2023 Fall Workshop | Concurrent Sessions 8

November 3, 2023 | 10:50 AM–11:40 AM

Accounting Track 8 | From the Trenches of Grants Management

Accounting (Governmental): 1 CPE Credit

Description

Take a dive into the trenches of grants management with Greg Miller, Director, and Darshana Shyamsunder, Managing Consultant of FORVIS. This session will cover internal controls and will take a look at the risk assessments that can be required under the Uniform Guidance. We will also discuss subrecipient monitoring, review of single audit preparation, and give tips on best practices and lessons learned through experience when working under 2 CFR 200.

Learning Objectives

Identify internal controls and risk assessments.
Evaluate subrecipient monitoring and single audit preparation.
Give examples of best practices and lessons learned.

Speakers

Greg Miller, Director, FORVIS, LLP

Greg is the Nonprofit, Higher Education and Public Sector Market Industry Leader of FORVIS’ Virginia practice. Greg brings 15 years of public accounting experience focusing his practice on the delivery of accounting, auditing, and consulting services for Nonprofit, Higher Education and Public Sector entities.

Greg provides an array of accounting and assurance services to his clients including financial and compliance audits under Government Auditing Standards and Uniform Guidance, as well as advisory projects ranging from the adoption and implementation of new GASB pronouncements to complying with ARPA funding requirements. He also leverages his participation on GFOA’s Special Review Executive Committee to assist entities in obtaining and maintaining their GFOA Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting.
Greg is member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants and the Government Finance Officers Association, frequently speaking at conferences on topics relevant to financial reporting and compliance.

He is a graduate of The Citadel with a bachelor of science degree in business administration, concentration in accounting.

Darshana Shyamsunder, Grants Management Consultant, FORVIS, LLP

Darshana Shyamsunder is a member of FORVIS’ Public Sector Advisory Services - National Grants Management Practice, which provides a variety of consulting services to federal, state, local and tribal governments. Darshana has more than 13 years of grants administration and project management experience. Her key experience includes grant writing, grants management, strategic planning, and program operations. Her grants management experience includes working on projects involving Internal Revenue Service, CARES Act, and ARPA funding.

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Concurrent Session 8A | REPEAT: Data in Finance: Projecting Intra-Year Cash Flow Using Data Analytics

Finance: 1 CPE Credit

Description

Featuring Tableau, this presentation will provide an overview of the design, development, methodology, challenges and deployment of the University of Maryland's maiden, mid-year forecasting tool.Story - We plan on introducing our methodology for developing a tool for best accurately projecting end year balances.Purpose - Our goal was to design baseline assumptions for forecasting EOY balances for the purpose of providing the Colleges a mid-year planning tool capable of identifying potential surpluses and deficits and realigning their financial plan with their strategic mission.Challenges - unique revenue/expense streams and data literacy.

Learning Objectives

Attendees will be able to describe how to develop, design and deploy a financial projection tool.
Attendees will be able to identify key financial data sources/inputs required to develop a financial projection tool.
Attendees will be able to describe a working, operational financial forecast model.

Speakers

Dylan Baker, Assistant Vice President, Finance, University of Maryland College Park

Dylan Baker is the Assistant Vice President for Finance for the Office of the Provost. He serves as the chief financial and budgetary advisor to the Provost, providing financial leadership in the areas of resource stewardship, enrollment management, strategic planning, and academic investment. Mr. Baker works closely with the Chief Financial Officer and College Budget Officers to continually improve campus resource management processes. He is widely regarded as an excellent problem solver who expertly applies his extensive knowledge of financial systems, budget models, and policy development to the achievement of diverse strategic goals.

David Kenny, Director of Business Analytics, University of Maryland College Park

David Kenny is currently the Director of Business Analytics and lead's the Dashboard & Analytics unit at the University of Maryland, College Park. Over the course of 6 years, he and his team of developed over 100 dashboards and more than 2,000+ charts blending data from various internal and third part data sources including: Financial, Human Resources, Research, Foundation, Course, NIFA Land Grant and many more. Through his work with AVP of Finance Dylan Baker, Dave has developed the campus's first ever financial projection dashboard forecasting end-of-year projections for budgets exceeding $1B. He previously worked 10 years in community banking as Vice President and Director of Deposit Operations and the BSA/AML Officer which directly supported over 18,000 customers across 13 branches. He also volunteered and served on the Board of Honolulu Habitat for Humanity as Board Member and Board President advising the Executive Director with the redevelopment of the organization's financial reporting, budgeting, IT infrastructure and personnel reorganization.

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Concurrent Session 8B | REPEAT: Overcoming Generational Gaps - Leading a Multi-Generational Workforce

Personnel/Human Resources: 1 CPE Credit

Description

Our institutions are undergoing a transformative shift as multiple generations converge in the workplace. This presentation explores the impact of generational differences, values, motivations, and approaches to work on team dynamics, all through the lens of resilience. By debunking common stereotypes associated with each generation, attendees will gain a deep understanding of the diverse strengths each generation brings to the table.Discover practical strategies to enhance cross-generational collaboration, adapt communication styles, and capitalize on the unique strengths of each generation. Learn to effectively lead, inspire, and foster a more resilient work environment that harnesses the full potential of generational diversity.

Learning Objectives

Define characteristics and values of different generations and explore the impact of generational diversity on team dynamics.
Discuss leadership techniques for bridging generational gaps through collaboration, communication and, above all, consideration.
Foster a more inclusive and productive work environment by capitalizing on the strengths of each generation.

Speakers

Rhonda Beassie, Assoc. VP for People and Procurement Operations, Sam Houston State University

Rhonda Beassie, JD, Ph.D. is the Associate Vice President of People & Procurement Operations at Sam Houston State University (SHSU) where she oversees Talent Acquisition, Compensation, Benefits, Payroll, EEO, Title IX, Business Services, and Procurement. Prior to assuming this role, she served as Associate General Counsel for the Texas State University System, located on the campus of SHSU. Rhonda began her career in law as a legal assistant by day and student by night, earning an Associate of Science in Paralegal Studies from Kapiolani Community College. She transitioned to real estate sales, building and managing a portfolio of residential investments before returning to school to earn a B.A. in Justice Administration from Hawaii Pacific University and become a cum laude graduate of the University of Houston Law Center. She has over twenty years of higher education experience serving in teaching and administrative roles, including Legal Clinic Staff Attorney, Clinical Faculty, Assistant Dean, Director of Student Legal Services, Director of Externships, Assistant Dean, in-house legal counsel, and Assoc Vice President. Rhonda recently earned a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from Texas A&M University.

Charity Walker

Charity Walker is the Executive Director of Payroll, HR Benefits & Tax Specialization at Sam Houston State University, where she has been employed for the past 17 years. Charity was the Director of Payroll for 5 years prior to her current role. Charity received her bachelor’s degree in business administration with a major in accounting in 2004, and her master’s in business administration with an emphasis in accounting in 2007 from Sam Houston State University. Charity is also a graduate of the College Business Management Institute (CBMI).

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Session 8C | Factors Affecting the Allowability of Costs: Can I Charge That?

Accounting (Governmental): 1 CPE Credit

Description

Proper fiscal stewardship of a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement is forecasting and monitoring expenses associated with a sponsored project. The session will provide participants with an overview of managing costs and complying with institutional federal, and sponsor requirements. We will discuss the cost principles outlined in 2 CFR 200 Subpart E to provide clarity and help assist with determining if an expense is appropriate to be allocated to the sponsored project.

Learning Objectives

Identify allowable and unallowable charges to federal awards.
Walk-through approaches when an expense falls in “it depends” category.
Discuss the cost principles outlined in 2 CFR 200 Subpart E.

Speakers

Tolise Dailey, Director of Training and Education Development, Duke University School of Medicine

Tolise Dailey, CRA, is the Director of Training and Education Development at Duke University School of Medicine, and a NCURA Distinguished Educator. Her training career background includes: Johns Hopkins University, University of Colorado Boulder, Georgetown University, and The Johns Hopkins Hospital.

She serves on the NCURA Board of Directors, co-editor of the NCURA Magazine "Training Tips" column, and a traveling workshop faculty member for the NCURA Level II: Sponsored Projects Administration.

Tolise is currently serving as Co-Lead of the Federal Demonstration Partnership, Communication Workgroup and Vice Chair of the Research Administrators Certification Council Item Review Committee.

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Session 8D | REPEAT: Data Analytics: How to Tell the Story

Finance: 1 CPE Credit

Description

Technology is advancing at a rapid rate. Massive amounts of data are being generated, stored, used, and analyzed. Business Officers are no longer charged with routine tasks and processes but expected to understand data, how it is created, collected, stored, accessed, and used. Business Officers and other higher education professionals must be able to adequately safeguard this data as well as work with it, think critically about the story it is telling, and use it to make better decisions. Thus, it is critical that all individuals in higher education become comfortable with large data sets and various technologies. In this presentation we will discuss how an institution could improve their analytic and storytelling journey. This would include an understanding of how to identify areas to analyze, how to collaborate across departmental units, analytic processes or tools to use and how to report findings in a clear and concise manner.

Learning Objectives

Discuss ways to identify operational areas within the institution for analysis.
Explore ways to collaborate across departmental units to enhance the analytic process.
Identify ways to communicate data to stakeholders in a timely and consistent manner.

Speakers

Jimmy Barnes, Senior Lecturer, Clemson University

Jimmy Barnes is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Accountancy at Clemson University. He has worked at Clemson for over twelve years where he has served as the Business Officer for the College of Business and Behavioral Science and the Financial Planning and Analysis Officer for Academic Affairs. In his current role he teaches courses in data analytics, emerging technology in accounting, and accounting ethics. Prior to coming to Clemson, he served as the Controller for Erskine College for six years. Jimmy worked in public accounting for six years with Deloitte and Touche and McKinley, Cooper & Co. in Greenville, SC. Jimmy holds an undergraduate degree in accounting from Winthrop University and a Masters in Accountancy from The University of Georgia. He is a certified public accountant and a chartered global management accountant. He is a current member of the NACUBO Analytics Advisory Group and the past Treasurer for SACUBO.

Russ Hannah, Chief Financial Officer, Arkansas State University

Russ Hannah is the Chief Financial Officer at Arkansas State University. He's worked at A-State for 30 years in various financial roles including treasurer, controller, assistant vice chancellor for finance, associate vice chancellor for business and finance, and Senior Associate Vice Chancellor for Finance and Associate Chief Financial Officer before assuming his current position in July of 2021. Russ holds undergraduate degrees in management and accounting, an MBA, a specialist in community college administration, and a doctorate in educational leadership, all from Arkansas State. He is a certified public accountant, a charted global management accountant, and a certified government financial manager. He currently serves as the chair of the board of directors of NACUBO, is a past president of SACUBO, and a former chair of the NACUBO Accounting Principles Council.