
Navigating (Un)certainty in Higher Education: Proactive Strategies to Drive Institutional Agility
Recorded On: 04/29/2025
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Given the current complex and ever-changing political landscape, colleges and universities cannot afford to sit back and wait to see what happens—they must proactively prepare.
Huron and campus chief business officers will team up for a lively discussion that addresses governmental directives and threats. Brett Dalton, principal, and Rick Rohrbach, managing director, Huron, will present a framework designed to help institutions understand financial exposures and provide strategies to prioritize response efforts with agility as a key desired outcome.
Also during the webinar, Lee Smith, managing director, Huron, will facilitate a discussion with Nichol Luoma, executive vice chancellor for administration and chief administrative officer, Washington University, and Dr. Dan Layzell, vice president for finance and operations and treasurer, University of Alabama. The three will share insights and recommendations for navigating today’s emerging challenges. You will learn the specific steps their institutions have taken as well as practical advice and examples that you can use as you work to tackle these same issues.
Learning Objectives
After this webinar, you will be able to—
- Understand financial exposures related to federal and state directives and their impact on higher education institutions.
- Implement proactive strategies to prioritize response efforts, focusing on enhancing institutional agility.
- Apply practical insights and real-world examples within your own organization.
Recording
This webinar will be recorded. Registrants will receive an email when the recording is available.
Sponsor
This NACUBO Partner Webinar is created by and offered free for members thanks to:
This webinar and associated materials are provided for general informational purposes only. The views expressed in the webinar are those of the sponsor and/or individual speakers and not NACUBO. NACUBO does not necessarily endorse any information, views, products, or services discussed in the webinar.

Dan Layzell
Vice President for Finance and Operations and Treasurer
The University of Alabama
Dan Layzell is the Vice President of Finance and Operations, and Treasurer of The University of Alabama. Prior to that, he served as Vice Chancellor of Finance and Operations at Appalachian State University (a constituent institution of the University of North Carolina System), Vice President, Chief Operating and Chief Financial Officer/Treasurer of Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa, Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration/Chief Financial Officer at Louisiana State University (where he was the chief financial officer for the LSU System as well as the chief financial officer of LSU’s flagship campus in Baton Rouge), and Vice President for Finance and Planning at Illinois State University. Earlier in his career he also held administrative leadership roles at the University of Illinois, Illinois Board of Higher Education, and the University of Wisconsin System, and served as a fiscal analyst for the Arizona and Florida Legislatures. Dr. Layzell has also been a consultant for MGT of America and an adjunct faculty member in the graduate programs in higher education administration at the University of Alabama, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Florida State University, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Layzell has a Ph.D. in Higher Education with a minor in Public Administration from Florida State University, a Master’s degree in Labor and Industrial Relations from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Business Administration from Illinois College.

Nichol Luoma
Executive Vice Chancellor for Administration and Chief Administrative Officer
Washington University in St. Louis
Nichol L. Luoma, Executive Vice Chancellor for Administration and Chief Administrative Officer at Washington University in St. Louis, leads core administrative divisions, including human resources and institutional equity, procurement, supplier diversity, environmental health and safety, and information technology. Additionally, she directs operations spanning facilities management, public safety, university services, global travel, and coordination with the School of Medicine’s administrative functions. Luoma serves on Chancellor Andrew Martin’s cabinet, collaborating with other executive vice chancellors and vice chancellors. A first-generation college graduate and alumna of Arizona State University (ASU), Luoma served since 2012 at ASU, where she oversaw multiple enterprise-wide operations. She was responsible for supply chain management, auxiliaries, employee health, parking and transit, sustainability practices, risk and resilience management, physical security initiatives, emergency management, and environmental health and safety. Luoma has extensive leadership experience in transformative initiatives at ASU, which have garnered national recognition. Under her leadership, ASU’s operations received multiple national awards, including recognition as an AASHE STARS Platinum school. ASU also was recognized by the Arizona Capitol Times in 2021 for Best Response in Crisis Management. Prior to her tenure at ASU, Luoma served as vice president of operations for two juvenile products companies, Boon Inc. and Keen Distribution. Before Boon and Keen, she spent nearly a decade in multiple business and supply chain roles at Intel Corp., which included management of complex international supply chains. Luoma’s dedication to higher education earned her the 2022 National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) Rising Star Award. She has also been recognized for her sustainability efforts and leadership in diversity, equity, and inclusion. NACUBO recognized Luoma’s leadership of ASU’s sustainability operations and practices, including reaching the goal of carbon neutrality in the university’s greenhouse emissions. The organization also noted her work overseeing such initiatives as helping create a new employee health program and office and improving the materials management operation to ensure more efficient deliveries across four ASU campuses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Luoma, who was appointed to the Western Association of College and University Business Officers (WACUBO) board of directors in 2021, is a past president of the National Association of Educational Procurement (NAEP) and has been a faculty member for NAEP and WACUBO. Other recent awards include the Neil Markee Communicator of the Year Award from NAEP in 2021 and the 2020 Positively Powerful Woman Sustainability Leadership Award from Triad West Inc., which provides services in diversity, equity and inclusion, among other leadership development programs. Luoma graduated summa cum laude from ASU’s W. P. Carey School of Business and Barrett, the university’s Honors College, with a bachelor’s degree in supply chain management in 2000. She earned a master’s degree in business administration from Duke University in 2006, graduating summa cum laude and as a Fuqua Scholar.

Brett Dalton
Higher Education Principal, Strategy & Operations
Huron Consulting Group
Brett Dalton is an accomplished higher education executive with over 30 years of experience in business operations, financial planning, strategic planning, facilities administration, human resources, and information technology. He has helped universities drive improvement and progress across administrative functions. Before joining Huron, Brett served as the chief business officer at Baylor University, where he oversaw an Oracle Cloud implementation, restructured the university’s debt portfolio, and managed significant capital projects. During his tenure, Baylor achieved R1 research institution status, upgraded its long-term bond rating, and consistently increased its operating margin. Prior to Baylor, Brett spent nearly three decades at Clemson University, culminating as the executive vice president and chief financial officer. At both institutions, he was responsible for financial reporting, strategic business services, planning and budgeting, endowment and investment management, cash and treasury management, capital financing and debt management, facilities, human resources, auxiliaries, procurement, and accounting services.

Rick Rohrbach
Managing Director and Research Services Team Leader
Huron Consulting Group
Rick Rohrbach leads Huron’s Research Services Team and brings nearly three decades of experience helping research-intensive universities, hospitals, and academic medical centers optimize their organizations. His expertise spans strategic planning facilitation, organizational design, performance improvement, and technology selection and implementation. Before joining Huron, Rick served as a Principal with CSC Healthcare’s Strategy Practice. He previously held a leadership role at PwC’s Global Pharmaceutical Health and Sciences Practice, where he led the clinical research consulting team. Rick is a frequent presenter at national conferences and has published a variety of articles addressing research planning, finance, administration and compliance.

Lee Smith
Managing Director
Huron Consulting Group
Lee M. Smith is a Managing Director with more than 20 years of experience in higher education and academic medicine, including administrative roles at three academic medical centers. An expert in academic medical center governance, funds flow, faculty effort and compensation across the tripartite mission, and operating models, he assists universities with the strategic design and timely implementation of financial and operational initiatives. He uses his extensive experience as a higher education administrator, his collaborative style and effective communication skills, and his ability to navigate complexity to help clients champion transformation and successfully implement strategic, innovative initiatives. Lee is certified as an instructor in the Accelerated Implementation Methodology (AIM).
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Huron is a global professional services firm that collaborates with clients to put possible into practice by creating sound strategies, optimizing operations, accelerating digital transformation, and empowering businesses and their people to own their future. By embracing diverse perspectives, encouraging new ideas, and challenging the status quo, we create sustainable results for the organizations we serve.
Key Contacts
- Lee Smith, managing director, Huron Consulting Group (leesmith@hcg.com)
- Brett Dalton, principal, Huron Consulting Group (bdalton@hcg.com)
- Rick Rohrbach, managing director, Huron Consulting Group (rrohrbach@hcg.com)
Resources
Building resilience in healthcare: Here’s where you can focus
Building resilience in higher education
Responding to potential reductions in federal research funding
Solutions for navigating federal directives in higher education and research
Uncover liquidity in today’s rapidly evolving higher education landscape