Gallaudet’s Jean Cubizar selected for 2017-18 NACUBO Fellows Program

This press release was issued by NACUBO on May 9, 2017: http://www.nacubo.org/About_NACUBO/Press_Room/16_Emerging_Higher_Education_Leaders_Selected_for_2017-18_NACUBO_Fellows_Program.html

(Washington, D.C.)-A group of 16 exceptional business and finance professionals from colleges and universities across the country has been selected by the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) as the second cohort of the NACUBO Fellows Program.

The NACUBO Fellows Program, which debuted in 2016, is an intensive one-year professional development program designed to prepare promising professionals for leadership positions in higher education business and finance. Over the course of the year, Fellows will work together and with higher education presidents, provosts, and chief business officers (CBOs) to deepen their knowledge of business management, institutional communications, and the expanding role of the CBO on campus. They will also evaluate and enhance their own leadership skills as they learn the core competencies needed to succeed as CBOs.

NACUBO welcomes the following Fellows for 2017-18:

• Scott Bitner, University of Maryland, Baltimore, associate vice president, budget and finance
• Mary Ellen Borchers, Capital University, assistant vice president, business and finance
• Jonica Burke, Shawnee State University, director, enterprise resource planning and financial services
• Dennis Butler, Marquette University, comptroller
• Jean Cibuzar, Gallaudet University, executive director, finance
• Terence Finley, Prairie View A&M University, leadership development and organizational excellence officer
• Scott Frew, Dartmouth College, assistant vice president for finance and treasury management
• Eileen Gerenz, Massachusetts Bay Community College, associate vice president for finance and administration
• Stephen Hietsch, Dickinson College, associate vice president, auxiliary services and budget management
• Lisa Imbragulio, Samford University, associate vice president for business and financial affairs
• C. Aaron LeMay, University of North Texas System, senior associate controller
• David Moore, George Mason University, assistant vice president and chief budget officer
• Matthew Skinner, Washington State University, associate vice president for finance
• Joseph Sobieralski, University of South Carolina, budget director
• Sara Thorndike, University of North Carolina Wilmington, associate vice chancellor for finance and controller
• Linda Thornton, Carleton College, comptroller

“NACUBO Fellows have an extraordinary opportunity to build a strong network of future CBOs from across the country who will be available for advice, support, and cross-pollination of ideas as they move into the CBO role,” said Natalie “Nikki” Krawitz, NACUBO Fellows Program advisor and retired vice president of finance and administration at the University of Missouri System. “Through access to a variety of leadership experts, experiences, and assessment tools, the Fellows also have an opportunity to develop deep insight into their leadership style, strengths, and weaknesses, which is sure to have an impact on their effectiveness as leaders on campus.”

Leadership development is increasingly important in the higher education business office. NACUBO research shows that more than 43 percent of chief business officers surveyed in 2016 said their next career move will be retirement, with about 44 percent of those respondents planning to retire in three years or fewer. Thirty-seven percent of CBOs reported their institutions have no type of succession plan in place for when they step down.

“With each new cohort of NACUBO Fellows, the talent pipeline to the chief business officer role strengthens, diversifies, and grows,” said Marta Perez Drake, vice president of professional development at NACUBO. “We are excited to build upon a successful first year of the NACUBO Fellows Program as we prepare this impressive new group of aspiring chief business officers to successfully steer colleges and universities in the future.”

The NACUBO Fellows Program will formally kick off during a workshop preceding the NACUBO 2017 Annual Meeting in Minneapolis this summer. For more information on the NACUBO Fellows Program, contact Elizabeth LaRocca at elarocca@nacubo.org. Media inquiries can be directed to Katy Hopkins McCreary at kmccreary@nacubo.org.

About NACUBO
NACUBO, founded in 1962, is a nonprofit professional organization representing chief administrative and financial officers at more than 2,100 colleges and universities across the country. NACUBO’s mission is to advance the economic viability, business practices, and support for higher education institutions in pursuit of their missions. For more information, visit www.nacubo.org.