Apr 12, 2012 - financial audits and degree reviews within the university. Craig has been ... Arthur left the NCAA in 2006 after 10 years; he was associate director of championships. He .... Vice President for Information Technology and C.I.O..
Biographies for: Craig Anderson Linda H. Harber Troy Arthur Dr. Joy Hughes Jarrett Blankenship Walter J. Kucharski Elizabeth A. Brock Dr. Alan G. Merten David Clark Thomas M. Moncure Mike Cullen Peter Pober Monica Modi Dalwadi Carol Westbrook Patrick F. Fallon Julie Zobel Dave Farris Guy Ficco ________________________________________________________________
Craig Anderson Current Title(s): Deputy Director of University Audit Craig is responsible for the development, oversight, implementation and execution of all audit activities for Financial and Operational audits within the university and is also responsible for Special Reviews. Craig has investigated financial fraud, time/leave abuse, operational audits, financial audits and degree reviews within the university. Craig has been with VCU for four years. Prior to his time at VCU Craig was a Senior Director at Capital One working in Internal Audit, IT Governance and Accounting Acquisition and Integration. Craig also worked for KPMG for four years prior to joining Capital One. Craig has a Masters of Science in Accounting and an undergraduate degree in Computer Information Systems from Harding University. Craig is also a Certified Fraud Examiner. ________________________________________________________________
Troy Arthur Director of Academic and Membership Affairs NCAA Troy Arthur, a 13 year member of the NCAA staff is responsible for the Division Athletics Certification program. Further, Arthur oversees professional development of Academic and Membership Affairs staff and the low resource institution initiatives. In 2008, Arthur was Director of Diversity and Inclusion where he oversaw all programming. Before returning to the NCAA, Arthur worked for Learfield Sports as general manager of its Black Coaches & Administrators Properties (BCAP). In his capacity as general manager, Arthur developed the branding, emerging marketing strategy and revenue opportunities for the BCAP and Learfield
Sports. Arthur also developed a diversity program for Learfield Sports to increase the number of ethnic minorities and women at the company. Arthur left the NCAA in 2006 after 10 years; he was associate director of championships. He was responsible for technology, staff training and development, along with his championships sport responsibilities. Prior to working in championships, Arthur worked with the membership services staff. Prior to joining the NCAA, Arthur worked for the Governor’s Partnership a non-profit organization in Connecticut, which specialized in alcohol and other drug prevention as well as violence prevention at colleges and universities. He has significant work experience in a variety of industries. Some of the organizations are the following: National Black Caucus of State Legislatures in Washington, DC, Citizens for Action in New Britain, Connecticut and the New Britain Public School District. Troy earned his M.A. in Public Policy from Trinity College. While pursuing this degree, he taught physical education and coached football and track and field. Troy is a member of several civic and faith-based committees in Indianapolis and volunteers with numerous community groups in Indianapolis. He has a B.A. from Central Connecticut State University where he was a four-year starter and captain of the football team his senior year. Troy lives in Carmel, Indiana. Troy and his wife, Debra, have three children Brianna (10), Gabrielle (8) and Maya (3). ________________________________________________________________
Jarrett Blankenship Jarrett Blankenship is an experienced Senior Consultant with Baker Tilly, a national accounting and advisory firm. He has six years of risk consulting and IT auditing experience working with clients across an array of public, private, and non-for-profit industries, including higher education, government contracting, telecommunications, financial services, and manufacturing. Jarrett has led numerous internal audits, including risk assessment and business process design, improvement, and evaluation. Jarrett is a Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC) Certified Incident Handler with a strong background in information security, network analysis, and Internet routing technologies. ________________________________________________________________
Elizabeth A. Brock Beth is the Associate Vice President and Controller at George Mason University. Her responsibilities include internal controls oversight; general accounting and financial reporting; tax reporting and compliance; student accounting, billing, and cashiering; accounts payable, purchasing and central receiving, and finance system security.
A CPA, Beth was in the national tax department with Ernst & Young prior to joining Mason in 1993. She has a B.S. in Accounting from Northern Arizona University and a master’s in taxation from Georgetown. ________________________________________________________________
David Clark CIA CFE CRMA David Clark is a Manager with Baker Tilly, focusing on the firm’s Higher Education and Research Institutions industry practice. He works with clients to provide internal audit, financial and operational risk management, fraud investigation, organizational governance, and sponsored research compliance related services. In additional to serving higher education clients, David works within the not-for-profit and government contracting industries. David regularly participates in, and presents at, industry conferences and activities, including the Association of College and University Auditors (ACUA), the National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA), the Society of Research Administrators International (SRA), and the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics (SCCE). David also serves as a board member for the Northern Virginia chapter of the Institute of Internal Auditors. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Virginia. ________________________________________________________________
Mike Cullen Mike Cullen is an experienced Manager with Baker Tilly, a national accounting and advisory firm. Mike leads the firm's Technology Risk Services team in Washington, DC, focused on IT risk consulting and IT auditing. Over the past 10 years, he has worked with clients in many industries, with extensive experience with higher education and research institutions. He has led IT risk assessments and audits, developed information privacy and security programs, performed ethical hacking of IT systems, and conducted digital forensic investigations. Mike has presented to a variety of audiences, including ACUA, various Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) chapters and regional conferences, and at multiple universities. He is also a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), and Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP). Before starting his career as an auditor he dreamed of being an astronaut or in advertising (before Don Draper made it cool). ________________________________________________________________
Monica Modi Dalwadi MBA CPA CIA CFE
Monica Dalwadi is a member of Baker Tilly’s Higher Education and Research Institutions practice with ten years of experience. Monica’s primary focus is internal auditing on a wide range of business issues and regulatory compliance matters, corporate governance, and internal control structures. Prior to joining the firm, Monica worked in the internal audit department of a financial institution, where she led risk assessment activities and audited lending, deposits, and trusts. Her client base includes higher education institutions, financial services companies, government contractors, and not-for-profit institutions, including the World Bank, Georgetown University, The Catholic University of America, The Graduate Management Admission Council, The JBG Companies, Princeton University, Children’s National Medical Center, and The George Washington University. Further, Monica has co-authored: “Conducting Internal Investigations of Sponsored Research Activities” Parts I and II in NCURA Magazine; “Disruptive Forces: Driving a Human Services Revolution;” and “Trusting Assistants with Access,” in Fraud Magazine. She was a keynote speaker at the Alliance National Conference; has delivered four webinars with ACUA on construction audit activities; has presented, “Compliance Triage: Responding Rapidly to Hotline Requests” and “Auditing Fraud in Sustainability Projects” at the ACUA National Conference; has presented, “Getting Practical about Privacy” and “The IRS Compliance Project” at the SCCE National Conference; and has facilitated a discussion on “Document and Evidence Review in Fraud Investigations” for the ACFE. Monica is the Vice President of the Board of Directors, Washington Improv Theatre. She was recognized as a SMARTCPA in the September 2011 issue of SMARTCEO Magazine. She has her MBA from Georgetown University and her BSBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. ________________________________________________________________
Patrick F. Fallon Graduated Monmouth College (now Monmouth University) in West Long Branch, NJ, 1987 CPA, licensed in Maryland 1987-1991 Coopers & Lybrand, Auditor 1992-1997 Special Agent FBI’s Jackson, Mississippi Field Office, specializing in Public Corruption and White Collar Crime 1997-2008 Special Agent, FBI’s Washington Field Office (WFO), specializing in Public Corruption, Bank/Mortgage Fraud; also the coordinator of WFO’s Crisis Negotiation Team 2008-2009 FBI’s Inspection Division: Supervisory Special Agent in the Internal Investigations Section 2009-2010 FBI’s Inspection Division: Acting Unit Chief in the Audit Unit 2010-present: Supervisory Special Agent in the FBI’s WFO, responsible for the Criminal and Cyber Human Intelligence Squad ________________________________________________________________
Dave Farris David joined George Mason University as Chemical Hygiene Officer in August 2004. In this role, he was instrumental in developing laboratory safety program and created emergency response plans in accordance with federal and state environmental regulations. David’s role evolved and became responsible for managing and developing safety programs in a broader sense for the university specifically in the areas of occupational safety and environmental compliance where he established the university’s first Environmental Management System. In 2008, David became Director of Emergency Preparedness and Response and in 2010 the Fire Safety group within EHS was added to his portfolio. David focuses on ensuring that emergency plans are designed, implemented and practiced, as well as the development and implementation of fire safety strategies at Mason. Prior to working at Mason, David began his career at Clean Harbors Environmental Services as a field chemist in 1999. Within Clean Harbors, he held positions as a lead chemist, regional manager for the Mid-Atlantic field chemist division in Baltimore, Maryland and technical service specialist focusing on sales, project management, business development, environmental compliance, emergency response, and environmental remediation. David graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology, received a Master's degree in Business Administration from Mason's School of Management in May 2007, and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration at George Mason University. ________________________________________________________________
Guy Ficco Guy Ficco is a Supervisory Special Agent (SSA) with IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) for the Washington DC Field Office. He has been a SSA overseeing a Group of Special Agents in Falls Church for the past year. Prior to becoming a SSA, Guy was a Senior Analyst with IRS-CI, working at their National Headquarters in Washington, D.C. While at HQ, he was a Senior Analyst in both the Global Financial Crimes and International Operations Sections. Guy was chiefly responsible for overseeing the coordination of International Investigations throughout the country. In this capacity Guy routinely met with and collaborated with the representatives from Department of Justice and several other federal agencies. Guy began his career with the IRS, in 1996, as a Special Agent in the New York Field Office. Over the next 13 years Guy investigated a variety of financial crimes, including income tax evasion, money laundering and identity theft. Guy conducted multiple investigations involving unscrupulous corporate executives, often times testifying before grand juries, and recommending federal prosecutions. He has worked with various other federal and state law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Guy has been a Certified Fraud Examiner since 2005. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from Dominican College in Orangeburg, New York, and is a native of Nyack, New York. ________________________________________________________________
Linda H. Harber Linda Harber was named Associate Vice President for Human Resources and Payroll in September 2006. Ms. Harber joined George Mason University in September 2003 as Assistant Vice President for Human Resources and Chief Human Resources Officer. She came to Mason with twenty-five years of experience at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) where she held a range of positions, serving as Executive Director of Human Resources at VCU for nine years before coming to Mason. Ms. Harber earned her bachelor’s degree from Indiana University and her Master’s degree from the University of Kansas. She has served on both the regional and national boards of directors for the College & University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR). Additionally, Ms. Harber served as Southern Region chair and has presented conference and educational sessions at both regional and national conferences over the past twenty years. Ms. Harber was awarded the CUPA-HR National Creativity Achievement Award in 1992, the CUPA-HR Southern Region Distinguished Service Award in 1998, and the CUPA-HR Distinguished Service Award in 2005. Under her leadership, Mason’s Human Resources and Payroll Department won the Human Resource Association of the National Capital Area (HRAHCA) 2005 Strategic Business Award for successful work/life strategies. ________________________________________________________________
Dr. Joy Hughes Vice President for Information Technology and C.I.O. EXPERIENCE 1997 - Present George Mason University. Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer; also a professor in the Volgenau School of Engineering. Provides executive leadership for the IT organization, the libraries, and a television station that reaches over 700,000 homes. Since June, 2011 has served as Executive Director of 4-VA, a partnership between four Virginia universities, the Virginia Governor’s Office, and Cisco Systems, Inc . Since December 2009 has shared executive responsibility for the Confucius Institute, a joint project of George Mason University, the Beijing Language and Culture University, and the Chinese Government. 1994 - 1997 Oregon State University. Associate Provost for Information Services.
1990- 1994 State University of New York-Potsdam. Associate Vice President for Information Services and Director of Institutional Research. 1986-1990 The University of Charleston. Asst. Vice President and Dean for Information Services.
AWARDS 2011 Confucius Institute Individual Performance Excellence Award and Medal presented by Confucius Institute Headquarters, Ministry of Education, People’s Republic of China. 2008 Named as one of the top 100 IT Leaders in the nation by Computerworld. 2007 Recognized by the Information Security Executives Association for outstanding national leadership. 2006 Recognized by the March of Dimes as a “Heroine in Technology.” 2009, 2006, 2002, and 2000 Virginia Governor’s Award for Innovation in Technology (Awards for Mason’s Virtual Computing Lab, Cybersecurity Program, Technology Across the Curriculum Program, and the Implementation of Finance System). 2006 Installed in the Rider University Alumni Science Stairway of Fame (Awarded for outstanding executive leadership). 2001 EDUCAUSE National Award for Systemic Progress in Teaching and Learning. (Awarded to George Mason University for the Technology Across the Curriculum Program.) 1999 Gault Award (Awarded for outstanding inter-unit collaboration at George Mason University). 1985 Award of the Four Chaplains, the Four Chaplains Memorial Foundation (Awarded for activities that promote brotherhood and inter-racial understanding).
CURRENT SERVICE ACTIVITIES 2010 – Present Member, US Department of Homeland Security, National Cyber Security Division, Workforce Development Committee 2008 – Present Member: CIO Executive Summit Governing Body. 1998 – Present
Member: Board of Directors and Vice President of the GMU-Instructional Foundation. 1998 – Present Member: Board of Directors, F-Corp, a cable television company. Elected Board Secretary (2000).
SPEECHES and PRESENTATIONS Have made over seventy national presentations on various topics in global education, IT, libraries, leadership, women in science, and organizational change and development. 2009-2011 Presentations include: December 14, 2011 “Confucius Institutes Ten Year Plan Recommendations” Presidents’ Forum, Sixth Confucius Institutes Conference, Beijing, China. December 12, 2010 “Senior Leadership Involvement in Confucius Institutes” Fifth Confucius Institutes Conference, Beijing, China. December 3, 2010 “Sharing Services to Lower Costs and Improve Results”, address to the presidents of 20 Chinese universities, Fairfax, Virginia. November 10, 2010. “Virginia Universities Partnering to Deliver New Services”, address at the Board of Directors meeting, Public Sector Group, TechAmerica, Fairfax, Virginia. October 6, 2010. “What Scientific Program Evaluation has to offer the Confucius Institutes,” address at the Pan-Continent Confucius Institute Conference, Daegu, Korea. August 23, 2010. “Using Technology to Build Global Partnerships” Governor’s Commission on Higher Education Reform, Innovation and Investment – Implement Innovation and Cost Containment Committee, Fairfax, Virginia. December 12. 2009 "Value to the Overseas Universities of Confucius Institutes Community Service." Presidents’ Forum Address at Fourth Confucius Institute Conference, Beijing, China. December 9, 2009 Keynote Welcome Speech; Confucius Institute Seminar at Beijing Language and Culture University, Beijing, China. December 3, 2009 “Technologies to Overcome 1+2+1 Program Challenges” an address to the presidents of Chinese universities participating in the China Sino-American 1+2+1 Program, George Mason University. September 17, 2009 “What Presidents Need to Know about Cybersecurity” keynote address at Connecticut Distance Learning Consortium seminar for the presidents of Connecticut colleges and universities.
June 16, 2009. Commencement address at the joint graduation ceremony in Weihai, China of students in the Sino-American 1+2+1 Program. May 13, 2009. “Protecting Large Facilities” Homeland Security Symposium co-sponsored by the National Academy of Sciences, Washington DC. Past Years Presentations: Other major addresses include: - An invited lecture at the Cebrowski Institute at the Naval Postgraduate School - The William Appleman Williams Memorial Lecture, in Newport, Oregon. - Presentation at the Sally Ride Science Festival; - Speech at the Chronicle of Higher Education retreat, - Panel presentation for the Roosevelt Group; - Panel presentation for the Washington Post/Newsweek Tech Media Group; - Addresses at various blue ribbon commissions; and a retreat for Congressional Chiefs of Staff.
MEDIA PRESENTATIONS “Managing Your IT Risk,” a webcast for NACUBO with Henry DeVries and Keith Bushey, March 2007. “Cybersecurity on Campus,” served as executive producer and participant on a television production moderated by CNN national correspondent Frank Sesno, September 2005. “Student Empowerment Through Technology,” Mason Currents, a television production of GMU-TV, May 1999. “The Potential of Internet2,” served as producer and presenter for a television production of GMU-TV, June 1998.
PAPERS PUBLISHED “A Security Checklist for ERP Implementations,” with Robert Beer, EDUCAUSE Quarterly, Volume 30, No. 4, 2007. “Learning the Hard Way,” with Keith Bushey, EDUCAUSE Quarterly, Volume 29, No. 4, 2006. ”Business Continuity Planning,” with Keith Bushey, Cathy Hubbs, and Robert Nakles, University Business, September 2006. “Information System Security Obligations and Electronic Privacy,” Proceedings, Conference of the National Association of College and University Attorneys, November 9-11 2005.
“Presidents and Campus Cybersecurity,” with Jack Suess, EDUCAUSE Review, November/December 2005. “A Cybersecurity Symposium: An Opportunity for Collaboration for Researchers, Security Officers and Funding Agencies,” with Anne Agee and Robert Nakles, Working Papers II of the Critical Infrastructure Protection Program, edited by Alexander Woolcut and Cristine Pommerening, George Mason University School of Law, October 2004 “Virginia Higher Education IT Collaborations,” served as editor and principal author of this report presented by the Virginia Higher Education CIOs group to the Virginia Legislature, January 2004. “Virginia Higher Education IT Strategic Plan,” served as editor and principal author of this report presented by the Virginia Higher Education CIOs group to the Governor’s Secretary of Technology, February, 2003. "The National Electronic Library: The Environment Personified," with Karyle Butcher, a book chapter in The National Electronic Library: A Guide to the Future for Library Managers, edited by Gary M. Pitkin, Greenwood Press, 1996. “Thoughts on Leadership: An Exchange,” with Karyle Butcher, College and Research Libraries News, Association of College and Research Libraries, October 1995 “Building a Team-based, Information Services Organization,” with Charlene Grass, Building Partnerships: Computing and Library Professionals, Library Solutions Press, 199. "Empowering Users as Members of the Computer Center Team," CAUSE/EFFECT, Summer, 1993. "Applying Change and Organizational Theories in a Library Reorganization," CAUSE/EFFECT, Winter 1991. "The Clay Technology Lab: A Joint Project of the Library, Computer Center, and Educational Technology Center," On-CUE, Carnegie Mellon University, September 199. "Bringing the Library into the 1990's," The University of Charleston Alumni Magazine, Spring 1990. "Computer-Aided-Design," On-CUE, Carnegie Mellon University, Spring 1987.
SAMPLE of FORMER SERVICE ACTIVITIES 2006 - 2010 Chair: Microsoft Higher Education Advisory Group (HEAG). HEAG is a group of 25 IT thought leaders in higher education who advise Microsoft executives on higher education issues.
2006 – 2009 Member: Friends of Film Advisory Board, George Mason University. 2005 – 2007 Member: Advisory Board to the Master’s Degree Program in Technology Management, School of Management. 1998- 2007 Member: Advisory Board of the Center for Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation. 2005-2008 Co-Chair: Educause/Internet2 Security Task Force 2002-2004 Chairperson: Cybersecurity Working Group of the Southeastern Universities Research Association 2004 Member: Higher Education and Non-Profits Subcommittee of the Corporate Governance Task Force of the National Summit on Cybersecurity 1998-2004 Member: State of Virginia’s Council on Technology Services, an advisory group to the Secretary of Technology; Executive Committee (2002 - 2004). 2004 Principal Investigator on the grant funded SURA Cybersecurity Symposium 2002 Member: I-Gov Advisory Committee for the Virginia Legislature’s Joint Commission on Technology and Science 2000-2001 Member: Virginia Governor Gilmore’s Task Force on E-Communities 1996-1997 Member: Oregon Governor's Advisory Council on the Virtual University 1995-1997 Member: Inter-Board Task Force, Committee on Instructional Technologies, National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges (NASULGC) 1995-1997 Member: Oregon State System of Higher Education Interinstitutional Council on Educational Technology
1994-1997 Member: Board of Directors, Northwest Academic Computing Consortium 1984-1986 Treasurer: NJ Collegiate Consortium for International Education 1982-1984 Editor: WE Newsletter, the National Association of Women Educator 1981-1983 Program Coordinator: English Language and Culture Program for Visiting Chinese Scholars, U.S./China Peoples Friendship Association _________________________________________________________________
Walter J. Kucharski Auditor of Public Accounts Commonwealth of Virginia Experience: Auditor of Public Accounts, Commonwealth of Virginia, since November, 1984 Deputy Auditor of Public Accounts, Commonwealth of Virginia, July 1982 - November, 1984 Audit Director, Auditor of Public Accounts, Commonwealth of Virginia, January, 1977 - July, 1982 Arthur Andersen & Co., Certified Public Accountants Staff Accountant, August, 1972 - June, 1975 Senior Accountant, June, 1975 - January, 1977 Other Official Duties: Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, Ex Officio Member Compensation Board, Ex Officio Member Joint Commission on Transportation Accountability Debt Capacity Advisory Commission Professional Memberships: American Institute of Certified Public Accountants Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants Association of Fraud Examiners
Association of Government Accountants National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers, and Treasurers National State Auditors Association Government Finance Officers Association National Association of College and University Business Officers Certifications: Licensed Virginia State Board of Accountancy and Maryland State Board of Accountancy (CPA Certification) Certified Fraud Examiner Education: Ohio University, College of Business Administration Bachelor of Business Administration awarded June, 1972 Major in Accounting and Minor in Management
WALTER J. KUCHARSKI
Walter J. Kucharski has been the Auditor of Public Accounts for the Commonwealth of Virginia since November 1984. He had been Deputy Auditor for the previous two years, and joined the staff at the Auditor of Public Accounts in January 1977. As the Commonwealth’s Auditor of Public Accounts, Mr. Kucharski is an Ex-Officio Member of the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC), the Compensation Board, Joint Commission on Transportation Accountability and the Debt Capacity Advisory Commission. He also is a member of a variety of financial management organizations, including the AICPA, Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, National State Auditors Association, Association of Government Accountants, and the Virginia Government Finance Officers’ Association. He is currently serving as the Past President of the National State Auditors Association. He also serves on the Executive Committee of the National State Auditors Association. He is the 2007 recipient of Outstanding Certified Public Accountants in State Government from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the 2005 recipient of William R. Snodgrass Distinguished Leadership Award from the Association of Governmental Accountants. The Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants recent recognized his thirty years of service to the society. A Certified Public Accountant, Mr. Kucharski holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Ohio University. ________________________________________________________________
Dr. Alan G. Merten President The reputation of George Mason University as a progressive, innovative institution of higher learning has continued to gain in strength and scope under the presidency of Alan G. Merten. Since becoming the university’s fifth president in July 1996, George Mason has gained national and international acclaim for a number of significant initiatives and achievements ranging from the completion of its first capital campaign and becoming the first university to host the World Congress on Information Technology to dramatically increasing its basic and applied research activities. During Dr. Merten’s tenure as George Mason’s president, the university has become the fastest growing university in Virginia, with student enrollment climbing from 24,000 in 1996 to over 33,000 today. The quality of George Mason’s students at all levels has increased dramatically during this time. Coinciding with this growth is the emergence of George Mason as a vital center of cultural, academic, and athletic activity for the entire Northern Virginia-Washington, D.C. region. As a result of the university’s outreach efforts, an estimated three million people visit one of George Mason’s campuses each year to attend and participate in a range of events and activities, including lectures, sports competitions, concerts, recitals, and theatrical productions. George Mason University is also the only institution of higher learning in Virginia where two of its faculty members have won the Nobel Prize. Dr. James Buchanan received the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1986. In 2002, Vernon Smith was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences. Building on its strengths in the information sciences and the performing arts, the university has recently developed innovative teaching and research programs in the humanities, public policy and the biological sciences. George Mason is presently immersed in a far-reaching building program that is unprecedented among academic institutions. Prior to coming to George Mason University, Dr. Merten was the dean of the Johnson Graduate School of Management of Cornell University from 1989 to1996. He was dean of the College of Business Administration at the University of Florida from 1986-1989, where he also served as a professor of information systems. From 1970 to 1986, he was at the University of Michigan, first as an assistant professor of industrial and operations engineering. Dr. Merten rose to the rank of associate dean in the Michigan Business School where he was responsible for executive education and computing services. Dr. Merten has held academic appointments in both engineering and business, and academic and business positions in Hungary and France. He has served on business and government councils and committees, holding several leadership roles. Dr. Merten was chair of the National Research Council’s Committee on Workforce Needs in Information Technology. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Greater Washington Board of Trade, Northern Virginia Technology Council, the Inova Health System Board of
Trustees, a real estate investment trust, and a mutual fund trust. Dr. Merten was a member of the Virginia Governor’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Higher Education. He has been recognized for his contributions to the Northern Virginia technology community, and as a leader of the Greater Washington, D.C. business community. He has also been recognized for promoting volunteerism and service to the community, and for his contributions to the use of information technology in the federal government. In 2006, he was recognized for outstanding community service and dedication to improving the quality of life in the region and as one of the most powerful people in the National Capital Region in 2007. Dr. Merten has an undergraduate degree in mathematics from the University of Wisconsin, a master’s degree in computer science from Stanford University, and a Ph.D. degree in computer science from Wisconsin. He and his wife, Sally, have two children and four grandsons. ________________________________________________________________
Thomas M. Moncure, Jr. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE University Counsel & Assistant Attorney General Fairfax, Virginia – January 2006 to Present Appointed by the Attorney General as University Counsel and Assistant Attorney General, with responsibility of assuring comprehensive legal services for George Mason University as an educational institution and agency of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Broad duties include the rendering of advice on all matters of federal and state law and providing representation before federal and state courts. Specialized legal assistance as needed is obtained through and in coordination with the Office of the Attorney General. Supervises the activities of Associate University Counsel and support staff. Primary areas of individual responsibility include the registration and maintenance of University trademarks; interpretation of Virginia statutes; monitoring compliance with the Conflict of Interests Act and the Freedom of Information Act; advising the campus threat assessment team; overseeing University regulations; providing guidance on federal law and regulation with emphasis in areas of intellectual property and research; handling local government and police matters; and general trial practice in state courts. Member of the Virginia Code Commission as appointee of the Speaker of the House of Delegates. Bar Appointments: 1979, Virginia, Supreme Court of Virginia, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, U.S. District for the Eastern District of Virginia; 1980, U.S. Court of Military Appeals; 1983, U.S. Supreme Court. Active Member, Virginia State Bar.
Senior Counsel – Richmond, Virginia – January 2002 to January 2006 Senior Counsel to Attorneys General Jerry W. Kilgore and Judith Williams Jadgmann. Provided advice to the Attorney General with primary responsibility for management of outside counsel. Served as liaison to the Senate of Virginia and as agency representative to the General Assembly of Virginia. Acted as liaison to local government officials and constitutional officers. Additional duties included the drafting of official legal opinions and serving as agency counsel for multiple state agencies. Was the designated representative of the Attorney General on the Virginia Military Advisory Council and the Freedom of Information Advisory Council. Circuit Court Clerk – Stafford County, Virginia – December 1991 to January 2002 Elected Constitutional Officer with primary responsibilities for 1) providing staff and administrative support to the operation of the Circuit Court of Stafford; 2) maintaining the land records for Stafford County; and, 3) exercising Probate jurisdiction for Stafford County. Implemented conversion to computerized systems for records Indexing, Case Management, Financial Management and Jury Management. Implemented conversion to computer imaging system for permanent storage of both land and court records, with design for outside internet access. Served as member of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Advisory Council for the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia. Designated as Certified Circuit Court Clerk by the University of Virginia in 1995. Assistant General Counsel – Washington, D.C. – May 1989 to December 1991 Corporate counsel for the National Rifle Association with primary responsibility for the following areas: state and local legislation and litigation; state and local election and lobbying law compliance; environmental and nuisance regulation; commercial contracts; estate and trust administration. Also served as Secretary and outside counsel manager for 501(c)(3) legal defense fund. Lawyer – Stafford County, Virginia May 1979 to May 1989 Lawyer in general trial practice, primarily in state courts. Approximately one-third of practice was in civil matters and real estate, one-third in criminal defense, and one-third in domestic relations.
Appointed by the Circuit Judges as Assistant Commissioner of Accounts, with responsibility for auditing and approving fiduciary accounts. Appointed by the Supreme Court of Virginia to serve on Medical Malpractice Review Panels. ________________________________________________________________
Robert Nakles Robert Nakles is the Executive Director of the Information Technology Unit's Security and Project Office at George Mason University in Fairfax Virginia. Bob joined George Mason in August 2001 when the IT Project Office was created. Previous to taking on the new position, he had spent 28 years in K-12 education, working on a wide range of technology projects. He received a Masters Degree in Instructional Technology and Communications at Shippensburg University. ________________________________________________________________
Peter Pober Professor of Communication Director of Forensics Chair of the Faculty Senate Dr. Pober is a Professor of Communication at George Mason University where he also directs the university’s nationally-ranked Forensics Team. Dr. Pober is the only forensics director in history to orchestrate a top-ten team national placement for 22 consecutive years. Dr. Pober is honored to continue Mason’s 40-year tradition in forensics, one that has garnered 31 national top-ten placements. Before arriving in Fairfax in the fall of 2003, Dr. Pober directed the University of Texas at Austin’s Forensics Team to 32 Individual, Team, and Program National Championships. He has been honored as the keynote speaker for more than 20 state conventions and myriad corporation gatherings. He is Chair of the American Forensic Association National Individual Events Tournament Committee, a former President of the Texas Speech Communication Association, directed the 6-state region of TX, LA, OK, KS, MO, and AR for 13 years for the American Forensic Association, and was honored by both that district and the national association with the Distinguished Service Award in 1998. He was given the Texas Intercollegiate Forensic Association Educator of the Year Award in 1994 and the Texas College and University Educator of the Year by the Texas Speech Communication Association in 2002. Dr. Pober served as scholar-analyst for myriad U.S. and Canadian publications during the 2008 Presidential and Vice-Presidential Debates. He is also the Faculty Senate Chair at GMU. Dr. Pober is the first U.S. Professor to be invited by the Chinese Government to oversee their National English Language Public Speaking Competition. Peter directs the George Mason Institute of Forensics, the largest and demographically most diverse comprehensive high school forensics workshop in the nation. He has written numerous articles on the marked
communication that takes place both within and between marginalized groups and is thrilled to call George Mason University home. ________________________________________________________________
Carol Westbrook Carol Westbrook, v3.x, CPA, CISA, has been auditing at George Mason University for eighteen years. She is currently the IT Audit Manager. Trained and experienced in IT, financial, operational, compliance, and investigative auditing, Carol is responsible for managing not only the traditional IT audit coverage of the university’s IT resources, but is also called upon to apply her data mining and forensic auditing skills to investigative assignments and development of continuous auditing processes. For her current special field of interest, Carol has become particularly invested in the audit and control challenges posed by ERP’s with their flexibility, the decentralization of control responsibilities and dissolution of former task boundaries between the back office users, the IT department, and the distributed end-user. These challenges are compounded by the rapid evolution of network and web technologies and their related security issues. In previous iterations, Carol has enjoyed a 15-year career in teaching and scholarship, distinguished by academic publication and graduate fellowship at Johns Hopkins. She has also been a dancer, an FCC compliance officer, and a production director for a major market rock radio station. ________________________________________________________________
Julie Zobel Assistant Vice President, Environmental Health & Safety Dr. Zobel is the Assistant Vice President for Environmental Health and Safety at George Mason University. She earned dual Bachelor degrees in Hazardous Materials/Environmental Management and Civil Engineering from the University of Findlay and the University of Akron, respectively, as well as a Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Akron where her thesis project focused on investigating a consortium of bacteria for their ability to degrade total petroleum hydrocarbons in soil. Most recently in 2010 Dr. Zobel earned her doctorate in Biodefense from George Mason University. Her doctoral research and dissertation addressed the role of naturally occurring Bacillus anthracis in biological incident preparedness and response. She is a Certified Hazardous Materials Manager at the master's level, a Registered Biosafety Professional, and a member of Tau Beta Pi the engineering honors society. She began working in the area of laboratory safety and compliance for Mason in 2000. In 2007 her role expanded when the university created the Environmental Health and Safety Office which she now manages. ________________________________________________________________
