Puzzles, Pathways, Progress: Jodi Kessler
Career Conversations
Higher Ed Tax Expert Shares Career Journey from Criminal Law to Global Operations Jodi Kessler, director of tax and global operations at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, discovered her passion for tax law while studying criminal law at Ohio State University. After taking a tax class that presented the field as an engaging puzzle with clear rules and strategic planning opportunities, she shifted her focus and began her higher education career at Ohio State in 2008, later moving to Harvard before settling at MIT. At MIT, Kessler's role has expanded...
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Seizing Opportunities, Driving Growth: Travis Ball
Career Conversations
Building a Higher Ed Business Career from the Ground Up Travis Ball, executive director of business services and chief procurement officer at East Texas A&M University in Commerce, Texas, shares his progression from working at a local feed store to becoming a strategic leader in higher education operations. Through a chance phone call offering a purchasing position at the Texas Department of Transportation, Ball discovered his career path and eventually transitioned to higher education in 2005. Over his 20-year tenure at East Texas A&M, Ball has expanded beyond procurement to oversee...
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From Monologues to Metrics: Venessa Ortega
Career Conversations
In this episode of Career Conversations, Christine Simone talks with Venessa Ortega, director of campus budget administration at the University of Colorado at Boulder (Boulder, CO). Ortega shares her unique career journey from professional theater in Chicago to higher education finance, beginning with a BFA in Theater and six years as a professional actress before discovering an unexpected passion for Excel while working in an administrative role. This interest led her to pursue a master's degree in accounting and eventually join the University of Colorado at Boulder's budget office, where she...
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Building System-Wide Impact: Joe Sobieralski
Career Conversations
Building a Legacy Through Versatility and Purpose Joe Sobieralski, senior associate vice president for administration and business affairs and university treasurer at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, SC, shares his journey from athletics to finance leadership. In this episode, host Christine Simone explores how intentional career moves and mentorship shaped Sobieralski's path in higher education business. The episode explores key themes including transitioning from athletics administration to university finance, the value of versatility in higher education leadership, and...
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Student Service Innovation: Chris Foster
Career Conversations
From First-Gen to Financial Leader: Chris Foster's Journey Chris Foster, associate vice president of student accounting and integrated student services at the University of North Texas in Denton, shares his path from being a first-generation college student to leading transformative student services initiatives. His story begins with a pivotal moment in a Texas Tech University hallway, where a kind financial aid staff member helped chart his college path—an experience he carries with him through his guiding principle that "Some stranger somewhere remembers you because you were kind to them."...
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Authentic Financial Transformation: Stephanie Mayer
Career Conversations
Finding Your Authentic Path in Higher Education Finance On this episode of Career Conversations, NACUBO director of leadership development Christine Simone talks with Stephanie Mayer, budget analyst at Montclair State University in Montclair, New Jersey. After eight years in corporate utility finance at PSENG, Mayer discovered her calling through teaching finance as an adjunct professor, which led her to pursue both an MBA and Ph.D. while maintaining her corporate role. This parallel path eventually guided her to full-time higher education finance, where she combined her quantitative expertise...
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Building Strategic Bridges: Derrick Sawyer
Career Conversations
Derrick Sawyer's 20-year journey in higher education business and finance traces back to an entrepreneurial start at Delaware State University, where he managed a student-run food business and later the campus newspaper's finances. Currently serving as associate vice president of budgets, business services and risk management at Community College of Philadelphia, his path led through key roles at Temple University and Drexel University before landing in his current position. Sawyer offers unique insights from his experience across diverse institution types, from an HBCU to major...
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Building Financial Excellence: Meyroodjy Delva
Career Conversations
As senior director of technical accounting and reporting at Howard University in Washington, DC, Meyroodjy Delva discovered his passion for accounting in high school through a business computer class. Now leading financial operations at his alma mater, Delva shares his journey from Big Four accounting to higher education leadership. In this episode, Delva discusses his transition from public accounting at KPMG to higher education during COVID-19, and how he built high-performing financial teams at Howard. He shares insights on navigating major institutional challenges including ERP...
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The Power of Financial Data: Kate Smith
Career Conversations
Kate Smith, controller at Maryville University in St. Louis, Missouri, brings a wealth of experience in transforming higher education finance through innovative approaches to data and modeling. In this episode, Smith shares her journey from public accounting to higher education, including her work with nonprofits, an 8-year stint at higher ed marketing firm mStoner, and her role as controller at Logan University before joining Maryville's team of 10,000 students. Smith emphasizes the critical shift happening in higher education finance, moving from traditional historical reporting to...
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Genuine, Collective, Imperfect Leadership: Isaiah Behnke
Career Conversations
In this episode of NACUBO's Career Conversations podcast, host Christine Simone sits down with Isaiah Behnke, director of student finance at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA. Isaiah shares his unique career journey, which he describes as an "improvised jazz session" rather than a scripted symphony, with twists and turns that led him to his current role at UVA. He discusses a pivotal moment of being laid off early in his career, which taught him the importance of embracing discomfort and vulnerability. Isaiah also explains his leadership philosophy based on three core...
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