Concurrent Sessions V | April 16 | 10:10 AM – 11:00 AM

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Session 5A: Understanding the Financial Impact of Research on Your Institution | 1 CPE Credit

Description 

In an era of slow growth for tuition, demographic challenges, and for public universities, slow growth in state support, research expenditures are the fastest growing source of revenue for some institutions. As a CFO, or finance professional within your institution, what are the basic fundamentals of research you should know. What are Facilities and Administrative Costs, specific types of research contracts, and how does this affect your university's financial performance. How are the revenues generated and how should any F&A reimbursements be distributed back to the units on campus to support their expenses? How should research facilities be financed under this framework. Hear from a Financial Advisor with direct, post-award finance experience and a Director of Contracts and Grants at a major research university in the Southeast about the information you should know and how you can use the information to develop new strategic initiatives in Finance.

Learning Objectives

1. Understand the language of sponsored research --what do the different terms mean for a university, and what do you need to know about the Finance of Research.
2. Understand the research ecosystem, the life cycle of research--and the role of Finance in the research enterprise.
3. Understand the components of direct and indirect costs, and think about possible strategies such as debt financing for your institution, based on that knowledge.

Speakers 

Mary Peloquin-Dodd, Director, PFM Financial Advisors LLC

Mary Peloquin-Dodd is a director in the PFM Higher Education Group. Her role at PFM focuses on alternative delivery and public private partnerships (P3), and strategic finance projects for higher education clients. Typical projects include M&A, asset monetization and disposition, real estate/economic development, financial improvement strategies, and workforce organization solutions.Mary comes to PFM from North Carolina State University, where she served for 10.5 years as Associate Vice Chancellor for Finance and University Treasurer. At NC State, Mary led all central finance departments for NC State, with a staff of 170 professionals, and was responsible for all asset/liability management including investment management. Prior to North Carolina State University,Mary was a Managing Director at Standard & Poor’s (S&P) in New York for 25 years, where she led bond and credit ratings for higher education and not-for-profit corporations.She was a Board Member of the Treasury Institute for Higher Education, and for many years served on the Program Committee as a member and chair of the Annual Symposium. Mary is a Series 50 Registered Municipal Advisor.She holds both a bachelor's and a master's degree from UNC Chapel Hill.

Justo Torres, Director, Contracts and Grants, North Carolina State University

Justo Torres is the Director of Contracts and Grants at North Carolina State University.  Prior to joining NC State in March of 2015, Justo was the Assistant Director of Award Management at UNC Chapel Hill. Justo is an active member of both The Society of Research Administrators (SRA International), where he is a Past President of the Southern Section and the National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA), where he is the Immediate-past Chair for Region III. Justo is a frequent workshop and concurrent session speaker at Regional and National meetings and collaborates with Research Administrators throughout the country to develop his profession. Justo holds an Associate's degree from Miami Dade College and a Bachelor's degree in Public Administration from Florida International University. He held CRA designation from 2003-2013. He has received Advanced Accountability training from the Florida Department of Finance, Compliance training at Florida State University, and is a graduate of the Research Leadership and Development Program at UNC Chapel Hill. Justo is a graduate of the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) 2021-2022 Emerging Leaders Program.

Session 5B: Tools of Effective Leadership: Beyond Debits and Credits | 1 CPE Credit

Description

When I stepped into the role of Director of Finance in February 2022, I became a leader of leaders for the first time in my career. Being a leader is one of the most rewarding (and critically important) aspects of my role. Much of what has made me successful has little to do with Finance and Accounting.  Rather, it is my lived experiences (good and bad) that have made me into the leader that I am today. I welcome the opportunity to share those experiences in the form of testimonials / case studies. I also want to leave the audience with resources that they can leverage after they leave the conference (i.e., Crucial Conversations). The experiences / case studies that I would like to touch on are: soft skill development, lessons in change management, having difficult conversations, building a network, and relying on it, importance of empathy, compassion and belonging, succession planning, evolution of this with my team of 24, "Stay" interviews, 9-box exercise, compensation and equity, coupled with our succession planning efforts, highlights of our successes in this space, coming attractions, 2-year rotation of bespoke experiences, and team champions mentorship

Learning Objectives

1. Understand the importance of soft skills and leave with resources to better understand and build upon those skills
2. Understand what a succession plan is and how to build one using tools such as the 9-box methodology
3. Understand the importance of compensation and the importance of weaving that in with one's succession planning efforts.

Speakers 

Jennifer Gourley, Director of Finance, Vanderbilt University

Jennifer is an empowering servant leader with a unique Finance, Accounting and Operations-focused background. She has historically provided strategic financial leadership and management, combined with audit and other assurance services, to for-profits, not-for-profits, governments, and other entities. Her expertise includes leading financial operations for a distinguished higher education institution and a global manufacturing enterprise that have required her to quickly adapt to changing demands and make an immediate impact.

Tanya Brown, Senior, Vanderbilt University

Tanya Brown is the Senior Director, HR Consulting, Employee and Labor Relations at Vanderbilt University. She has 15 years of experience in Human Resources in many industries including the private sector, public sector, and higher education. Tanya currently leads a team of HR Consultants, who are the primary contact for leaders and employees across the university for matters related to human resources, and workers’ compensation and leave team. Tanya has a Bachelor’s of Arts in Social Sciences with a minor in Psychology from the University of Arizona and a Master’s of Science in Human Resources Strategic Management from Bellevue University.

Session 5C: Procurement Partnership - strategies for an integrated approach to meet your mission | 1 CPE Credit

Description

Participants will be provided best practices to increase collaboration between the Procurement Office and campus departments who require their services. Through the use of planning, innovative sourcing strategies, and effective communications, participants will take away a fresh approach towards fostering an improved relationship with Procurement that results in the highest level of customer support.

Learning Objectives

1. Understand three ways to increase procurement planning
2. Define sourcing strategies and how to foster innovation
3. Apply communication strategies in the most effective ways

Speakers

Rogelio Anasagasti, Assistant Vice President - Chief Procurement Officer, The University of Texas at Austin

Rogelio (Roy) E. Anasagasti is the Assistant Vice President and Chief Procurement Officer for The University of Texas at Austin. Since joining the team in January 2020, he has focused on leading the Procurement and Payment Services (PPS) portfolio through a transformation journey. Focused on becoming the highest-impact public research university in the world, the PPS team is actively transforming their practice to provide a client centric procure to pay service model; anchored on professionalism and providing the greatest client experience to campus while allowing colleges, schools, and units to focus on their core business. Prior to joining The University of Texas at Austin, Mr. Anasagasti was the Executive Director of Procurement Operations at Houston Community College System. In addition, he served as Procurement Director at Jackson Health System and was the Assistant Division Director responsible for all IT procurement at Miami-Dade County, Florida.Mr. Anasagasti holds a Master of Education with two concentrations in Curriculum and Instruction, and Instructional Technology from the University of South Florida. He completed his undergraduate studies at Florida International University and holds dual Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Anthropology.

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Session 5D: Present Better: Storytelling with Data | 1 CPE Credit

Description 

Data presentations do not have to be boring. Use stories. Throughout this presentation, attendees will develop their ability to organize, visualize, and present data-driven stories that engage and inspire through a balance of visualizations paired with the narrative structure.

Learning Objectives

1. To provide an introduction to storytelling with data
2. To introduce principles of effective data visualization
3. To introduce principles of effective communication with data

Speakers 

Abby Koenig, Senior Talent Management, LG&E-KU

Dr. Abby Koenig currently serves as a Senior Talent Management Specialist for LG&E-KU in Louisville, KY. There, she creates and facilitates workshops on leadership development, communication, business acumen, and public speaking, among other topics. Prior to her work in the corporate arena, she was a professor at the University of Louisville in the College of Business. She still teaches part-time for their MBA program, specifically on storytelling with data. She has been a professor for over a decade teaching a variety of communication topics. She has won several teaching awards and has several journal publications on the topic of communication and pedagogy. 

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Session 5E: Strategic Horizons: Navigating Long-Range Planning and All Funds Budgeting - Lessons from the University of Mississippi and East Carolina University | 1 CPE Credit

Description

In this session, East Carolina University (ECU) and the University of Mississippi will share their insights into the implementation of All Funds Budgeting and Long-Range Planning, leveraging new and advanced connected planning software. ECU will share their journey, providing a comprehensive overview of their processes before and after adopting All Funds Budgeting. This includes illustrating past operational models, showcasing the current capabilities, and discussion on the lessons learned throughout the implementation. The University of Mississippi will showcase their robust Long Range Planning tool, sharing their strategic approach, methodologies, and stakeholder engagement strategies. Attendees will gain valuable insights into aligning long-range planning processes with institutional objectives, fostering financial sustainability and transparency.Coming soon! 

Learning Objectives

1. Attendees will gain practical insights into effective long-range planning (LRP) practices and an expanded understanding of practical ways to align LRP processes with institutional objectives, promoting financial sustainability.
2. Attendees will better understand All Funds Budgeting, including practical lessons of best practices when developing an All Funds Budget using modern planning tools.
3. Attendees will obtain practical lessons learned and best practices while transitioning from Excel-based planning processes to modern, connected planning solutions.

Speakers

Justin Martin, Managing Partner, Tru Consulting

Justin Martin is a Managing Partner and Chief Growth Officer at Tru Consulting. At his core, Justin is a problem solver with a passion for connecting people to solutions that enhance their processes and efficiencies. He enjoys addressing pain points with best practices and finding opportunities to shift clients from operational to strategic planning.Prior to joining Tru Consulting, Justin focused on addressing budgeting and planning processes through technology and software, both directly within implementation teams as well as indirectly through product development and thought leadership. Before working in software, his career began at Boston University, serving in a variety of roles including capital and space planning, operations management and school-level budgeting and position planning.Justin holds an M.B.A. with Strategy and Finance concentrations, as well as a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering, both from Boston University.

Stephanie Coleman, Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance, East Carolina University

Stephanie Coleman is the Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance at East Carolina University. Stephanie began her service at ECU in 2004 as an accountant after serving in the NC State Auditors office for 3 years. Stephanie has served in various financial roles over the last 20 years at ECU, including Athletics, Student Affairs and resource allocation and financial planning. Stephanie's current portfolio includes oversight of campus operations, information technology, financial services, human resources, campus safety, auxiliary enterprises and financial planning and analysis. Stephanie holds a BS in Accounting and a MBA. She is also a certified public accountant.

John Christopher Adrian, Senior Director for Business Operations, The University of Mississippi

John joined the University of Mississippi in 2016 and has spent over a decade on the business side of educational institutions. He earned his Bachelor and Master of Accountancy degrees from the University of Mississippi and also holds a graduate certificate in Organizational Behavior. John started his career in public accounting and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Dawn Quist, Director of Financial Planning and Analysis, East Carolina University

Dawn Quist is the Director of Financial Planning and Analysis at East Carolina University. She brings more than 10 years of higher education experience. Her responsibilities include planning, developing, and implementing the institution’s budget for all funding sources. She is responsible for developing short and long-range budgetary projections and implementing financial resource allocation recommendations. Her previous roles at ECU include Accountant for Student Affairs and Business Officer for the Division of Administration and Finance.Dawn received her undergraduate and graduate degrees in Accounting from East Carolina University and is also a certified public accountant in North Carolina.