WACUBO 2026 Speakers and Session Titles

Bonnie Taylor

Bonnie Taylor is Senior Director of Business Operations for Arizona Online at the University of Arizona. With 15 years in higher education, she leads strategic planning and operations, builds cross-functional partnerships, and champions culture, employee development, and women in leadership.

Autumn Cleveland

Autumn Cleveland is the Operations Coordinator for Arizona Online at the University of Arizona, supporting five statewide locations. With 15 years in higher ed, she’s known for strengthening team culture, streamlining processes, and fostering collaboration.

Colleen Coleman

Colleen Coleman is the Communications Manager for Arizona Online at the University of Arizona, leading all internal and external strategy. She previously directed communications at Sarver Heart Center and was an award-winning news producer at KOLD 13.

Eric Ray

Eric has over 25 years of Human Resources leadership leading large teams through various levels of change. He brings a people-focused, solution-orientated to add value to organizations.

Brandon Bernier

Brandon Bernier serves as the Vice President for IT and CIO for CSU-Ft. Collins and the CSU-System which includes CSU-Pueblo, CSU-SPUR, and the CSU-System Office. In his role, he provides system-wide leadership on IT strategy, policy, and engagement with multi-campus stakeholders focusing on the alignment of technology to the teaching, learning, research, and outreach missions of CSU.

Emily Claffey

Emily has 13 years of HR professional experience with 8 of those years in higher education. Currently serving as the Deputy Director for the CSU System’s Workday HCM Implementation and an HR professional supporting System IT, blending HR expertise and program leadership with an emphasis on a people centered approach and system-wide operational excellence.

Vimol Mitchell

Vimol Mitchell, Associate Director of Building Maintenance & Operations at University of Colorado (CU) Anschutz, has 36+ years in maintenance, operations, and project management, including 26 in leadership. A retired Navy Chief and former HVAC instructor, he holds an MA in Curriculum & Instruction and a BS in Occupational Education.

Alexandria Tannehill

Alexandria Tannehill, Training & Development Program Manager for Facilities Services at University of Colorado (CU) Anschutz spent nine years teaching high school science before moving into professional development. She holds a BS in Biology and a teaching license, specializing in coaching, development, and designing training programs to support professional growth.

Alicia Harper

Alicia Harper, Customer Service Manager for Facilities Management at University of Colorado (CU) Anschutz for nearly 17 years, oversees the customer service center, training, elevator contracts, CMMS, and events. She has led safety and compliance initiatives, supported LMS implementation, and contributed to the success of apprentice and internship programs.

Darcy Frailey

Darcy is a strategic planning and organizational transformation expert with 10+ years in higher education, currently as an internal consultant at UC San Diego. He specializes in AI implementation, process improvement, and cross-functional team development. His background includes senior consulting roles at Deloitte, an MS in Org Dev and certifications in Change Management and Lean Six Sigma.

Gaby Dominguez

Jessica Pham

Ruth Johnston

Vice President, NACUBO Consulting, current. Vice Chancellor and Chief Operating Officer, New Mexico State University, 2019 - 2023. Vice Chancellor, Planning & Management, UW Bothell, 2016 - 2019. Associate Vice President, Planning and Administration, UW Seattle and earlier roles back to 1980.

Ken Kline

Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for the College of Western Idaho, where he oversees Finance, Budget, Information Technology, Human Resources, and Institutional Effectiveness. Ken has also been Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Clarkson University, AVice President of Budget and Planning at Boise State University, Budget Director at Northern Kentucky University, and Business Systems and Financial Planning Manager at Cornell

David Maddox

David Maddox has worked with colleges and universities across the U.S. in developing financial models and budget systems, assessing organizational models and administrative costs, and building new operating and funding models. His areas of expertise include resource allocation models, decision models, and the launch of major new initiatives.

Sarah Phillips

Sarah Phillips joined Portland State University in 2019 and has been working in higher education for over 10 years, mainly in supervisory and management positions. Before moving to Oregon, Sarah lived on the east coast, where she worked for an environmental non-profit before beginning her career in university administration. She enjoys being outdoors, usually with a bike, a snowboard, or a dog.

Janis Rutherford

Janis Rutherford is the Assistant Dean of Finance & Administration in the College of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Science at the University of Arizona (UA). With over 21 years in Higher Ed, she has led multiple business offices through complex financial operations while championing growth, and resilience. Janis holds a Master's degree in Center for the Study of Higher Education from UA.

Taylor Grogg

Taylor is the Manager for the Rates and Review team at the University of Arizona, overseeing division-wide process improvements and partnering with business officers to streamline operations within CALES. With prior experience in the nonprofit and health sectors, she holds an MPH, BS in Public Health, and is a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt.

Sonia Jones

Sonia brings 14 years of Human Resource experience to the University of Arizona, in the College of Agriculture, Life, and Environmental Science. She specializes in HR systems, talent acquisition, policy implementation, and workforce analytics. With a strong technical skill set, Sonia streamlines HR processes and supports strategic organizational goals effectively.

Kenneth Kline

Ken Kline is Vice President for Finance and Administration at the College of Western Idaho, with 18+ years of leadership experience across five institutions. He has led major financial and operational initiatives, presented nationally, and is known for aligning strategy with execution to drive institutional transformation.

Shawn Miller

Shawn has led HR operations in public education, city government, higher education, and the private sector. With 20 years of experience in employment law and people operations, Shawn brings deep expertise in workplace culture, investigations, and organizational development—plus a passion for mentoring and beekeeping.

Bradley D. Olin

Dr. Bradley D. Olin, Vice President for Business & Financial Affairs and Chief Financial Officer at California State University (CSU) Channel Islands, provides strategic leadership for finance, planning, and administration. With prior roles at Cabrillo College, the CSU Chancellor’s Office, and San José State, he is recognized for advancing fiscal resiliency, workforce planning, and innovative resource stewardship in higher education.

MariaElena Plaza

Dr. MariaElena Plaza, Associate Vice President for Human Resources and HRO at CSU Channel Islands, leads HR strategy, labor relations, and talent management. She brings extensive expertise in workforce planning, equity, and organizational development, advancing initiatives that align people and practices with institutional priorities to strengthen resilience and innovation in higher education.

Lisa Woods

Ms. Lisa Woods is the Executive Director of University Budget, Resource Planning & Analysis at CSU Channel Islands, where she oversees budgeting, financial planning, and resource alignment. She partners with academic and administrative leaders to ensure fiscal sustainability, transparency, and the effective allocation of resources in support of CSUCI’s mission and strategic priorities.

Grace Crvarich

Grace Crvarich leads University of California, Irvine (UCI)’s DFA Program Development & Execution unit, providing project and change management for divisional and campuswide initiatives. A Certified Prosci Change Management Practitioner with 25+ years in higher ed, she has led complex, high-impact projects at Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine, UC San Francisco, and UC Berkeley.

Abbey Jeliazkova

Abbey Jeliazkova supports organizational effectiveness and strategic planning initiatives for UC Irvine’s DFA, focusing on process improvement and change management. She holds a B.A. in communications and business administration, an MBA, and certifications in PMP, Prosci change management, and ICF coaching. Abbey is a dynamic and collaborative training and communication professional and project manager. She is passionate about leveraging her energy, skills, and experience in supporting individual and organizational learning and growth, leadership development, and change management.

Carla Hoʻā

Carla Hoʻā is a seasoned leader in higher education, recognized for her strategic, mission-oriented approach. She has a proven track record in resource strategy creation, developing fiscal resilience, and leading transformative initiatives that support organizational success. Known for her collaborative style, Carla fosters innovation and builds resilient operational frameworks.

Param Narayanan

As Director of Business Analytics at UCSD Health Sciences, Param Narayanan leads the rollout of a connected planning and budgeting tool in Anaplan. This work is transforming siloed shadow systems reporting into efficient automated solutions. With 15 years of experience building impactful solutions in finance and business systems, he is an expert in leveraging data to drive strategic decisions.

Robert Nelson

Monica Gudea

Emily Parkhurst

Emily Parkhurst was the interim president of Cornish College of the Arts from July 2024 to August 2025, and spent five years on the Cornish Board of Trustees. She negotiated an asset contribution agreement with Seattle University that brought Cornish under the SU umbrella. She was previously the president of the Puget Sound Business Journal and now runs her own media company called Formidable.

Matt Skinner

Matt is Vice President for Finance and Business Services and Deputy Chief Financial Officer, a CPA, and a certified change management professional. He brings deep expertise in organizational transformation, integrating financial, operational, and cultural strategy to lead change and improve institutional outcomes.

Gerik Kimble

Gerik, Executive Director for Business System Operations and Process Improvement, is a certified change management professional with expertise in system planning, process optimization, and organizational alignment. His engaging facilitation style makes complex change concepts accessible and actionable.

Michael Iniguez

As Vice President of FP&A, I lead several critical financial processes at NU, i.e.,  annual budgeting, long-range planning, tuition pricing, and workforce planning, for over 2,000 full-time faculty and staff, who support over 50,000 students annually across 190 programs. I am privileged to work with a small, but talented, team who are focused on collaboration and innovation.

Lisa Hutton

Dean Hutton, an academic leader since 2005, is passionate about championing higher educational opportunities for all learners. As the Dean of the College of Law and Public Service, she is immensely proud of the College’s exceptional academic programs, the caring and qualified faculty, and is laser focused on ensuring a student experience centered on engagement, belonging and success.

Jessica Pham

Barbara Cevallos

Responsible for the development and implementation of accounting and financial policies for the University of California and its ten campuses and foundations, five medical centers, UC Retirement System, and national labs. She oversees the operations of systemwide accounting and financial reporting, tax compliance, costing policy and analysis, as well as payroll compliance and financial systems.

Megan Villasenor

Megan has 20 years of experience in higher education and currently serves as the chief of staff to the associate vice president and systemwide controller for the University of California. She has extensive experience leading transformation, reorganizations, and strategic planning efforts.

Sara Walsh

Sara Walsh is Executive Dean of Finance and Administration at Brown University’s School of Public Health with over 18 years of higher education finance experience. She specializes in strategic financial planning, operational efficiency, and cross-functional initiatives. Sara holds an MSF from Suffolk University and a BS in Business Administration from Boston University.

Richard Scannell

Richard Scannell has championed occupancy analytics at universities across the US and abroad. As executive sponsor for institutions like Harvard, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Purdue, NSU Florida, and Brown University, he helps partners leverage AI and Wi-Fi analytics to drive operational excellence, including NSU Florida’s recent $100 million in savings and cost avoidance.

Connie Brady

Connie Brady, Senior Associate Dean for Academic Operations in the College of Design and CBSO at the University of Oregon, is a certified change management practitioner known for collaborative leadership. Her expertise in organizational effectiveness makes her a vital contributor to shared services strategy.

Jenna Schuttpelz

Jenna Schuttpelz, Senior Director of Talent Acquisition and Class and Compensation (TACC) at the University of Oregon, is a subject matter expert in HR strategy, classification, and compensation. She bridges academic and central units through shared services, making her uniquely qualified to present on collaborative models that streamline operations and enhance service delivery.

Michele Civiello

Michele Civiello possesses an MBA in advanced strategy and leadership and is passionate about cultivating a culture of inclusivity and belonging. Michele is currently an Associate Director of HR and Payroll and excels at bridging gaps and empowering individuals and teams to collaborate effectively, ultimately driving success and innovation.

Antonio Nava

Tony has trained thousands of staff in Lean Six Sigma and process mapping as the Programs Director at OSI. His recent work has focused on applying AI to processes.

Jessica Pham

Jessica is the program lead for the Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt program, which empowers staff to analyze processes and recommend data-driven solutions.

Giselle Martin

Dr. Giselle F. Martin is a transformational leader focused on the success of the people she leads. She holds a Doctor of Education in Organization & Leadership. During her doctoral studies she focused on leadership theories. Prior to this work, she completed a Master of Public Administration also focusing on leadership theories. Today she strives to inspire others to reach their full potential!

Mary Herbert

Mary Herbert is a principal leadership coach and consultant at Teibel Education Consulting with over 15 years of experience in organizational change management. For nearly a decade, she has served as a principal organizational consultant, leading multi-year change programs for institutions worldwide.

Jessica Pham

Ramona Agrela

Ramona Agrela is the senior university official responsible for all human resources administration and operations for both the University of California, Irvine (UCI) campus and UCI Health academic health system. Agrela helps organizational leaders achieve their strategic goals through progressive talent management strategies, and is responsible for programs, policies, and human resources support for over 34,000 employees.

Michelle Quint

Michelle Quint, Vice President of UCI Health & Associate Vice Chancellor of HR at UC Irvine, has over 20 years of expertise in human resources, including labor and employee relations. A forward-thinking, collaborative leader, she has driven innovation, strengthened teams, and made a lasting impact on UCI’s success.

Anthony Morrone

Anthony Morrone, FAAC®, got his start in higher education back in 2002 at the front desk of the financial aid office at Prescott College. He now serves as Associate Vice President for Student Financial Services at Nevada State University, where he leads a combined team overseeing Financial Aid, Veterans Affairs, Student Employment, Student Accounts, and Cashiering.

Darcy is a strategic planning and organizational transformation expert with 10+ years in higher education, currently as an internal consultant at UC San Diego. He specializes in AI implementation, process improvement, and cross-functional team development. His background includes senior consulting roles at Deloitte, an MS in Org Dev and certifications in Change Management and Lean Six Sigma.

Lori Hartung

Lori S. Hartung is a seasoned leader in the higher education sector, currently serving as the Regional Sales Executive for ECSI. With over 34 years of experience, she has held key roles, including Regional Director of Sales in the accounts receivable management industry, and Senior Manager of Industry and Government Relations for a student loan servicing company.

Wendy Grier

Wendy Grier of TouchNet brings over 25 years of experience in Higher Education, partnering with colleges and universities across the U.S. She has deep expertise in IT systems and has worked extensively with platforms such as Workday, Ellucian, and Oracle Applications. Based in Austin, TX, Wendy currently supports clients on the West Coast.

Bonnie Taylor

Bonnie Taylor is Sr. Director of Business Operations for Arizona Online at the University of Arizona. With 15 years in higher education administration, she leads strategic planning and operations, builds cross-functional partnerships, and champions culture, employee development, and women in leadership. She holds a Masters in Public Administration and a certificate in Organizational Development.

Autumn Cleveland

Autumn Cleveland is the Operations Coordinator for Arizona Online at the University of Arizona, supporting five statewide locations. With 15 years in higher ed, she’s known for strengthening team culture, streamlining processes, and fostering collaboration. A passionate community advocate, Autumn builds people-centered systems that support resilience and connection.

Colleen Coleman

Colleen Coleman is the Communications Manager for Arizona Online at the University of Arizona, leading all internal and external strategy. She previously directed communications at Sarver Heart Center in Tucson, and was an award-winning news producer at KOLD 13. Colleen holds a master’s in Marketing from Eller and a journalism degree from the University of Missouri.

Neal Robison

Neal Robison is a previous WACUBO presenter and an accomplished executive with a history in people leadership and technology, across prominent organizations like Apple and SEGA. He currently serves as Director of People Development for Western Governors University, dedicating his time to unlocking the potential of others with the advent of AI.

Kristy Cutter-Rogers

Kristy is the Executive Director for Finance and Administration at Cal Poly’s Orfalea College of Business, where she takes care of money, people, and things. She leads her team with a blend of strategy and humor, guiding them through thoughtful AI integration to reduce workload, spark curiosity, and make new tech feel a little less scary.