Model for Regional Public Institutions to Transform Their Business Model

Dr. R. Lorraine (Laurie) Bernotsky is executive vice president and provost at West Chester University of Pennsylvania, the largest university in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE). As provost, she is responsible for the division of academic affairs, and as executive vice president, she oversees the university’s budget and planning and labor relations functions. Currently, Laurie is on a limited-time assignment with Pennsylvania Western University (PennWest), where she is supporting the transition of three PASSHE universities into one, serving as interim president. Bernotsky has worked in higher education for several decades serving as a faculty member, chair, dean, and vice president for academic affairs. She led the development of a critical needs process for allocating new resources and reallocating existing resources, in order to identify the budget priorities of the institution. She also facilitated the review and refinement of budget processes related to the university’s reserve accounts, including revisions to the base budget in order to fund institutional priorities. She is also the founder of WCU's Center for Social and Economic Policy Research and has served as a consultant for over 25 years.   

Gavin Leach became Northern Michigan University's (NMU) vice president for finance and administration and treasurer in 2007 and has served at the university for over three decades. In his role, Leach develops, presents, and leads university strategies with regards to the annual and long-term budget and financial and operational planning for NMU’s $199 million operations. He also oversees and leads the finance, technology, facilities, athletics, dining and auxiliary, financial aid, and health services operations of the university. Leach represents the university on several national, state, and local boards and committees, including the Merit Corporation, Northern Initiatives, Inc., Michigan Universities Coalition on Health, Inc., and the Marquette Economic Club. He was previously appointed by the governor and served on Michigan's 21st Century Infrastructure Commission in 2016 and the Michigan Council on Advanced Networks (MCAN) in 2018. Leach also received the Governor’s 2016 Michigan Digital Government Excellence in Technology Collaborator of the Year Award. In addition, Leach recently led a team that created a 117-city rural LTE broadband initiative across the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, covering 11,000 square miles and serving more than 16,000 U.P. families. He also recently planned and led the completion of an $80 million public-private housing project for the university. Leach is a frequent speaker on NMU’s financial and technology programs at numerous national higher education and technology industry conferences. Prior to joining NMU in 1989, his career included serving as a senior tax analyst for Arthur Andersen and Company and a senior tax analyst at MTS Systems Corporation. He holds a B.S. degree in accounting and a master’s of public administration (MPA) degree from NMU and a CPA certificate.

Dr. Jeffery L. Osgood, Jr. serves as the principal deputy to the provost and represents her to the university community. As deputy provost, he advises the provost on a wide range of matters of institutional importance, including operational and strategic planning. Osgood has primary responsibility for providing leadership for the operational activities for the division of academic affairs, which includes the university's colleges, schools, and libraries. Reporting directly to the deputy provost are the vice provost for enrollment management and student success, vice provost for research and creative activity, associate vice president for academic affairs and senior associate dean of the Graduate school, associate vice president for institutional effectiveness, and the associate vice president for academic systems and university registrar.

As Baker Tilly’s higher education practice leader, Dave Capitano, CPA, provides oversight to more than 200 team members serving over 400 public and private colleges, universities, research institutions and academic medical centers across the United States. Capitano has more than 30 years of experience working with college and university leadership and boards in a variety of strategic advisory and accounting areas. He takes a hands-on approach working collaboratively with institutional leadership to provide guidance and advice to be sustainable and resilient.

Capitano hosts Higher Ed Advisor, Baker Tilly’s biweekly higher education podcast, which discusses the latest news, trends and changes impacting colleges, universities, and research institutions. Additionally, Capitano co-leads the collegiate athletics and esports practice where he has the privilege of working directly with athletic directors, coaches, and student athletes to help them succeed on and off the field.

Jim Hundrieser, Ph.D., is the inaugural and former vice president for consulting and business development at NACUBO. At NACUBO, he matched higher education institutions with new strategies to focus on growing revenue, building capacity, providing pragmatic solutions, conducting operational assessments, and increasing student success and completion. Hundrieser led NACUBO’s grant focused on strategically financing equitable student outcomes. Hundrieser had a 30+ year career in higher education, previously serving in leadership roles at the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, Plymouth State University, Lynn University, and Marymount Manhattan College.