We hope you enjoyed looking back at this fall's events!
Meet Your Leaders
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"Meet Your Leaders" is a feature that helps Finance & Administration staff get to know senior management. Each individual is asked the same 8 questions. This issue, we're getting to know Anna Jensen.
What is your job title and how long have you worked at IU?
Associate Vice President & University Controller. I have been at IU for 23 years!
Where are you from originally and what brought you to IU?
I am a Hoosier native and started as a student at IU. After graduating, I began working in corporate accounting. Six years later, I decided that I really missed living in a college town and took my first position here in accounting in the Spring of 2000.
What departments are a part of your unit?
We have many disciplinary functions in the Controller’s Office, including Financial Reporting, Internal Controls, University Payroll, University Tax, Customer Service, University Accounting and Reporting Services, Cash Accounting, Capital Asset Management, Federal Cost Accounting, University Collections and Loan Services, Financial Systems Administration and Non-Student Accounts Receivable, among several others.
What does a day in the life of your position consist of?
Wow! It is busy. So much of what happens throughout the university touches accounting and financial compliance. I work daily with other organizations both inside and outside of the university. On any given day I could be working with external auditors or consultants, helping to provide requests from outside entities, developing or interpreting policies and procedures, managing issues related to individual payments or technology changes, or working with other UA units to navigate issues that have an accounting or compliance impact. I love the variety in my job and every day brings a new adventure.
What is your favorite thing about your position?
The people, of course! I always say I have the very best team there is. I work closely with UCO staff to solve many highly complex and technical issues on a daily basis. I am humbled every day by the level of skill, intellect, resourcefulness and determination brought by our team members. I am so appreciative of their work and camaraderie. As a bonus, our team has a really great sense of humor and they keep me laughing every day.
What upcoming initiatives or projects are you most excited about?
We have recently been going through many significant transitional changes related to our audit, compliance and financial reporting activities. I am very happy that we have just completed a very successful fiscal year and I am excited about moving forward with many of the changes we have laid out in our UCO strategic plan over the past few years.
What shows or podcasts are you streaming when you're "off the clock?"
I don’t watch a lot of TV. I’m usually a good decade behind on popular shows, but I just recently started watching Yellowstone and I’m definitely hooked.
What's one fact about you that would surprise everyone?
I’m pretty much an open book, but I have loads of hobbies and interests. In addition to keeping up with my four kids, I am an avid reader and always have multiple books going at the same time. I love travel, especially to my husband’s native home in Norway. I am also committed to my family’s annual Disney World pilgrimage and my favorite city to visit is New York. I’m crazy about Broadway musicals. If I have any spare time, I enjoy cooking, gardening, arts and crafts and making never-ending home improvements.
Thank you, Anna, for sharing a bit about yourself with the rest of the division!
Department Updates
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Budget, Finance, and Strategic Planning
The search for the AVP for Budget, Finance, and Strategic Planning continues. The search committee continues to review and interview candidates.
Financial Shared Services (FNSS)
Financial Shared Services has implemented a mechanism to maintain a balanced budget within each University Administration (UA) Responsibility Center (RC). Each UA RC now has an established general fund income account. This income account, along with the utilization of object code 1208 for the recording and distribution of revenue, will allow for consistency across UA RCs for internal budgeting and actuals reporting. Additionally, this will allow for a standardized, consistent statement of income and expense (SIE) report and budget to actuals report across UA. This sets the foundation for consistent, clear, data that will allow for analysis and monitoring to inform leaders of the financial health of their area and enable more strategic decision making as it applies to financial resources.
The partnership between Office of the Vice President for International Affairs and our colleagues at IU Foundation and IU Alumni Association received national recognition from a leading professional organization, the Institute of International Education (IIE). The organization awarded IU the 2023 IIE Heiskell Award for Models of International Education Financial Support. In connection with this award, IUF Director of International Advancement, Maarten Bout, commended the work of the FNSS-International Affairs team comprised of Laura Kremer, Alex Burch, Alexa Lang, and Kim Foust with these kind words:
"It cannot be overstated how much your contributions help make international advancement a success. Efficiently and appropriately awarding the enormous variety of scholarships that have been generated through philanthropy is the magic sauce that makes it all work. Without the students receiving the gift funding to do these amazing things, especially those who couldn’t even dream of doing this for lack of funding, this just would not be a reality. Thank you for all your hard work and for making it possible for us to create a now award-winning model of supporting international education."
Additionally, Finance Shared Services Business Manager for International Affairs Education Abroad Laura Kremer was honored at October’s 9th Annual Conference of the Higher Education International Business Officers (HEIBO) as one of the HEIBO Members of the Year. Laura was selected by her peers in recognition of her many years of service on HEIBO’s steering committee, her active participation in HEIBO’s mentoring program where she has been working with her co-honoree, and her unwavering collegiality, volunteerism, and commitment to furthering the goal of effective financial management of study abroad that reduces barriers to participation while always supporting best practices for student travel safety and academic integrity.
University Budget Office
With budgeting season just around the corner, the University Budget Office team has released this year's Operating Budget Calendar. The first project, opening in early December, is the Five-Year Model which captures high-level revenue and expenses estimates from all 7 IU campuses and University Administration. This year’s model will include the latest methodology from the Budget Redesign project.
Financial Training, & Communication
Angus Burke has been building a new Payments Guide for International Guests, working with subject matter experts to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the guide’s information. The guide will follow the entire process, from before guest visits through to tracking payments after the fact. This updated guide will be published on the Training website and replace the existing International Payments Quick Guide hosted on the Controller’s website. He has also been working on expanding change request documentation on the training website.
The P-Card Essentials training compliance deadline is right around the corner! Responsible cardholders of P-Cards must complete the training and pass the final assessment by January 15, 2024. Sarah Chavez has been reviewing the course content with Card Services staff to tweak some of the material. An updated version of the course will be available before the end of the year.
IU Public Safety
Units within IU Public Safety came together to provide the following tips to help you prepare for winter weather:
- Make sure your IU Notify contact information is up to date, so you will receive alerts about campus status changes.
- Check weather forecasts and travel advisories routinely and follow official guidance.
- Have an emergency kit at home and in your car.
- Remember to keep valuables out of sight and either lock them up or take them home with you if you plan to be away from the office for an extended period during winter break.
- Power down your space for the campus break to reduce energy consumption.
- Report icy conditions on campus walkways or water leaks to your campus’ Capital Planning and Facilities group.
In other Public Safety news, teams have been preparing for the total solar eclipse that will occur on April 8, 2024 for more than two years. IU Bloomington, IUPUI, IU East, IU Kokomo and IUPUC are in the path of totality with nearly all other campuses and centers being very close to the path. Public Safety is involved in numerous aspects of planning with Deputy Superintendent Brad Seifers serving as a lead on the university-wide solar eclipse task force. The Emergency Management and Continuity team is developing guidance to prepare for the influx of activity and campus visitors during the eclipse and will hold tabletop exercises in the new year to further test IU’s plans and response.
Emergency Management and Continuity (EMC)
We're excited to introduce John Hanson, our new Northern Division Director for Emergency Management and Continuity. With 25 years of experience in the fire service, John brings valuable expertise to our team. As a former deputy chief and incident commander, John has a proven track record in handling emergency incidents, developing guidelines, training personnel, and creating emergency action plans for large events. In his new role, John will ensure the safety of our IU Northwest and IU South Bend campuses by overseeing multiple emergency management programs, ranging from developing a Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan to conducting fire drills.
Environmental Health & Safety (EHS)
Kevin Mouser has worked for IU for more than 33 years. He joined the Environmental Health and Safety team at IUPUI in 1990 as its Environmental Manager. Nearly thirty years later, he became the Laboratory Safety Manager. Most recently, he served as the interim Research Safety Director. His contributions to the safety and well-being of the faculty, staff, students, and visitors of IUPUI have been incredible. In retirement, he plans to focus on spending more time with his family. We wish him health and happiness as he leaves his professional life at IU.
Welcome to Smitha Rayadurg, Director of Research Safety for Environmental Health and Safety. Smitha has an extensive background in both laboratory safety and biosafety from the private and public sectors including consulting, academia, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In her role, she will provide direction to the EHS Research Safety group in the areas of chemical, laboratory, and biological safety. She will serve as a resource in complex chemical risk assessments and help provide guidance in harmonizing research safety operations across all campuses.
IU Police Department
Congratulations to Officer Aaron Roberts on his retirement. For 25 years, Roberts served the IU community, and for 12 of those years he was at IU East.
Under the leadership of Major Heather Braun, the IU Police Department continues to make progress in the process in achieving accreditation through the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators. IUPD’s goal is to achieve accreditation in fall 2024.
Office of the Treasurer
University Bursar
University Bursar served as an alpha client for Nelnet to develop a new online application for external sponsors. The portal went fully live in September. Matt Gonzalez and Sara (Hawk) Baize played a critical role in developing the application that will be used by institutions across the country. The self-service portal will allow external sponsors to view their account status and billing statements, as well as make payments using ACH or credit card all online at any time of the day. The portal will significantly reduce manual work and position us for success in the future.
A new bursar collections campaign started in September. The new collections cycle is student focused with an emphasis on getting students to graduation. University Bursar partnered with Marketing & Communications to redesign all student communications and started using text messaging as an additional method to contact students. Picture below is of Dawn Cordray doing a demo for the staff.
Treasury Operations
Treasury Operations recently used Microsoft’s Power Platform to automate several processes with a credit card vendor. Since the vendor uses outdated technology, the team leveraged Microsoft’s AI to ‘read’ documents, match that data with IU credit card merchants, and populate templates that can be used to create general ledger documents. The process improvements have reduced the amount of time spent every month matching up fees to merchants and improved the turnaround time for bank reconciliation.
Insurance, Loss, Control & Claims (INLOCC)
Certification training and continuing education is a high priority for the Loss Control division of INLOCC. Most of the department’s 18 Inspectors, including Associate Director Mel Lane, are certified as Inspector II through the Indiana Board of Firefighting Personnel Standards and Education. Our 4 new Inspectors either already had this level of Certification or are scheduled to complete these courses in early 2024.
In addition to this high level of Inspection Certification, many of the Inspectors have specialized training in several related fields including, Fire Investigation, Building Construction, Plan Review, Hazardous Materials, Medical & Emergency Response, Active Shooter, School Safety, and countless other areas. The commitment to “always be training” coupled with the hundreds of years of combined service in Public Safety by our staff makes INLOCC uniquely qualified to carry out the critical function of Safety & Prevention. Each of our Inspectors takes their role very seriously and is committed to serving with dedication, professionalism, and integrity. Thank you to these Inspectors for your efforts in completing Certification training in 2023.
Inspectors Alex Mahurin, Rob Thomas, Josh O’Brien, and Linda Braunlin, from INLOCC, attended the Alabama Fire School in 2023 where they acquired their Fire Inspector II Certification.
Inspector Amanda Owens, also from INLOCC, attended classes in November 2023 and acquired her Fire Investigator I Certification.
Procurement Services
Continuous Improvement
There are currently 4 continuous improvement projects underway in our division. This year, two of the projects are Kaizen events, meaning they are rapid improvement projects. The other two are longer, more traditional projects. A summary of each follow:
- Foreign Payee Onboarding: Goal is to improve the registration process for foreign payees by eliminating back and forth between the payee and IU.
- Surplus Storage: Goal is to identify everything our division has in storage at IU Surplus with the intention of reducing or eliminating things no longer needed and saving storage fees.
- SAM Registration: Goal is to improve the process for IU units registering to do business with the Federal Government through System for Award Management (SAM).
- Accounts Payable Exceptions: Goal is to reduce the number of exception (non-invoice) documents that Accounts Payable receives, thereby reducing touches and processing overage costs.
We would like to recognize the following team members, including several staff from units outside the EVPFA division, who are participating in these projects:
| Participant Name | Department |
| Sara Baize | University Bursar |
| Thora Berndt | Urology |
| Kris Blevins | Supplier Data Management |
| Alex Burch | Finance Shared Services |
| Jennifer Burns | Finance Shared Services |
| Mary Byrde | Accounts Payable |
| Cindi Carter | Travel Management Services |
| Amanda Coats | Purchasing |
| Kaelie Dobson | Accounts Payable |
| Kimberly Foust | Finance Shared Services |
| Lauren Fox | University Enrollment Services |
| Denise Gardiner | Finance Shared Services |
| Amber Hanners | University Tax Services |
| Maggie Harrell | Internal Controls |
| Cody Hines | Finance Shared Services |
| Veronica Hites | Finance Shared Services |
| Laura Hudson | University Budget Office |
| Laura Kremer | Finance Shared Services |
| Ipek Martin | Operational Effectiveness |
| Lora Monix | UCO Customer Service |
| Tyler Nichols | Supplier Data Management |
| Heather Pawluk | Research Administration |
| Ali Piovesan | Accounts Payable |
| Melissa Smith | Treasury Operations |
| Sarah Soper | University Enrollment Services |
| Jason Ross | Supplier Data Management |
| Aaron Hawes | Supplier Data Management |
You can learn more about these projects & our continuous improvement efforts at: EVPFA Continuous Improvement.
Purchasing
Stephanie Shockley and Jennifer Guynn were each promoted to Strategic Sourcing Diversity Manager, effective November 1. Stephanie was previously a Category Manager focused on Professional Services. Jennifer was also a Category Manager and focused on IT.
Supplier Data Management (SDM)
The SDM team welcomed two new team members recently! Barb Medcoff joined the team as a SDM Specialist and Katharine (Kate) Hibler took on the role of Procurement Onboarding Consultant.
Barb lived in Alaska for 7 years where she earned her second degree, a BFA in Photography and Printmaking. She has over 100 tabletop games, not one of which is Monopoly, and two cats, Astrid and Salvador. She has a small side business called Something Snappy where she sells her artwork and hand-crafted purses and wallets.
Kate loves to garden and has a small following for the pickles she makes. Pet-wise, she has two pitbull mixes who greatly outweigh her, and she loves acupuncture.
Travel Management Services
Valerie Brenes is the newest member of the Travel team, having joined in September as a Customer Service Consultant. Valerie studied Business Tourism/Hospitality (B.A.) with a minor in Ballet at Arizona State University. Passionate about all things travel and customer service, Valerie is excited to learn more about IU and what it means to be a Hoosier.
Outside of work, Valerie is an avid reader, writer, gardener, coffee lover, travel enthusiast, foodie, and dog mom of 2. She and her boyfriend, Ivan, have two pups: Abu and Kiwi. Abu is a 7-year-old Pekingese/Shih Tzu mix with a grumpy face and a passion for bananas, blankets, and sunny patches. He’s 8 pounds of all bark, no bite. Kiwi, on the other hand, is an 18-week-old German Shepherd/Husky mix with a need for speed! She is full of energy, and if she’s got something to say, she’s not scared to let her inner Husky show! She loves to run, snuggle, play tug, eat (emphasis on eat), and drive her parents crazy with her puppy antics. Welcome to the team, Valerie! We’re excited you’re here.
Office of the University Controller (UCO)
We’re pleased to announce that Holly Hooper has rejoined the UCO team as a Project Management Specialist! She has taken over for Mardi Leonard who retired at the end of October. Holly has been with IU for nearly 9 years in a variety of roles, most recently serving as the Associate Director for the Office of Financial Wellness & Education. Prior to that she served in several different roles at the university including as an Administrative Assistant for UCO. Holly holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Indiana State University.
When not at work Holly enjoys spending time with her circus which includes a daughter, dog, and 3 cats.
Capital Asset Management
Sherry Kapperman also returned to the UCO team late this fall as the Capital Asset Manager. Sherry oversees the capital asset operations and assists with lease reconciliations. Prior to UCO, Sherry was part of the IU Internal Audit team, the Manager of Finance and Reporting for Bloomington Facilities Operations, and part of FMS Accounts Payable. Sherry holds a B.A. in Business Administration from Augustana University, an MBA from Indiana State University, and graduate certificate in Business Analytics from IU Kelley Direct. Sherry is licensed as a certified public accountant in the state of Indiana.
Sherry lives in Bloomington with her husband of 20 years and daughter. She enjoys going to her daughter’s school sporting events, going to the cabin with her family on weekends, and baking.
Cash Accounting
UCO is pleased to announce the recent hire of Neil Cindrich for our Staff Accountant, Cash and University Administration Accounting position. Neil has been an Accounting Fellow since March and previously worked in UARS as a Recharge Accounting Consultant. As a Fellow, Neil did a great job assisting with Cash Accounting tasks and projects as well as preparing journal entries and footnotes for the university’s Annual Financial Report/Audit.
He obtained his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Purdue University, Fort Wayne. He recently completed the accounting experience requirement and is now an official CPA! Prior to his accounting education, Neil obtained a bachelor’s degree in music with a minor in political science. We are excited to have Neil continue working on our team!
Gift & Grant Accounting
In October, UCO welcomed Jenny Spors-Hill into the newly created role, Gift & Grant Accountant. Jenny will be UCO’s primary liaison with the IU Foundation and Office of Research Administration. Prior to coming to IU, Jenny started her career at Deloitte where she earned the CPA designation. She then worked at DePauw University for 10 years where she held various titles including Director of Endowment Accounting and Associate Controller. She holds a B.A. in Economics & Management from DePauw University and an M.S. in Accounting from the Kelley School of Business.
Jenny lives in Plainfield and enjoys reading, hiking, and cooking with her family. She is always looking for a great book recommendation (any genre!) and loves hearing about others’ trips and adventures.
University Accounting & Reporting Services (UARS)
Robyn Fraizer joined the UCO Team as the University Accounting & Reporting Services Manager and University Chart Manager in September. Robyn is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran with a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Accounting and a Master of Science in Accounting. Robyn has over 30 years of accounting management experience in a variety of finance and accounting roles; and most recently served as the Controller at Tasus, Inc.
Robyn and her husband moved to Bloomington three years ago from the Chicagoland area to be closer to their two grandchildren and son, who is an IU Alumni and teaches at Tri-North. In addition to her son, she has a daughter who still resides in the northern suburbs of Chicago. In her free time, Robyn enjoys listening to music, cooking (finding new recipes), trying new restaurants, and spending time with family. She loves to travel and is currently working on visiting the local attractions around the Bloomington area.
Please join us in welcoming Jason Dunn to the UARS team. Jason will serve as a Senior Accountant, act as an accounting consultant for assigned Constituent Reporting Units (CRUs), support interim and year-end closing activities, support the development and maintenance of the Controller’s Office Reporting Tools, collaborate on other reporting initiatives, maintain functional content on the UCO website and assist other areas within UARS.
Jason holds a B.A. in Accounting, a B.B.A and M.S. in Information Systems from Mississippi State. Throughout his career, he has also earned the following certifications: CPA, CMA, CIA, CFE, CCSA and CRMA. Prior to coming to IU, Jason spent much of his career at Helena Agri-Enterprises, LLC, where he served as an Internal Auditor for nine years, and a Division Operations Manager for approximately six years.
Jason lives in Westfield, Indiana. In Jason’s spare time, he enjoys running and has participated in races ranging from a 5K through a full marathon in various locations such as Memphis, Indianapolis, New Orleans, St. Louis, Nashville, San Antonio, and Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL, as well as Disneyland in California.
A big welcome to Allison Sanchez who joined the UARS Team in September! Allison received a Bachelor of Business Administration from Saint Mary’s College at Notre Dame, IN and most recently worked in the finance and accounting department at Mike’s Carwash.
In her free time, Allison enjoys spending time in nature, camping, hiking, or walking her dog, Archie. She loves reading, traveling, and spending time with family. Allison and her husband recently purchased a fixer upper home in Bloomington. She has been loving learning new skills through the home renovation process and can finally justify all the hours spent watching HGTV as “research.”
University Tax Services
Congratulations to Bryce Adair on his promotion to Tax Manager in October! Bryce is a Kelley grad from IUPUI and a CPA. He was born and raised in Indiana and is a lifelong IU fan. He previously worked for 8 years in a small public accounting firm in downtown Indianapolis called LaRosa and Co, and he has spent the last 2 years in the Senior Tax Position in UCO. He lives in Plainfield, IN with his wife Liz, 3-year-old daughter Lily, 1-year-old daughter Maya, and two dogs, Finn and Fiona.
The Lunchroom
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We kicked off the Lunch & Learn season with a bang this year! On September 28, F&A colleagues gathered at IU Bloomington’s Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall for a guided tour behind the scenes, complete with a foreword by IU Women’s Basketball Coach Teri Moren.
The tour took us through the impressive student athlete lounge, funded by and named after former IU basketball superstars, Victor Oladipo and Cody Zeller, as well as the $25,000 each club seats usually occupied by generous sponsors. We also got to see locker rooms, press rooms, and practice courts while Women’s basketball team members practiced free throws! The photo opportunities were non-stop.
Missed the tour? No problem! Check out all the excitement in the photo carousel below.
