William A. Mitchell Senior-level executive with extensive experience in financial and strategic planning; information technology; human resources; accounting and financial operations; facilities management and capital planning; and complex budget development and management. Responsible for initiating, developing, and directing all administrative and fiscal operations and for developing strategies to meet institutional goals and objectives in conjunction with college priorities. A team-oriented leader with expertise in resource management, project supervision, and financial analysis with a focus on strategic planning, team-building, and performance measurement. Possesses solid communication and interpersonal skills to establish rapport with all levels of management and staff. Experience Massasoit Community College Brockton, MA Interim President Chief Executive Officer responsible for all aspects of college operations. Reporting directly to the Board of Trustees, the President represents the college at various national, state and local events for the purpose of promoting and advocating for the students and programs of the institution. Direct oversight of the senior leadership team and departmental execution of the mission of the College. Apprises the Board of Trustees of activities and strategic direction of the institution. Ensures the continued viability of the institution during the transitional phase. Serves as Ex-officio member of the Massasoit Community College Board of Trustees and Massasoit Community College Foundation. Conducted a series of Town Hall Meetings designed to foster two-way communication between the college community and senior leadership. Oversaw reorganization of academic support services to scale-up best practices replicating success in smaller cohort based programs. Facilitated the effort leading to national accreditation for two signature programs; Veterinary Technology and Paramedic Certificate Program.
Reengaged elected officials, community and industry partners, alumni, and potential donors. Reconfigured the institutions table of organization to effectively redistribute duties and areas of responsibility during the period of transition. Elevated visibility and authority of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. Created Chief Diversity Officer position. Vice President for Administration/Chief Financial Officer 2012-2017 Responsible for all administrative and financial aspects of the College, overseeing operations of comptroller; payroll; procurement; student financial services, including business office and student financial aid; facilities and capital planning; information technology; food services; campus bookstore; reproduction services; telecommunication; and mail facility. Reported directly to President and serves as a member of the Senior Leadership Team, advising the President on matters across the College. Served on the President s Cabinet. Provided fiscal leadership and fiscal oversight for the college, ensuring compliance and sound fiscal management. Mentored members of the senior team as directed by the President. Co-Chair of the NEASC Standard Seven Committee (formerly Standard Nine). Led a collaborative inter-disciplinary team charged with developing a predictive multi-year enrollment projection model. Applied standards consistent with general state and federal accounting and auditing practices for the College, mitigating risk and audit findings. Leveraged and developed the college s investment resources, creating a more favorable net position and positioning the institution to weather lean fiscal realities. Lead and advised the senior management team in the development, implementation, and monitoring of the annual College budgetary process, enabling the creation of a bottom-up understanding and ownership of budget management. Utilized knowledge of contracts with agencies and governmental entities to secure licenses, leases, and purchases for the college, facilitating growth for the institution. Worked cooperatively with college, state, and federal auditors, creating a collegial and respectful relationship that enhances the audit process. Created an environment that prioritized professional development within my team and the college community at large.
Monitored all College funding sources, including grants and scholarships, ensuring all expenses are allowable, allocable, and in compliance with relevant guidelines and requirements. Worked collaboratively across College constituencies to advance sustainability efforts, facilitating fulfillment of the institution s commitment to sustainability. Lead the College in efforts to identify areas of efficiencies and collaborations, within both the institution and the system, reducing expenses, enhancing relationships and services, and leveraging greater buying power to negotiate more favorable pricing. Utilized BANNER and other relevant software in the operations of the Business Office and Facilities Department, enhancing tracking ability, efficiency, and compliance. Supervised the physical plant operations throughout the College, working proactively to mitigate the impacts of an aging infrastructure on student services and College operations. Vice President for Administration/Chief Financial Officer and 2014-2015 Acting Vice President for Human Resources Supervised Human Resources staff, mitigating disruption of services and functions after departure of former vice president. Worked to establish cooperative relationships with the two unions on-campus, minimizing grievance filing and improving labor relations. University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Dartmouth, MA 1994-2012 Associate Vice Chancellor for Financial Services 1999-2012 Managed a team of 26 employees encompassing the areas of controller, budget office, procurement department, and the Law School financial team. Responsible for effective fiscal operations and reporting, financial planning and analysis supporting the COO/VC of Administration and Finance, and providing financial reports to the President s Office, the Board of Trustees Audit and Administration and Finance Committees, and the full Board of Trustees. Reported directly to the Chief Operating Officer/Vice Chancellor for Administrative and Fiscal Services, advising on areas of responsibility. Developed and oversaw an annual operating budget of $230 million comprising over 200 cost centers, ensuring allocations supported institutional strategic goals.
Assisted in the development of campus-based strategic goals and objectives, helping advance the institution s mission. Ensured integrity and accuracy of all financial systems, resulting in compliance with federal, state and local laws, regulations, policies and procedures. Oversaw all activities associated with budgetary control, accounting, payroll, accounts receivable, accounts payable, procurement, fixed assets, and internal control, ensuring all efforts supported the University s goals and were aligned with state and industry guidelines. Served as a member of the core team responsible for acquisition of the first public law school in Massachusetts, expanding access to legal education in the state and achieving a major strategic goal of the University. Worked with members of the University of Massachusetts Presidents Office to develop a process for accrual based budgeting across all UMass campuses and to revise the reporting cycle to the University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees, creating a more efficient and appropriate method of budgeting and reporting. Oversaw the implementation of the PeopleSoft finance system and the Grants Module, aligning with state requirements and improving tracking and reporting efficiency. Led a cross-divisional budget review board consisting of faculty, staff, and students, enhancing transparency and ownership of the budget process. Served on the University Senior Enrollment Steering Group, helping to craft a multi-year plan to use in predicting and managing the University s student-driven revenues. Served as the campus representative to the University-wide Finance Cabinet, resulting in implementation of common administrative systems on all UMass campuses. Served as the campus representative to the Chief Financial Officers CONNECT Group, facilitating sharing of information, resources, and best practices across the public higher education institutions in Southeastern MA. Member of the management collective bargaining team, serving as the chief negotiator for IBPO contract negotiations to help ensure a fair contract that upheld management rights while meeting employee needs.
Attended Administration and Finance and Audit Committees of the University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees. Served as a member of the campus student judicial board, holding students and administration accountable to the student handbook and code of conduct and ensuring fair application of its requirements. Controller 1996-1999 Reporting directly to the Vice Chancellor for Finance, supervised 18 budget office personnel and directed all financial activities including oversight of all accounting procedures and internal controls of the University. Responsible for monthly financial statements, reconciliations, and internal audit of the workflow to assure transactions were appropriate and authorized. Supervised accounts receivable and accounts payable staff. Responsible for the day-to-day accounting functions of a $100 million operation. Prepared and submitted year-end financial statements for review by an independent external audit firm, ensuring consistency with generally accepted accounting principles. Prepared and analyzed various financial reports, including federal and state audited financial statements, monthly variance analysis, cash management reports, disbursement analysis, and other ad hoc reports as required. Oversaw billing and collection of revenues from students and federal, state, and local agencies; monitored the reconciliation of daily deposits and the cash receipt ledgers; and verified reports produced through the in-house computer system with the state's automated accounting system. Approved and monitored all requests for expenditures, ensuring compliance with guidelines established by the Board of Trustees. Maintained an automated general ledger package, facilitating timely and accurate reports and various financial statements as requested by internal and external sources. Assistant Controller 1994-1996 Reporting to the Controller, directed the activities of AP/AR, including accuracy checks and process improvements. Prepared financial reports, cash flow analysis, budget forecasting, and variance analysis. Reviewed all ledgers, journals, and other accounting procedures, ensuring consistency with generally accepted accounting principles and the accuracy and validity of financial information reported to the federal and state government, Board of Trustees, and various University personnel.
Assisted the Controller in providing day-to-day administrative direction to the general accounting, budgetary control, purchasing, accounts receivable, accounts payable, grants management, and other assigned business related services, integrating these services with other operations of the College consistent with the laws of the Commonwealth and rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. Periodically reviewed college expenditures, ensuring adequate funding; compliance with state, federal, and Board of Trustees regulations; and adherence to guidelines established by the federal government for the disbursement of federal funds. Adjunct Faculty Member, University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth 2007-2008 Financial Accounting Massasoit Community College Brockton, MA Assistant Comptroller 1985-1994 1992-1994 Assisted in the preparation and submission of year-end financial statements for an independent external audit firm and College Trustees. Ensured the appropriate collection and disbursement of funds and the integrity and accuracy of documentation. Developed, implemented, and modified a networked microcomputer-based budget information system and automated general ledger package to produce timely and accurate financial reports and statements, such as IPEDS, GAAP, FISAP. Supervised a staff of five business office personnel. Approved and monitored all requests for expenditures and ensured adherence to federal guidelines for disbursing federal funds Verified the accuracy and validity of reports produced by in-house computer system with the Massachusetts Management Accounting and Reporting System. Reviewed all ledgers, journals, and other accounting procedures, ensuring consistency with generally accepted accounting principles. Budget Analyst 1989-1992
Assisted the Chief Financial Officer with establishing and implementing fiscal policies and procedures. Developed and monitored an annual operating budget of $24 million comprising over 50 cost centers. Established institutional standards and schedules for budget preparation, submission, and modification. Monitored revenues and expenditures for each cost center, determining the impact of budget modification requests and implementing approved modifications. Prepared monthly statements by cost center and quarterly reports for the Board of Trustees and attended budget hearings and trustee meetings. Assisted with the Shared Energy Savings Agreement between the College and a private company, helping to reduce energy costs. Worked with the Directors of Marketing and Research to project the impact of enrollment trends on revenue, enhancing planning and budgeting abilities. Assistant Director of Student Activities 1987-1989 Served as liaison between management and students, overseeing more than 25 student organizations on two campuses. Monitored budgets for each student organization, including the Student Government Association, to ensure expenditures were allowable and allocable. Developed the 50-page Massasoit Student Handbook, providing a framework of expected and accepted behavior and regulations. Served as advisor to over 200 students, evaluating leadership qualities, decisionmaking abilities, and budget management skills of club officers and assigning grades. Adjunct Faculty Member, Massasoit and Mount Wachusett Community Colleges 1989-1996 Taught both credit-bearing and community service courses in the fields of accounting, business, mathematics, and standardized test preparation Head Baseball Coach, Massasoit Community College 1985-1989
Served as Head Coach for the nationally-ranked team. St. Louis Cardinals National Baseball Club 1980-1984 Professional Baseball Player Education Framingham State College, Framingham, MA May 1998 Master of Arts in Public Administration Bridgewater State College, Bridgewater, MA Jan 1988 Bachelor of Science in Management Science Memberships Eastern Association of College and University Business Officers Community College Council of Presidents Chief Financial Officers Connect Group Community College Chief Financial Officers Council Activities Active Member, Plymouth United Methodist Church Chair, Massachusetts State Universities and Community Colleges Chief Financial Officers Annual Meeting Member, Plymouth Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors Member, South Shore Workforce Development Board Member, Brockton Area Workforce Investment Board Past Chair, Finance Committee for the Plymouth Area Chamber of Commerce Trustee, Winslow Rickard Fund Board of Trustees, Treasurer, Little League of Plymouth (2004-2008)
West Plymouth Basketball League Coach and Official (2000-2012) Member, Federal Furnace Elementary School Council (2000-2002) Enjoy boating and fishing.