student government. The two men served on Freshman Council together. Cordaro was also involved with the Student Alumni Leadership Council, where he helped to form the first new student orientation days now known as Destination Iowa State, Schneider said.

Cordaro works with university administration and committees formed by President Gregory Geoffroy.

“Committees are the opportunity for students to give [their] input before it’s too late,” Cordaro said. “Getting information now prevents complaints later.”

Cordaro also works with the ISU administration in planning the university calendar.

Because the chief of staff position is a coordinating role, Cordaro doesn’t get a lot of attention from students, although the initiatives he works on impact students every day.

“Cordaro doesn’t get a lot of attention,” Schneider said. “[He is] more of an internal person.”

Cordaro will be working on several projects throughout the semester.

He will be working with Heather Mitchell, GSB’s director for academic affairs, to get student course evaluations available online. This was one of Schneider and Darr’s campaign promises.

Cordaro is also responsible for helping GSB administration select the next Jack Trice Scholar. The process of determining the recipient of the scholarship involves evaluating students who reflect the outstanding character of Jack Trice.

Working with Myron Batsa, director for student diversity, to improve student diversity on campus also tops Cordaro’s to-do list.

“A lot of students don’t know what GSB does,” Cordaro said. “But the problems are there and have to be dealt with.”