Nominated for Vice President Sandy S. Jansen, CIA, CCSA, CRMA University of Tennessee Sandy Jansen is the executive director of Audit and Consulting Services for the University of Tennessee System. She leads the internal audit and institutional compliance teams for the university system comprised of three universities, a health science center, and two institutes. The university system has a presence in 95 counties across Tennessee. Prior to joining UT, she served as the Assistant Chief Audit Executive at Texas Tech University System. Sandy has been in higher education auditing for almost two decades and continues to push the envelope by setting high expectations for her team so they can add value to the university and contribute to the profession. Sandy has had the opportunity to be involved in a number of professional organizations throughout her career. In addition to her participation with ACUA as the Professional Education Committee Chair and ACUA Faculty member, she currently serves The Institute of Internal Auditors as a volunteer instructor conducting seminars for in charge auditors and audit managers. She has also served on the Board of the Texas Association of College and University Auditors (TACUA) as board member and secretary and on the Board of the West Texas Chapter of the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) as the treasurer. Sandy was the 2009 recipient of ACUA s Excellence in Service Award for her work on the midyear conference. She has also participated in and led several quality assurance reviews of peer institutions. Finally, Sandy has been involved in a number of other volunteer roles in philanthropic organizations such as PTA, Women s Clubs, and Girl Scouts. I am interested in serving ACUA because it is through our volunteers and collaborations with organizations with congruent goals that we further ACUA s goal to be the recognized resource to all higher education leaders. I believe that my experience as a conference director and PEC chair has
prepared me to serve ACUA as the vice president. My committee service has provided me the opportunity to work with approximately 150 volunteers each year. This experience has helped me understand the importance of providing committee chairs and committee members the opportunity to use their strengths to further ACUA s goals. As PEC chair, I have also collaborated with other organizations. Those collaborations worked to further ACUA s goals and create goodwill with others involved in higher education. The knowledge gained and experience on both fronts will assist me in helping with the strategic direction of ACUA. I have a strong strategic focus combined with a willingness to follow through and activate plans. I can draw on these strengths to help the Board in setting the strategic direction, taking into account the needs of the membership, while working with committees who carry out those plans and further the reach of ACUA.
Nominated for Secretary/Treasurer Ann Hough, CIA California State University System Ann is an Audit Manager in the Office of the University Auditor at the California State University Chancellor s Office, the administrative hub for the 23 campus public university system. Previously, she spent 20+ years in financial services in an audit and/or compliance capacity, working at a variety of financial institutions including banks, broker dealers, insurance and wealth management companies. Prior to making the mid career switch to higher education, Ann spent 14 years at First American Trust Company, the financial services subsidiary of The First American Corporation, where she established the internal audit function in 1996. Ann has served ACUA as a proctor at the annual conference, as a member of the Internal Controls Video taskforce, and as a member of the ACUA Best Practices Committee, where she created the survey on institutional compliance, and summarized the results in the spring 2012 College and University Auditor Journal. Ann is a Certified Internal Auditor, and previously held several designations related to her financial services tenure, including the Fellow of the Life Management Institute (FLMI, an insurance designation), Certified Trust Auditor, and the NASD Series 7, 24, 53 and 63 licenses. She is a graduate of San Diego State University, one of the flagship campuses of the CSU system, with a degree in journalism. I am honored that I have the opportunity to join the talented and dedicated ACUA leadership members in serving the higher education audit community. In 2 ½ years at the CSU, I ve been afforded the opportunity to attend both a mid year and an annual conference, and to participate in volunteer committees. The professionalism and depth of institutional knowledge of the persons that I have encountered in my ACUA experiences is unparalleled in my own career experiences, and has inspired me to seek an opportunity to serve that is commensurate with my abilities. I look forward to meeting and working with fellow ACUA members over many years to come.
Nominated for Secretary/Treasurer Frank J. Tresnan, CIA University of Pennsylvania Frank is the Executive Director of Internal Audit at the University of Pennsylvania. In this capacity, he oversees the operational and information technology audit services delivered to both the University and the Health System. He has served Penn in positions of increasing responsibility in the Office of Audit, Compliance and Privacy since 1997. Before joining Penn, Frank worked in the sponsored projects finance group for the Allegheny Health, Education and Research Foundation and started his career as an auditor with Coopers & Lybrand. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from LaSalle University. Frank has been a member of ACUA since 1997, frequently attends Annual Conferences, and is a past Annual Conference presenter. He is a Certified Internal Auditor and is also a member of the Institute of Internal Auditors and the Association of Healthcare Internal Auditors. I m very pleased to have been nominated for the position of Secretary/Treasurer of ACUA. I have worked in the field of internal auditing for the past sixteen years and feel that I should give back to the profession that has provided me with not only an occupation but also countless challenges, opportunities, and rewards. ACUA, of all of the professional organizations to which I belong, has provided me with the best opportunities for personal and professional growth through its training offerings and conferences. Through ACUA I ve gotten access to audit programs, templates, the risk dictionary, and other tools which have made my work better. But most importantly, ACUA has given me a network of wonderful colleagues and friends.
Janet Covington, CIA, CISA Rice University Janet joined Rice University in March 2003 and has been responsible for directing the internal audit function in house since a three year out sourcing of the function. She began her internal audit and consulting career in 1990 with specialization in the areas of process analysis, documentation, and improvement as well as information systems risk assessment. Her experience includes 10 years of experience in three of the "Big 4" public accounting firms, and three years in industry internal audit. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from the University of South Alabama. She is a Certified Internal Auditor and Certified Information Systems Auditor. She is a member of the Institute of Internal Auditors and a member and former board member of the Information Systems Audit and Control Association. I am honored to be nominated and look forward to giving back to ACUA for the years of training and experiences the organization has provided me. I attended my first ACUA conference in September 2003, where I was approached at the first timers networking event the very first night to help draft a whitepaper on ACUA s position regarding the outsourcing of internal audit. At that point, I knew it was an organization that valued the opinions of all members, both new and long standing to the organization. I ve attended conferences (annual and mid year) almost every year except for when Hurricane Ike impeded travel to the conference. I will always be grateful to the ACUA colleagues who have reached out to me in response to my requests for their insights, experience, and wisdom. I personally value the work that volunteers are willing to engage in to make ACUA a great professional organization. And I believe the time is right for me to step up and make a more significant and concentrated contribution to make ACUA all it can and should be. If elected, I will work diligently to serve the membership as a Board Member at Large.
Russ Hoskens, CPA, CIA, CFE, CISA University of Houston System Russ is the Director of the Internal Auditing Department at the University of Houston System. He has been in this position since 1997. His previous experience includes 11 years of internal auditing experience in the following industries: healthcare, retail, and oil and gas. He holds a Masters of Business Administration degree (concentration in Internal Auditing) from Louisiana State University and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from Florida Southern College. Russ previously served as a member of the ACUA Scholarship and Awards Committee for 3 years. He also served as a member of the TACUA (Texas Association of College and University Auditors) board for 5 years, including President for 1 year. Russ holds the following certifications: Certified Public Accountant, Certified Internal Auditor, Certified Fraud Examiner, and Certified Information Systems Auditor. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Institute of Internal Auditors, Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, and the Information System Audit and Control Association. I am very excited to have been nominated to serve as a Board Member at Large for ACUA. I have attended the past 16 annual ACUA conferences. The value of the network of friends and colleagues I have formed through ACUA over the years is immeasurable. In addition to my previous volunteer roles with ACUA and TACUA, I have volunteered in my daughters youth soccer league for the past 11 years and with my church for the past 5 years. As such, I understand the importance of volunteering and the great sacrifice of time that it requires. I also understand the need to have dedicated volunteers who make sacrifices of their time to help ensure the success of a professional organization. I am committed to making the sacrifices necessary to fulfill the various duties and challenges of a Board Member at Large for ACUA. I look forward to now giving back to ACUA, the organization I have received so much from the past several years. Thank you for your consideration.
Sharon M. Kurek, CPA, CFE Virginia Tech Sharon is the Director of Internal Audit at Virginia Tech. She is responsible for developing and executing an annual and long range audit plan for university programs and resources. Sharon supervises a team of auditors, reviews and approves the evaluation of internal controls and resulting recommendations, and provides updates of audit activities and recommendations to the Audit Committee of the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors. Prior to Virginia Tech, she worked at University of California, Berkeley, serving a number of roles including Manager of Controls and Accountability, Senior Auditor, and Principal Auditor. She began her professional career at the Georgia Department of Audits conducting external audits of state entities, including colleges and universities for the State of Georgia. Sharon received her Bachelor s of Business Administration from Mercer University. She is currently co chairing two ACUA committees: Auditing and Accounting Principles Committee, in which she participated in responding to exposure drafts on COSO and the IIA Standards; and the Best Practices Committee, whereby she facilitated membership surveys on salaries and quality assurance reviews. In addition, she has presented sessions for professional organizations including ACUA and College and University Auditors of Virginia (CUAV). Sharon is a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Fraud Examiner, and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Institute of Internal Auditors, and the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. In addition to her formal educational training, she is also a graduate of the Commonwealth Management Institute sponsored by Virginia Commonwealth University and the Senior Leadership Seminar program sponsored by the American Council on Education Women s Network. I am very grateful and excited for the opportunity to give back to ACUA for the years of training and experiences this great organization has provided me. I attended my first ACUA conference in Phoenix in 2008, and realized that this was the organization I wanted to become actively involved with. Since becoming the Director of Internal Audit at Virginia Tech, I ve appreciated the ACUA organization and network of friends and colleagues. I am committed to providing quality audit work, and ACUA members have provided insight into developing optimal operational practices, reporting formats, risk assessment methodology, and quality assurance activities. During my time on ACUA committees, I have enjoyed the opportunity to work closely with colleagues on specific topics and special projects in support of ACUA s goals and strategic plan. I currently co chair two ACUA committees: Auditing and Accounting Principles
Committee, in which I participated in responding to exposure drafts on COSO and the IIA Standards; and the Best Practices Committee, whereby I facilitated membership surveys on salaries and quality assurance reviews. The operational framework of ACUA is based largely upon volunteers willing to sacrifice their time and talents for the organization and I want to do my part in contributing to continual improvement of ACUA. With over 15 years of higher education auditing experience and my dedication to the principles and core values represented by ACUA, I feel that I am ready to faithfully serve you as a Board Member at Large.
David Mosca, CPA University System of Maryland Dave is the Director of Internal Audit at the University System of Maryland (USM). He first joined USM in 2000 as a Construction Audit Specialist and was appointed Director in 2005. In addition to Higher Education, Dave has served as an internal audit professional in the retail, healthcare and construction industries. Dave graduated Summa Cum Laude at Kutztown University in Pennsylvania with degrees in Accounting and Management. Dave has been a member of ACUA since 2000. His first ACUA seminar was at the 2007 mid year conference. Dave is a Certified Public Accountant and a member of the Institute of Internal Auditors. I am incredibly honored to be nominated as an at large member of ACUA s Board. I recall my first ACUA conference (Mid year) where I attended one of the best seminars in my memory Fundamentals of Auditing in Higher Education. In just this one course I was immediately able to apply new knowledge toward improving USM s internal audit product. Since then I have experienced some of the best seminars and workshops in my career which have directly contributed to advancing my professional development. I am very much looking forward to the opportunity to serve and give back to the ACUA community. ACUA s network of colleagues and experts is the best I have been around. The diverse experiences and expertise of our members who provide both broad and narrow perspectives, is invaluable in helping each and every member become better audit professionals
Vijay Patel, CFE, CISA, CPA University of Southern Mississippi Vijay M. Patel is the Director of the Office of Internal Audit for The University of Southern Mississippi. Vijay has held this position since 2000, was a Senior Internal & Information Systems Auditor from 1996 to 2000, and was a System Design and Information Analyst from 1993 to 1996. Vijay has over 22 years of experience within the education field and over 15 years in accounting/auditing. He has been very active with ACUA and has served as a Board Member at Large from 2006 through 2009, Secretary/Treasurer, PEC member, and the Investment Committee Chair from 2009 through 2011. He is currently serving as Board Member at Large, Board Committee Liaison to the Accounting and Auditing, and Government Relations committees. He has a BS in computer science and statistics and a BSBA in accounting. Vijay is currently working towards the Certified Internal Auditor certification. Vijay was born and raised in England and came to the States in 1981. It has been an honor and a wonderful experience to be associated with the Association of College and University Auditors, both as an institutional member and as a member of the Board of Directors. ACUA, as we warmheartedly call our association, has given me a multitude of resources and networking capabilities to enrich my growth in this evolving field of auditing. I have made many lasting and valuable friendships from my participation with ACUA. ACUA builds from its audit professionals and from the countless hours that are given up for the organization by its devoted member volunteers. With my experience in the auditing world in education, my involvement with ACUA, and my dedication to the core values represented by ACUA, I would like to continue serving you (our members) as Board Member at Large.
Samantha C. Spezeski, CIA, MBA The Boston Consortium of Higher Ed Samantha has almost twenty years of experience working in the field of internal auditing with twelve years in Higher Education. She is the current Director of Internal Audit for the Boston Consortium for Higher Education. She was hired in April 2008 to implement the shared function of Internal Audit. This function is now a co sourced internal audit department for seven member schools. Samantha has a Master of Business Administration, from Plymouth State University, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Southern New Hampshire University. She most recently was the Director of Internal Audit for the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority and prior to that worked for the University System of New Hampshire as Interim Director / Manager of Internal Audit. She is the current President of the board for the New Hampshire chapter of Institute of Internal Auditors. Samantha is also an adjunct faculty at Southern New Hampshire University. ACUA has been a vital contribution to my success in implementing the unique internal audit department I have in Higher Education. I have depended heavily on my fellow ACUA members to provide me with their best practices and input as I develop audit plans for the co sourced function of seven very different institutions. The training that myself and my staff receive from ACUA, specifically at the Midyear and Annual conferences is one that cannot be found anywhere else. I speak with my Audit Committee members regularly about ACUA as an organization and how it impacts what I do for them at their institutions. I have always had a great deal of respect for those who have served in ACUA leadership positions and the amount of time and effort they must invest to keep ACUA the successful organization it has become. I feel it is time for me to give back my own time and dedication to an organization that has helped me so much. I look forward to serving ACUA in any way that I can.
Christine R. Swafford, CPA, CIA, CISA Indiana University Christine is the Director of Internal Audit at Indiana University. She recently celebrated 21 years with IU Internal Audit and has held the positions of staff auditor, audit manager, and assistant director within the department. During her tenure at the university, she also held the position of Financial Aid Associate Director for the IU School of Optometry for 4 years. Christine earned her Bachelor's Degree in Accounting from the Kelley School of Business. She is a licensed Certified Public Accountant and also holds the qualifications of Certified Internal Auditor and Certified Information Systems Auditor. She is a member of the Institute of Internal Auditors, Association of College and University Auditors, ISACA, and the Indiana CPA Society. Christine recently completed the ACUA Leads! program with Cohort I. She is currently serving as a track coordinator for the ACUA Annual Conference in Norfolk, VA. I have been a member of ACUA for 17 years and have utilized the website and printed materials judiciously; however, there was not an opportunity until recently to attend an ACUA conference. After my first annual conference 4 years ago, I couldn t believe the wealth of information and networking opportunities I had been missing! I decided right away I needed to become more involved with ACUA. I was selected for and participated in the inaugural ACUA Leads! Program, which just finished up at the Midyear in Seattle. I cannot say enough positive things about the program and look forward to involvement with future alumni sessions and/or participation with future ACUA Leads! cohorts. ACUA Leads! and its continued success would be a passionate focus should I be selected for a board seat. I am also enjoying my service as a track coordinator for the next annual conference and look forward to more volunteer opportunities. I frequently volunteer my time in community related events and now desire to invest time in a meaningful, larger way with ACUA in order to make a significant impact in the lives of college and university auditors. Serving ACUA as a Board Member at Large will also provide another opportunity to partner with my peers, and to learn and effect positive changes for the organization. It would be my honor to serve as a Board Member at Large and I thank you for your thoughtful consideration of my candidacy.