Letter From The President

September 3, 2018

Welcome, friends, to this edition of the College and University Auditor. I am excited to serve as ACUA’s President this year. ACUA has been the greatest professional organization of my career and I am excited to partner with each of you to move our organization forward.

We had a fantastic annual conference in New Orleans. It was great to meet so many new people, catch up with colleagues from across the globe, and learn many new ideas to bring back to campus. We all know it takes an army of volunteers to pull off our conferences, but many thanks to Allan Amyotte, Annual Conference Director; Nikki Pittman, Professional Education Committee Chair; and our staff team for all of their hard work.

At the annual business meeting in New Orleans, I spoke about the theme of association. I explained how I felt that our success as an organization is tied to how well we “associated” with each other. Our mission is to “assist each other in continually improving the internal operations and processes of the individual institutions we serve through continued professional development and the sharing of experiences with friends in colleagues.” In short, ACUA (the “Association”) is an “association with a purpose.”

To achieve our goals, the Association has many initiatives underway. First, we are working to mature our relationships with our existing strategic partners and looking for additional strategic partnership opportunities. Through a reenergized Partnerships Committee, we are looking to grow our associations with other like-minded organizations. Second, the Association is embarking on a complete redesign of our website with an eye toward
a new online experience for both members and visitors. Third, we are working to “reimagine” ACUA Midyear. Midyear is showing its age and a group of volunteers is making changes to the format for 2019. Lastly, we are working to ensure we deploy our efforts toward resources that help you do your job, like ACUA Kick Starters.

All of these efforts take a lot of volunteers. I would be remiss if I did not make a plea for you to get involved with the Association. If you have an hour or two to give a month, we need your help on the ACUA Risk Dictionary or Best Practices Committee. Do you only have five hours all year? Please help us by stepping up to write an ACUA Kick Starter. Do you love social media or your spreadsheets? We need your expertise on the Communication Committee or the Investment Committee. Whatever it is you have to give, ACUA has a place for you!

Lastly, I would like to take a moment and thank Sharon Kurek for her leadership as president. During Sharon’s term she undertook the daunting task of negotiating a new contract with our management company, launched ACUA Kick Starters, and set the course for a new website–in addition to providing excellent leadership through her service. We are better as an association because of her efforts.

In closing, as the heat breaks in Texas and football season gets underway, I hope you find some time to enjoy this fall weather and enjoy the company of friends and family.

All the best,

Justin T. Noble, CIA
ACUA President
Assistant Chief Audit Executive
Texas Tech University System

About the Author

Justin Noble

Justin Noble, who is a Certified Internal Auditor, is an Assistant Chief Audit Executive for the Texas Tech University System. Justin leads a staff of eight auditors in conducting compliance, operational, financial, and fraud reviews across the System’s four component institutions. Justin completed his Master of Architecture and Master of Business Administration from Texas Tech. After graduating from Tech, Justin started his career with The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and worked for Southwest Airlines prior to returning to his alma mater in 2009.

Justin is active in the profession currently serving as Immediate Past President for ACUA. In addition to his board service, Justin has chaired ACUA’s NCAA Taskforce and previously led the Association’s Distance Learning efforts. Justin is a regular at the Association’s conferences serving as a proctor and frequent speaker at both the Annual and Midyear conferences. Justin also serves on the Texas Tech Federal Credit Union’s Board of Directors and Supervisory Committee. Outside of the profession, Justin is active in the South Plains Council of the Boy Scouts of America and serves in his church.

jtnoble@vt.edu

Articles
Connect ACUA: Your Higher Education Auditing Connection
From the President
Letter From The President
Letter from the President