NJIT Finance Officials Chosen for National Leadership Program

Employees in New Jersey Institute of Technology’s finance office were selected to join the Emerging Leaders program of a national organization for the third consecutive year.

This year’s selections were Nakia Goode, director, accounts payable, and Maribel Saravia, assistant director for budget planning and analysis, both of whom will participate in the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO).

NACUBO is a non-profit organization founded in 1962 representing business officers from 1,700 schools across the country. Their goal for the program is to show university financial managers how to engage in the latest trends, understand the importance of cross-campus relationships and generally make the best choices that can ripple across their respective communities. Such training is especially important as NJIT is in the process of transitioning away from a centralized budget model and into a departmental model.

Goode joined NJIT in 2003 as a temporary employee and soon became permanent. “I was looking for a place to begin a career, not just another job. I was looking for career development, security and a cultural fit. NJIT provided all of that and more,” she noted.

“As the director, I oversee the day-to-day operations of accounts payable. That includes the review and processing of invoices and reimbursements for faculty, staff and students, and managing the disbursement of university funds through various payment methods. In collaboration with upper management, I implement, review and update university finance policies to ensure NJIT complies with state and federal regulations. I coordinate university training on accounts payable systems and processes.”

“I work collaboratively with the entire finance division and all university administrative support staff and leadership to make improvements to the accounts payable systems and processes. Overall, my team and I adhere to the mission of the office of Business Services, which is to provide effective and efficient administrative services to the NJIT community while adhering to sound financial and business practices.”

By joining NACUBO, “I hope to discover new and innovative ways to develop and manage my staff. I hope to learn the type of leader I am, and the type of leader I want to be moving forward. I’m looking forward to building a community of like-minded individuals working in the same industry where we can learn from, empathize with and support one another.”

Saravia began working here in 2019. “As a Latina immigrant and first-generation college graduate, the importance of education was ingrained in me by my parents at a very young age, and it has remained with me. It also seems to have influenced my career path, as I have been in education both public and private throughout the entirety of my career, working on the finance end of these institutions. Higher education seemed like the natural path in my career, and the opportunity presented itself to work for a renowned public polytechnic research institute.”

“The quote by Henry Royce — ‘Strive for perfection in everything. Take the best that exists and make it better. If it doesn’t exist, create it. Accept nothing nearly right or good enough’ — has always resonated with me and remained a constant standard and an important roadmap in my life and career. Since joining the finance team at NJIT as a senior budget analyst, I have had the opportunity to see how finance operates on a larger scale organization and the many moving parts involved in the university’s ecosystem.”

“As I further dive into my current position with a better understanding of higher education … I am learning where there is opportunity for growth in my department and within the university. I currently oversee the university’s approximately $481 million annual operating revenue along with the over $45 million in institutional unrestricted student awards.”

With participation in the program, “[It] will take me to the next level of my journey, prove an invaluable asset and help in my growth as a higher education finance professional and leader. I also believe being part of this cohort will expand my professional network with other higher education leaders. I look forward to being able to develop my leadership abilities with the members of the cohort and learning from them. This will be a personal and professional life-altering experience and one that I will wholeheartedly embrace.”

Previous NJIT employees in the Emerging Leaders program were John Gruppo, director of budget planning and analysis, and Lisa Easton, assistant vice president of strategic budget planning. They were recognized in 2021 and 2022, respectively.