Mitch Bailey is Sinclair’s Chief of Staff. He essentially manages the day-to-day operations of the President’s office which is on the second floor of Building 12. Bailey’s office is just two doors down and last week I had a chance to sit down with him in order to get an idea of what it’s like to be the chief of staff.
From April 2011 until October 2012, Mitch was the assistant to the President. In late 2012, he was appointed to Chief of Staff to Sinclair President Dr. Steven Johnson. He does everything from assisting the President and Cabinet members in preparation for presentations and meetings to coordinate with the Board of Trustees and other “things and stuff.” According to Bailey, no two days are alike and he is never surprised by what happens to be on his desk that morning. He even joked, stating that his calendar is essentially just the President’s calendar, which can vary depending on the time of the year.
Bailey grew up in eastern and central Kentucky. He began his higher academic career in 1997 at Western Kentucky University. After overcoming some of the things life inevitably threw his way, he graduated with a degree in Communication from Sinclair Community College in 2007. At that point, “I was doing this for me,” Bailey said. Bailey graduated from Capital University with his Bachelor’s in Public Administration before obtaining his Master’s in the same field of study. Bailey was only a full-time student during his last couple semesters at Capital, but didn’t let his full-time work schedule get in the way of his academic success.
Aside from his work as the Chief of Staff, Bailey has had the pleasure to teach a class at Sinclair! He taught American Federal Government in the Fall of 2014. When asked how his first class was, he responded with “Absolutely great–teaching for the first time is exhausting and exhilarating. I always had a great appreciation for teachers and faculty. I respect and appreciate the responsibility of teaching students meaningful and important content without boring them for three hours.” Bailey is certainly open to teaching more classes too; however, during certain times of the year his job does become very hectic.
Bailey’s number one rule of advice is “fake it ‘til you make it.” He even has a wooden sign in his office that advertises the expression. I asked Bailey what this phrase meant to him. “It’s a mindset,” Bailey said. “It’s about having enough confidence in yourself to be able to work through a tough situation using communication and problem-solving skills.
He takes responsibility in ensuring that all Sinclair students are educated on the resources available to them and truly cares about the individual student.
Alex Kennedy
Reporter