HOBBS, N.M. – Senior financial officers and human resource professionals from Council for Christian Colleges & Universities institutions gathered during a joint conference June 6-8 at CCCU member campus University of the Southwest in Hobbs, N.M. This year’s Chief Financial Officers and Human Resource Professionals Conference focused on Navigating Tax, Labor, and Regulatory Compliance, covering topics that are important for the particular challenges and concerns of both groups of professionals in the context of Christian higher education. Attendees gained practical ideas they can implement on their campuses and deepened relationships with colleagues in similar positions across the country.
“What an incredible conference: great hosts, fun groups, and interesting topics,” said Eric Bruntmyer, vice president for financial affairs at Dallas Baptist University in Dallas, Texas. “The topics were broad and the knowledge base was deep. I enjoyed being in the room with presenters and CFOs whose desire was to glorify God with their business talents. I learned that the CCCU schools are really the soul of higher education.”
“The CFO/HR Director Conference this year was a wonderful time of encouraging fellowship and quality professional education in a Christ-centered context!” said Dee Mooney, vice president for administrative services and CFO at host institution University of the Southwest.
The conference featured joint sessions between the two groups of professionals as well as sessions geared specifically for each group. The topics of the joint sessions included health care compliance issues and opportunities, a government update from the CCCU’s government relations and executive programs director, tax updates related to payroll and benefits, and ways CFOs and human resource officers can partner to manage human resource-related risks. The conference was co-sponsored by CapinCrouse LLP and qualified for Continuing Professional Education credit for CPAs.
“The conference provided me with timely information which has already proved valuable, well worth the time and investment. I'm already looking forward to next year’s CFO conference,” said Dale Leatherman, vice president for business affairs at Williams Baptist College in Walnut Ridge, Ark.
“This was one of the best conferences I have attended, and I really enjoyed meeting the good people who attended, spoke, and sponsored the event,” said Martha Smith, vice president for human resources at Regent University in Virginia Beach, Va. “While the networking opportunity was excellent and the topics were timely and well-presented, I didn’t return to Regent with a long list of corrections and changes we need to make. Instead, I returned with a renewed sense of God’s blessings on us all. In the areas where we are already doing things right, receiving confirmation of that was very worthwhile.”
Kim Hadley, vice president for finance and administration at John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Ark., noted, “Not only did the session speakers provide beneficial updates on best practices related to current compliance and human resource topics, but I also found the informal interaction with other CFOs to be particularly valuable.”
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About the CCCU: The Council for Christian Colleges & Universities is a higher education association of 170 intentionally Christ-centered institutions around the world. The 116 member campuses in North America are all fully-accredited, comprehensive colleges and universities with curricula rooted in the arts and sciences. In addition, 54 affiliate campuses from 18 countries are part of the CCCU. The Council’s mission is to advance the cause of Christ-centered higher education and to help our institutions transform lives by faithfully relating scholarship and service to biblical truth. Visit www.cccu.org.