Chief Financial Officer, LakelandCollege
Lakeland College is a liberal arts college related to the United Church of Christ. The college
is committed to educating men and women of diverse backgrounds, enabling them to earn
a living, to make ethical decisions, and to lead purposeful and fulfilling lives distinguished by intellectual, moral and spiritual growth.
THE LOCATION
Lakeland College is located approximately one hour north of Milwaukee and one hour south
of Green Bay, providing a location that offers easy access to metropolitan locations as well as
the beauty of rural Wisconsin. Sheboygan County is situated on the coast of Lake Michigan
where water sports abound in all four seasons and winter sports enjoy a sizable following.
The county offers five world-class golf courses and has hosted several major golf
championships including the 2010 PGA and the 2012 Women’s Open. In 2015 the
PGA Championship will return. Water sports include salmon and other types of fishing,
waterskiing, sailing and swimming. Sheboygan is known as the inland surfing capital
of the United States. The area hosted the International Sailing Federation Grand
Final of the Nations Cup. The American Club in Kohler, Wisconsin is the only AAA
Five Diamond resort in the Midwest, and a number of other resort destinations can
also be found in the county. Sheboygan County also draws thousands of spectators
to the road races and vintage exhibitions held at Road America each summer.
Several major corporateoffices are located in the area, including Kohler Co.,
Bemis Manufacturing Co., Sargento Foods, Johnsonville Sausage, Vollrath Co.,
Plastics Engineering Co., American Orthodontics Corporation, Orion Energy Systems,
The Manitowoc Company and many others. The city of Sheboygan is 11 miles
from campus and offers cultural opportunities including the Stephanie H. Weill
Center and the John Michael Kohler Art Center. Combined,these two centers
provide sensory stimulation for art and music lovers alike. Sheboygan is well known in
the area for excellent dining options, a vibrant music community, bicycle trails, diverse
shopping areas and, of course, a beautiful lakefront. Sports enthusiasts will soon discover
that Wisconsin fans are actively engaged with, and highly to loyal to, the World Champion
Green Bay Packers (with legendary Lambeau Field only an hour away) and the Milwaukee
Brewers who play in Miller Park, one of the top ten baseball venues in the country.
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Reporting directly to the president, the CFO will champion college’s fiscal integrity, drive
operational efficiency through effective administration, and direct the college’s financial
resources and activities in support of its mission and strategic plan. The VP/CFO must
value and practice collaboration and transparency and have highly developed communication
skills.
Responsibilities:
• Provides leadership, oversight, and stewardship for all aspects of Lakeland’s
financial resources, assuring integrity and fiduciary compliance, and allocation
of resources in alignment with the College’s strategic priorities;
• Effectively manages the financial and business affairs/operation of the college
to result in a balanced budget, a strong balance sheet, structured business and
support services, security of college assets, compliance with state and federal law,
controlled payables and receivables, and the safety of students, faculty and staff;
• Oversees strategic financial planning and the analysis of resource use and
development, guiding the development, implementation and monitoring of the
college’s operating and capital budgets from multiple funding sources
(general funds, auxiliary enterprises, self-supporting operations, government
grants or private donations);
• Provides leadership for the College’s ongoing efforts to pursue innovative
business solutions and to develop operating strategies that lead to more
cost-effective administrative practices;
• Develops standardized management policies and operating procedures;
including the production and sharing of regular projections, analyses, financial
statements and other reports;
• Supervises units that report to VP/CFO, including Finance, Facilities, Dining
Services, Information Technology, and related administrative functions;
• Serves as staff liaison to Board of Trustees Finance and Physical Plant
and Audit Committees, and participates on other Board and institutional
committees as appropriate;
• Balances the College’s primary missions of academic instruction and
outreach with advocacy for the needs of the administrative departments; and
• Responsible for fostering communications within the process of shared
governance in order to resolve issues, formulate alternatives and execute
the College’s mission.
EDUCATION AND WORK EXPERIENCE EXPECTATIONS
The successful candidate will bring the following:
Required:
• Minimum of a master’s degree in finance, public administration, accounting or related field;
• Progressively responsible and successful experience in accounting, financial management,
budgetary planning and management, facilities management, business and support services,
and information technology in a higher education setting or an organization of comparable
complexity;
• Minimum of five years of experience managing a financial department including oversight and
supervision of all department personnel;
• Documented experience in strategic planning and strategic budgeting.
|
|
|
Preferred:
• C.P.A. licensure would distinguish the candidate;
• Successful leadership experience in a higher education institution that offers and delivers
traditional and nontraditional programs in a multi-campus system.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
• In-depth knowledge of the full range of issues addressed by an administrative and finance
executive in a higher education or other non-profit organization with comparable complexity;
• Direct knowledge of accounting, financial management, budgetary planning, logistical
management, human resources management, facilities planning, information technology, and
administrative and auxiliary systems implementation and oversight;
• Proven track record of engaging in collaborative problem solving and developing consensus,
especially within a system of shared governance.
• Proven leader in change management, innovative thinking and operating excellence.
The Vice President and CFO will be a key member of the Lakeland College leadership team.
It will be important for her/him to be able to communicate across all functional areas of the
campus from student services, to campus operations to academics. Open, transparent and
appropriately frequent communications will serve the campus community well.
• The campus has made great strides in enhancing facilities and the VP/CFO will play a vital
role in the planning and implementation of facility modifications, renovations and additions.
Ongoing consultation with the president and vice president for advancement on future capital
campaigns and an intentional and structured approach to managing the challenges of deferred
maintenance will be critical.
• The VP/CFO will be expected to provide leadership for: continuous improvement of the
financial department’s policies and procedures; updating and improving the technology
infrastructure to better meet the needs of staff and students; assessing the impact of current
tuition rates and the corresponding discount rates; and overseeing overarching financial
strategies regarding revenue/cost issues.
• The most recent capital campaign was concluded successfully and ahead of schedule and the
incoming freshman class is expected to be larger than it has been in recent years. There is a
building of momentum in the institution that will help meet the ever-shifting challenges in
higher education. The VP/CFO will be instrumental in using these successes to help sustain
Lakeland College as the institution moves into the future.
Lakeland College offers competitive salaries along with a comprehensive benefit program including
medical, dental, vision, and life insurance programs; a retirement savings plan with a college match; a
tuition remission program; competitive paid vacation and a holiday schedule.
Reasonable relocation costs will be supported by the college.
EFL Associates, an executive search firm, is assisting Lakeland College with its search for
this important position. All calls and inquiries should be made through the search firm.
Applications should include:
A letter of introduction outlining the applicant’s background, and qualifications for the position
Curriculum vitae/resume.
Contact information (email address required) for five professional references, at least one of
which is a person who has reported directly to you, a second a colleague, and a third an
individual to whom the applicant has reported directly.
All documents should be submitted electronically in Word or PDF format to:
The college welcomes applications from, and nominations of, qualified individuals from
both non-profit and for-profit institutions of higher education. Review of applications will
begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.
Lakeland College is an equal opportunity employer.
Confidential inquiries and nominations may be directed to:
Jan M. Asnicar
Vice President, Higher Education Practice
