Concurrent Sessions II | May 1 | 10:45 AM – 12:00 PM 

Doug Everhart, Director of Student Wellness and Health Promotion, University of California Irvine  
After completing a B.S. in Engineering at the University of Redlands in 1989, Doug began his student affairs career in housing/residence life. He also dabbled in career services, recreation, student activities, orientation and Greek Life. After identifying his passion for substance abuse prevention, he completed a M.A. in Education (Counseling) in 1991, also from the University of Redlands, and developed a comprehensive substance abuse prevention program. He moved to the University of California, Riverside in 1998, where he successfully built a comprehensive health education program over 12 years. In 2010, he accepted a position as Alcohol Programs Manager at the University of California, Irvine. He was named Interim Director in February, 2011 and eventually became the permanent Director in May, 2013. Most recently, Doug has been involved with building the United States Health Promoting Campuses Network, serving on the national leadership team and helping campuses adopt the Okanagan Charter.

Chris Martin, Vice President for Finance and Administration, CFO, Salt Lake Community College
Chris serves as the Vice President for Finance and Administration, and Chief Financial Officer for Salt Lake Community College. In this role, Chris’ primary focus is ensuring access to affordable, high-quality, relevant educational opportunities for all students while maintaining strong financial stability and operational effectiveness for all stakeholders. Overseeing both facilities and capital projects as well as human resources, Chris is especially interested in the intersection of well-being and physical space and place. Previously, Chris served at North Idaho College as the Vice President for Business and Financial Affairs from July 2014 to January 2022. Chris has experience leading finance, facility, and human resource divisions at colleges in Idaho, Kansas, and Texas.

Blueprint for Becoming an Ally for Accessibility: UNLV's Digital Accessibility Ambassador Program
Eligible for 1.5 Specialized Knowledge CPE Credits

A culture of digital accessibility enables faculty, staff, and students with disabilities and health concerns to participate equally, and has been an important step toward building universal access at UNLV. The Accessibility Ambassador program identifies department representatives to act as the first line of accessibility support for their team. The session will discuss the successes and challenges of starting the program and how ambassadors advocate for accessibility in their departments. We will hear from the ambassadors, themselves, about what inspires them to be accessibility allies daily and share practical tips that others can use to support a culture shift at their institution.

1. Describe the benefits of becoming an Ally for Accessibility
2. Locate resources to help build accessibility knowledge and skills 
3. Apply UNLV's blueprint for developing an accessibility ambassador program at your institution

Heather M. Ortiz, Director of Communication, University of Nevada, Las Vegas  Heather Ortiz is the director of communication for UNLV’s Business Affairs division. She has more than 10 years of experience in public relations, journalism, and internal communication. She is committed to making information equitable and accessible to all. 




 

Jerra E. Strong, Web Accessibility Specialist, University of Nevada, Las Vegas With a background in engineering, Jerra Strong (he/him) is a web accessibility specialist and digital accessibility subject matter expert at the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) with over five years of experience providing technology support and training in higher education.

Inclusive Governance Structures in Budget Planning and Decision Making
Eligible for 1.5 Business Management & Organization CPE Credits

In order to successfully design and implement a new budget model at University of Colorado, Boulder, project leaders and executive sponsors knew their approach had to be authentically collaborative. In this presentation, vice chancellor for academic resource management Ann Schmiesing and assistant vice chancellor for budget management Mandy Cole will share how they leveraged the expertise of their consulting partners while balancing the culture, experiences and goals of campus stakeholders. They will share questions, ideas and practices that resulted in a budget model built by University of Colorado Boulder for University of Colorado Boulder.

Over the last two years the University of Denver has created a new campus-level University Budget Advisory Committee. This group is populated by students, faculty, staff, and administrators from diverse backgrounds and levels of finance ability. Learn how DU was able to effectively utilize a university-level budget advisory committee to leverage positive change and improve both communication and understanding of the budget processes and policies on our campus.

1. Identify strategies to build an inclusive project governance structure
2. Define decision-making opportunities at each level of governance
3. Identify opportunities for communication and engagement with stakeholders

Dr. Linda Kosten, Interim Senior Vice Chancellor for Business and Financial Affairs and University Treasurer for the University of Denver
Linda Kosten, Ph.D., is the Interim Senior Vice Chancellor for Business and Financial Affairs and University Treasurer for the University of Denver in Denver, Colorado. In her role, Linda develops and implements financial policies that deliver the resources and services necessary for the continued advancement of the University’s mission and strategic plan. Linda is the primary communicator of fiscal affairs to the Chancellor, senior leadership, the Board of Trustees, as well as to other internal and external stakeholders. As a key member of the Chancellor’s staff, she works closely with leadership to develop operational policies and deliver the resources and services necessary for the continued advancement of the University. She oversees the controller’s office, University financial services, internal audit, budget, and enterprise risk management. Linda also manages the development of budget and coordinates multi-year financial planning. Linda has served DU for 30 years, since 2006 at the University level. She has her PhD in higher education, with a cognate in the MBA core courses, from University of Denver. Linda’s book, Decentralized Budgeting and the Academic Dean: Perspectives on the Effectiveness of Responsibility Center Management (2009), explores the effectiveness of RCM from the perspectives of 146 deans at 27 universities. She has consulted with other universities investigating a transition to decentralized budgeting, worked with the Lumina Foundation on investigating the connections between states’ outcomes-based funding policies and responsibility center management, and currently teaches finance in higher education at the graduate level.

Ann Schmiesing, Vice Chancellor for Academic Resource Management, University of Colorado Boulder 
Ann Schmiesing is Vice Chancellor for Academic Resource Management at the University of Colorado Boulder, where she is also a professor of German. She received her PhD from the University of Cambridge in 1996. A faculty member at the University Colorado Boulder since 1995, she has served as department chair, dean of the Graduate School, and director of a residential academic program. In her current role, she collaborates with various university offices to manage academic resources in support of the university’s mission as a comprehensive public teaching and research institution. She oversees the Graduate School, Continuing Education, CU Boulder Online, and research infrastructure. In 2018, she became co-leader of CU Boulder’s Financial Futures initiative, aimed at optimizing alignment of the university’s resources with its mission and enhancing its financial resilience. Between 2020 and 2022, she served as co-chair of the budget model redesign Strategic Alignment Committee.

Mandy Cole, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Budget Management, University of Colorado Boulder 
Mandy Cole is the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Budget Management at the University of Colorado Boulder. In her role managing the institutional budget, Mandy co-chaired the budget model Design Committee and helped guide the budget model design and implementation. She has developed ongoing processes in support of the budget model and is leading the selection and implementation of a budget planning system. Prior to her role at CU Boulder, Mandy served as the Assistant Vice President for Operations Strategy at Kansas State University. At K-State, she was responsible for the creation and implementation of finance and HR shared services and led campus efficiency efforts. Mandy has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and International Studies from the University of Iowa and has a Master’s in Business Administration from Kansas State University.

Using Enrollment Analytics to support College Planning and Budgeting
Eligible for 1.5 Management Services CPE Credits

The Division of Enrollment Management at UCI has led the institution in the development of a holistic Enrollment Management Analytics (EMA) system that centralizes student enrollment data and provides a suite of analytic tools to support the full range of enrollment management and student success. The system is used to support a broad range of the institution’s operational planning and student success initiatives including: admissions, enrollment, student success, school planning, and post-graduation tracking. The development of a centralized EMA system provides critical business intelligence to help improve students’ time to degree through effective management of bottleneck courses; improves student retention and graduation rates through early identification.

1. Demonstrate how a centralized analytics system can produce actionable intelligence to support academic planning and budgeting.
2. Discuss how a comprehensive analytics system can create operational efficiencies that can alleviate time spent on administrative tasks.
3. Contrast the differences between an analytics system and a data warehouse and how an analytics system can be used to manage academic programs, assess the effectiveness of co-curricular programming, identify and understand student enrollment behavior and track students from recruitment and after they graduate.

Jovonte Willis, Director of Enrollment Management Analytics, Office of Enrollment Management, UC Irvine

Jovonte Willis is the Director of Data Analytics. In this role, he supports strategy and decision-making, performs research and conducts data analysis, generates and distributes reports to campus leaders and stakeholders, and built and manages the Enrollment Management Data Analytics system. Prior to joining UCI, Jovonte held several related roles in the California State University System including as director of the office of institutional research and business intelligence at California State University, Stanislaus. Jovonte earned a B.S. in Economics and an M.S. in Data Science.

Tony Hwang, Executive Director, Office of Enrollment Management, UC Irvine

Dr. Hwang supports the Vice Provost of Enrollment Management in developing and executing the strategic enrollment management plan. He guides, supports, and assesses new and existing strategic initiatives and provides leadership and support to meet strategic enrollment goals. Tony oversees the data analytics unit and manages OEM information systems. Prior to joining Enrollment Management, he directed the federal TRIO program, Upward Bound, to help support and increase the college-going rates for low-income and first-generation students. He began his advocacy of underrepresented students in higher education by first, working directly with students and their families through the UC’s outreach efforts, then through programming and curriculum development, and eventually moving into the space where he can participate in campus operations and policy setting.

Innovations for Big Impact: Tackling Decentralized Receivables

Eligible for 1.5 Management Services CPE Credits

We live in a digital age, but why doesn’t it feel like it sometimes? Your institution has likely made significant investments in information technology, focused on achieving greater automation, yet challenges remain. Universities face common inefficiencies that systems and current processes haven’t addressed yet, such as recording, reconciling, and reporting cash receipts in an efficient and timely manner.  How can your organization realize greater productivity through innovative solutions and ultimately reduce staff burden?

• Overcome internal challenges to innovate, balancing the increased speed of change while maintaining an appropriate level of consensus and buy-in 
• Leverage technologies readily available through your existing service providers, including payment processes, data and reporting tools. Identify enhanced data opportunities and integrations to enable straight-through processing to financial systems and reporting to maximize the utility of your current resources
• Utilize financial systems to help maximize existing tools, decrease administrative burdens and drive operational excellence
• Align your organization and staff to consistently process receivables accurately and timely. Optimize your bank account structure for greater visibility, accountability and productivity across stakeholders

Jeffery Nordstrom, Executive Director, Higher Education and Nonprofit Industry Specialist, J. P. Morgan Chase 

Jeff Nordstrom serves as a Higher Education and Nonprofit Industry Solutions Specialist within J.P. Morgan’s Commercial Bank.  With 20 years’ experience in Higher Education, Jeff consults with organizations to understand their strategic goals and unique operational challenges in order to streamline processes, driving efficiencies and financial benefits.  Ultimately, this empowers organizations to focus on their mission. 

Prior to joining J.P. Morgan, Jeff directed key controllership and treasury functions for Caltech and UCLA and affiliated nonprofits, collaborating with diverse stakeholders to deliver results on complex initiatives and providing financial services for investments, treasury & banking, merchant services, cash receipts processing, cash management, accounting, ERP integrations, and financial reporting.

Stanford Park, Senior Manager,  Treasury, University of Arizona

Lori Snow, Director, Cash Management & Operations, Stanford University 

Lori Snow is an enthusiastic career-long finance and treasury professional who has worked in Fortune 100 corporate environments, commercial banking, local government agencies, and for the last 7 years in higher education at Stanford University as Director, Cash Management & Operations reporting to the Treasurer. As an entrepreneur she was the founder and Managing Partner for the now-defunct Treasury Intelligence, Inc., advocating for clients to lower their financial costs and gain operating efficiencies in their businesses. While living in South Africa, she completed her MBA in Finance at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. She is a Certified Treasury Professional (CTP) with the Association of Financial Professionals. Earlier she completed her undergraduate degree in Economics at the State University of New York at Albany. She regularly volunteers for non-profits and has served on the Board of the San Francisco Treasury Management Association and was formerly on the board of the Rocky Mountain AFP and the San Mateo County Treasury Oversight Committee. She moved to the Bay Area from Denver, Colorado to be closer to family and indulge her passion for hiking in the Redwoods. She has three unique and talented children.

Cryptocurrency in Higher Education – What a Difference a Year Makes
Eligible for 1.5 Specialized Knowledge CPE Credits

Cryptocurrency has revolutionized payment acceptance, investment allocation, and philanthropy models across many sectors. Traditionally, the higher education sector has been slow to adopt new practices. However, higher education institutions that have accepted cryptocurrency have opened new philanthropy and tuition payment channels. How are higher education and not-for-profit institutions navigating this still nascent $3 billion asset class, from tuition acceptance to philanthropy policy to investment allocation? How are they handling cryptocurrency amid recent volatility and in light of the implosion of FTX? To help higher education leaders navigate these questions, Moss Adams and Hilltop Securities will share insights garnered from the current best practices in the industry as well as the results and analysis generated from an industry-wide comprehensive survey. We will share how institutions should be thinking about cryptocurrency from policy development, risk mitigation, payment/liquidation mechanics, and the current practices around its accounting treatment. Join us for this session in which we’ll share insights on the survey findings, and industry best practices, and discuss factors to consider as you’re making an intentional decision as to whether to adopt cryptocurrency in some fashion at your institution.

1. Define cryptocurrency and identify the major types of cryptocurrencies
2. Identify circumstances when institutions may consider cryptocurrency
3. Describe strategies to consider when setting up an organization to accept cryptocurrency
4. Explain recent volatility and the collapse of FTX on the decision to adopt cryptocurrency

Ali Chalak, Partner, Moss Adams

Ali has practiced public accounting since 2006. He serves a diverse spectrum of not-for-profit organization and governmental entities, providing assurance and consulting services to micro-lenders, private and public foundations, associations, multiservice not-for-profit entities, and universities. Ali audits many organizations receiving federal funding under Uniform Guidance for Federal Awards (formerly OMB Circular A-133).

 

Michael Dymond, Assistant Vice President, Hilltop Securities 

Michael Dymond is an Assistant Vice President with Hilltop Securities, where he is part of the higher education public finance group. At Hilltop Michael is active in the group’s municipal advisory and underwriting practice, where he supports higher education clients as they seek to raise debt capital, and the group’s strategic advisory practice, where he supports higher education clients in the context of strategic partnership activities. Michael joined Hilltop from Prager & Company, where he conducted the same work.

Previously Michael spent four years as an economic consultant with Analysis Group, where he specialized in valuation and M&A disputes in the context of complex corporate litigation, and a year and a half with S&P Global in a commodity strategy group, where he published on trends impacting oil markets.

Michael received his undergraduate degree in economics from the University of Rochester and his MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.

 Presented by Moss Adams

Rethinking Traditional Campus Convenience Stores
Eligible for 1.5 Production CPE Credits

Aifi C-Stores are state-of-the-art technology and the first of their kind on a university campus. The C-Stores are seamless, cashier-less markets featuring a massive selection of ready-made, fresh, and shelf-stable foods as well as home goods, personal needs, and more! Options are available for vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free diets, as well. Walk in and simply walk out with your desired products without having to check out at a cash register. This new technology provides an added benefit to students being able to further utilize their meal plan and also provides for a peace of mind for parents that may be helping pay for their student’s education. Furthermore, with the rising cost of wages this allows the operation to curb labor costs and operate 24/7 autonomously. This session will include the experience and lessons learned from implementation at the University of Denver

1. Describe how implementing new technology on a campus can attract new and retain current students via additional “Wow Factors” at community gathering points.
2. Create a sustainable solution on campus that will drive financial revenue, curb ongoing expenses that are susceptible to the market and prevent interruptions of business via new technology.
3.  Identify where these solutions might be a good fit, who can provide them and what it takes to implement.  

Janet Burkhardt, Assistant Vice Chancellor, University of Denver 

Janet Burkhardt serves as the Assistant Vice Chancellor of University Financial Services at the University of Denver. Her areas of emphasis are business process re-engineering, risk reduction and improving the student experience with administrative offices. She regularly presents at the NACUBO Student Financial Services annual conference and Ellucian Live. Janet has held both technical and management positions, she uses these two perspectives to address challenges faced by the Bursar’s Offices, Procurement, Accounts Payable and Payroll departments.

 

AJ Francavilla, Senior Director, Digital Experience, Sodexo 

AJ has been with Sodexo since 2008. Today, as the Senior Director of Digital Experience for North America, he leads a team that is responsible for several strategic initiatives aimed at enhancing the customer experience and providing convenience like Click& Mobile Commerce, Automated Retail, and the Digital Connections Portfolio, which leverages industry trends, consumer insights & feedback to deliver roadmaps and innovative new solutions for the business. He joined Sodexo as an intern for campus dining and continued his career in Campus Marketing, leading the segment’s early efforts around barcoding, POS and mobile ordering. He played a key role in establishing the segment’s first digital solutions portfolio, “digitalU” and supported key strategic business development and retention efforts both nationally and internationally.AJ is Chair Emeritus for the US PRIDE EBRG after serving 8+ years on the leadership team and is the current Co-Lead of Sodexo’s Global Pride network.

Kyle Schmella, District Manager, Sodexo 

Kyle Schmella is a district manager for Sodexo in the State of Colorado. Joining Sodexo during his undergraduate degree he quickly fell in love with the food and beverage industry. After pursuing personal fulfillment interests as a wildland firefighter and serving as a Civil Affairs medic in the United States Army, he quickly re-joined Sodexo. Kyle has led the company in a variety of roles across the United States. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Finance from Northern Arizona University and a Master of Business Administration from Grand Canyon University.

 

Presented by Sodexo

Schedule-at-a-Glance