Written by Lauren Bucher
Devoted father, golf aficionado, President David Burks’ right-hand man — Nate Copeland fills all these roles.He hobnobs with ASI speakers, prestigious alumni and presidents. He is a fixture in the student center after chapel every day, where he drinks his cup of coffee, a caramel macchiato, with Burks.Every student on campus recognizes Copeland, but an aura of mystery remains about him. Many ask: Who is he? What does he do every day?Copeland’s title is administrative assistant to the president. He said that he essentially fills in wherever he is needed.”There are random duties here and there. There really is not an official job description,” Copeland said. “It’s a really open-ended job description. I do whatever is next. There is not one single day that is the same. Every day is different.”His responsibilities include preparing for chapel, teaching, organizing spring break missions, working on projects for Burks and going to meetings, among other things.Copeland is also the director of spring break missions and teaches a business communication class.”My phone is by me all the time. Sometimes I get a call from Dr. Burks at 10:30 or 11 at night and it’s something having to do with what we are doing tomorrow,” Copeland said. “So I’ll have to come up to the office that night and make sure everything is set up for that.”He said a drawback of the job is being on call.”The worst part is that I am on call 24 hours a day every day of the year,” Copeland said. “If something happens and Dr. Burks needs me, it’s understood that I’m there. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it’s not necessarily a great thing.”However, working closely with Burks also has its perks, Copeland said.”The best part of the job is probably the people I get to meet,” Copeland said. “I have a great opportunity to meet with a lot of people. That goes all the way from students to President Bush. When people come on campus, like ASI speakers, I get the chance to meet them. I love the relationships this job enables me to have.”As a sophomore in college, Copeland began volunteering in the president’s office. After graduating from Harding in 2006 with a degree in Business Management, Copeland was offered a job as Burks’ assistant.In 2008, he received his MBA.”It all started my sophomore year when I was volunteering to run errands and do whatever they needed me to do,” Copeland said. “Daniel Cherry was the sponsor for my club [GSP], and I would come in to chat with him about club stuff. It developed into a full-time volunteer job.”Copeland said that during college he never envisioned himself staying in Searcy but now he cannot see himself leaving. He had planned to go to his hometown, Prattville, Ala., to work at the family business after graduation, but instead was offered a job.”I have developed a passion for higher education and I see myself in some facet being a part of higher education for the rest of my life,” Copeland said. “Whether it be here at Harding or other universities, I see myself working in this field, but the plan is to stay at Harding.”
