As we prepare for SITE’s annual Call for Volunteers, opening September 30, we’re spotlighting a member whose volunteer journey shows just how far getting involved can take you.
From serving as SITE President to being on the SITE International Board of Directors and to now leading the Technology & AI Taskforce, Nitin Sachdeva shares what his experience has meant to him, what he’s most proud of, and his advice for members considering volunteer and leadership opportunities within SITE.
What has this experience meant to you?
Serving on the SITE IBOD, including as President through 2025, has been one of the most meaningful chapters of my professional life. Beyond the visible work, this experience taught me something I didn’t fully expect: leadership means having the opportunity—and the obligation—to make hard, sometimes unpopular decisions, not for what’s easiest in the moment, but for what’s right for the organization in the long run. That’s a different muscle than running your own business, where the trade-offs are yours alone to live with. On a board, you’re weighing them on behalf of a community, and that changes how carefully you have to think.
What are you most proud of from your time serving on the Board?
SITE was growing during my time on the board, and growth like that needs unglamorous work underneath it — clearer governance, clearer policies and procedures, clearer expectations for both board and staff. That work is hard not because it’s technically difficult, but because it touches people, roles, and long-standing ways of doing things. Getting it done in a way that moved SITE forward smoothly, without unnecessary conflict, took real care. Seeing that progress take hold was genuinely fulfilling, and the time I spent working alongside both board and staff leadership through it is one of the things I’ll value most.
More recently, establishing and leading our Technology & AI Taskforce has let me focus that same instinct forward — helping set SITE up to meet the next phase of our industry, rather than react to it once it arrives.
What advice would you give to members considering board service or leadership opportunities within SITE?
Go in with a builder’s mindset, not just a networker’s. The real value you can add is often in the unglamorous things nobody else wants to own — the policy nobody wants to rewrite, the process everyone complains about, but no one fixes. And be ready for the harder part too: at some point you’ll have to make a call that isn’t popular with everyone, and you’ll have to make it anyway, because that’s what the organization needs from you. Say yes to the committee work before you say yes to the title — that’s where you learn whether you actually want to do this.
Ready to Get Involved?
SITE’s annual Call for Volunteers opens on September 30! Be on the lookout for more information on how you can get involved.
In the meantime, visit our volunteer webpage to explore the different committees and communities available, learn more about the application process, and see how to apply once the window opens. You’ll also find instructions for updating your profile to stay connected with SITE communities and receive their communications—even if you’re not ready to commit to a volunteer role try!
Nitin Sachdeva,
SITE Immediate Past President
