The All Staff Council Recognition Committee recognized Finance and Administration with a Bulldog Applause. Many thanks to the staff of Finance and Administration for all that you do for Drake and your unwavering dedication to the University. See the interview below for more information:

How many staff members are in the department? 10

What is the primary function of the team? The office of Finance and Administration is responsible for a wide range of business functions across the university under the direction of the Chief Financial Officer, Adam Voigts, and Chief Administration Officer, Venessa Macro. Business functions included in this recognition are the Budget Office, Controller’s Office, Treasurer’s Office, Financial Reporting, Insurance and Risk Management, and Administrative Support Specialists.

What staff member has been on the team the longest, their job title and length of employment? Nancy Crittenden, associate treasurer, 22 years

Who is the newest team member and their job title? Heather Winslow, administrative services specialist

What campus building/s do your team members “live” in? Old Main

What are some recent accomplishments that others in the University might not know about? The Office of Risk & Insurance recently completely revamped their web site (found here) to include comprehensive and updated materials for the campus on issues like contracting, driving safety, student trip procedures, and insurance protocols. Over the past year, Donita Greenough and Kelly Foster have developed many new policies and resources for use by the campus community. Not only have they developed these processes “on paper” they have also spent countless hours helping students, faculty and staff navigate the new requirements and ensuring everyone has the resources they need. Both Kelly and Donita have built strong relationships on campus, helping to advance safety and best practice policies across their areas of responsibility.

The Treasurer’s Office staff including Nancy and Kathy have taken on the monumental task of switching the expenditure of restricted and endowed funds from running through the operating budget to spending directly from each restricted or endowed spending fund.  This transition will be complete by the end of the fiscal year and will result in far fewer transactions running through our general ledger and will make our operating budget much more clean and easier to compare from year to year.

The administrative office of Finance, including Heather Winslow, wears many hats and supports a variety of functions. Heather Winslow exhibits a true “All In This Together” mentality as she assists with roles from the CFO office, purchasing, and payroll. Most recently, Heather assisted the Cashier’s Office in a time where there was low staffing levels.

The Budget Office including Matt Probasco continues to engage the campus community in meaningful ways to support and manage the University’s budget. Matt recently completed a cost spending analysis with the assistance of an outside consultant. The analysis is just one example of the ongoing efforts from this office to manage University resources.

The Controller’s Office manages several functions on campus including student accounts, accounting, payroll, and financial reporting. To highlight a couple of recent accomplishments, Heather Travis and Brad Steffen have been instrumental in securing and applying funding to support University resources through the pandemic. The University has secured $12.3 million of funding from the Higher Education Emergency Relief fund and approximately $46,000 from the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund. Efforts to secure over $1 million in funding from FEMA and other available resources are ongoing. Heather Travis and Brad Steffen have also been involved in the administrative efforts surrounding a recent refinancing of our long term debt, which will result in significant savings for the University. The Controller’s Office continues to seek out ways to work more efficiently and effectively with campus. In support of this, this office has been working to implement Self Service Banner 9 Finance (SSB9). SSB9 will allow for the electronic submission and routing of approvals for payment requests, journal entries, and budget changes. It will also provide a mechanism for the campus community to report on budget results in a more efficient manner. Anticipated rollout of SSB9 to campus will be later this spring.

How does this staff foster a sense of community and belonging through their activities or sharing together here at Drake? Maintaining strong relationships across campus, both in person and via virtual means. Remaining available to meet with student groups, as well as departments across campus.

Other noteworthy information: We are always here to help and stand ready to serve the campus community in any way possible.

— Teresa Downs, On behalf of the All Staff Council Recognition Committee