Aquinas College is pleased to announce that Lisa VanDeWeert, CPA, has been named vice president and chief financial officer (CFO).

As a member of the president’s leadership cabinet, the Vice President (VP) and CFO is responsible for providing leadership for accounting, finance, business administration, information technology services (ITS), human resources, physical plant, and outsourced operations such as campus dining services, and the bookstore. This role is designed to bring strategic guidance and managerial support to the operational functions that are essential in supporting students, faculty and staff.

Lisa comes to Aquinas from Rehmann in Grand Rapids, an accounting services firm with 17 offices in Michigan and Ohio. She served as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), supervising and reviewing audit and internal audits in a variety of industries, including higher education and nonprofit organizations. Prior to that, Lisa spent 15 years providing audit services for PricewaterhouseCoopers in Grand Rapids.

Lisa holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the State University of New York at Oswego.

“Lisa’s extensive background in finance and accounting, along with her experience working with dozens of non-profit and higher education clients makes her an excellent fit for Aquinas,” said Kevin Quinn, Ph.D., president of Aquinas College. “The financial strength of the college is vital to our ability to launch new programs, build and maintain our facilities and ensure that we’re able to provide our mission for years to come.”

The VP and CFO oversees the college’s budget, including the month-end and year-end closing process, providing required financial reports. The position is in charge of maintaining reliable cash flow projections to meet operating needs, including negotiating lines of credit, loan covenants, asset-based lending agreements, service agreements and other contracts for the college. Lisa will also oversee college construction projects, including the expansion and renovation of the Albertus Magnus Hall of Science.