Close to 200 staff members gathered over two days in October for the inaugural Shamrock Summit hosted by the Finance Division. The conference, held October 29 and 30 at the Morris Inn and McKenna Hall, was a chance for finance professionals from a range of departments and academic units to network, learn from one another, share best practices, and plan for the future.
Vice President for Finance Trent Grocock said the event allowed employees to connect with other colleagues who face similar opportunities and challenges in their roles.
“In addition to expanding networks, I hope the attendees took away the sense that they are part of something bigger at Notre Dame; bigger than their home department and that there are resources and tools available to assist them in their day to day responsibilities,” Grocock shared. “We are all passionate about Our Lady’s University, and thinking as an institution will be critical in advancing the mission.”
In addition to a dozen breakout sessions, the event included an opportunity to hear from University leaders, including John McGreevy, the Charles and Jill Fischer Provost, and Executive Vice President Shannon Cullinan. Day two featured a panel discussion on a range of topics, from artificial intelligence to the NCAA’s name, image, and likeness rules, with perspectives from Pete Bevacqua, vice president and the James E. Rohr Director of Athletics; Marianne Corr, vice president and the Robert K. Johnson General Counsel; Micki Kidder, vice president for undergraduate enrollment; and Jeff Rhoads, vice president for research. Breakout sessions took on topics including federal relations, the endowment, optimizing technology, grant administration, and fundraising.
To wrap up the conference, attendees heard from keynote speaker Kara Freeman, the president and CEO of the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO). Freeman talked about the role NACUBO plays for higher education finance professionals, including advocacy, education, professional development, and industry connections.
Grocock said the strong attendance was a sign to him that there is a genuine desire to learn and grow professionally, even as colleagues manage busy schedules.
“It was rewarding to see such strong attendance at every session and networking event, and the survey feedback we got was excellent. We must now find ways to keep the momentum and this larger group connected,” Grocock said. “The planning committee will continue to meet on ways to accomplish this in the upcoming year. Kudos to the committee for their hard work in planning the conference.”
Shamrock Summit Planning Committee members:
Trent Grocock, vice president for finance (co-chair)
Joanna McNulty, associate vice president for academic finance and administration (co-chair)
Brian Diss, associate vice president, advancement services
Jill Eysol, assistant vice president, organizational effectiveness and financial strategy
Linda Kroll, associate vice president for finance
Drew Paluf, associate vice president for finance and controller
Liz Rulli, associate vice president for research
Cindy Sachire, senior director of finance
Kassie Spencer, senior director of finance and administration