Navigating (Un)certainty in Higher Education: Proactive Strategies to Drive Institutional Agility

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 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 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 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 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).