We will help you assess your needs and work toward sustainable solutions!
Sustainable Solutions: Free – Let’s Talk
Please use the form below to initiate a free, no-obligation conversation with focusEDU. focusEDU does not share your contact information with anyone! This contact will not result in future calls or e-mails from focusEDU. Statement of Conduct and Ethics.
We have the leading team of acclaimed professionals in the mission-critical areas of enrollment management, admissions, financial aid, registrar, student financial services (including bursar operations), leading instructional technologists, and even the leading U.S. News college rankings consultant to provide needed expertise and assistance to meet your objectives and expectations. We will contact you for a discussion that is confidential. The reality of the impact of Covid-19 is forcing every college and university to rethink their “new normal”. In all the key operational areas we offer short-term assessments/evaluations, interim leadership placement services and our industry-leading national search services.
Follow Us on LinkedIn!
Contact Information
2413 Clarks Wynd,
Matthews, NC
28105
Phone: 231-590-9390
Email: hriley@focusedunow.com
Skill-Based Expertise:
Herb Riley President
Denny DeSantis Vice President
Nick Laudato Vice President
Bruce Cunningham Sr. Consulting Director
Glenn Munson Sr. Consulting Director
William DeWolf Consulting Director
Forrest Stuart Consulting Director
Delsie Phillips Consulting Director
Meaghan Arena Consulting Director
Cassie Dembosky Consulting Director
Patrick Hetherington Consulting Director
Scott Dittman Consulting Director
Tim Ebner Consulting Director
Barbara Frey Consulting Director
Polly Winfrey Griffin Consulting Director
Richard Oravetz Consulting Director
Joanne Nicoll Consulting Director
Karen Acree Consulting Director
Lauren Oczypok Consulting Director
Lou Jimenez Consulting Director
Meghan Solomon Consulting Director
Susan Kassab Consulting Director
Patti Hanson Consulting Director
Siham Doughman Consulting Director
Kathy Posey Consulting Director
Michele Neary Consulting Director
Herb Riley
Skill-Based Expertise:
focusEDU administration; outreach initiatives; degree audit alignment with curriculum management; data integrity for regulatory compliance reporting; workflow technologies; LMS integrations; organization structure; staff development and training; competency-based education administration; distributed data access; dashboards; registrar best practices.
Denny DeSantis

Analytics; best practices; electronic billing and payments; collecting delinquent tuition and loan receivables; increasing cash flow; performance management; operational and business process mapping and review; effective utilization of student information systems; staff training; managing collection agencies; customer service; financial literacy.
Dan Lundquist
Strategic optimization of outreach for admissions; structures for fundraising campaigns; leadership workshops; communications; relations with governing bodies; higher education economics, demographics and access; alumni development; national searches; assessment of performance management.
Judith Flink
Customer service, electronic A/R billing and payments, increasing cash flow, treasury services, professional development, student loan portfolio management, effective collection agency management, tuition and student loan collection procedures, enrollment management and financial literacy.
Darryl Tiggle

Admission outreach initiatives; high school and guidance counselor relationship development; understandings of admission processes for first-time college bound students; development of retention strategies for students; college adjustment counseling strategies and integration of high school to college transitioning strategies.
William DeWolf

Strategic vision as it relates to the registrar’s office; registrar business practices; internal and external program reviews; student administrative services; one-stop-environments, legal issues in higher education, Banner and Degree Works implementation; public policy issues; staff mentoring and professional development; competency-based initiatives.
Glenn Munson

Registration systems; class scheduling; academic calendars; academic policy and compliance; degree audit; curriculum development; curriculum management; office structure and management; staff development and training; transfer credit evaluation; processes and process improvement; mentoring programs; NCAA certification; registrar best practices.
Forrest Stuart

All areas of financial aid processing automation; coordination and improvement; admission and financial aid integration/coordination; enrollment services; financial aid office alignment with institutional mission; staff development; departmental interdependence and interaction.
Gary Hauser

Development and administration of optimization solutions for student finances and net revenues associated with tuition and funding programs; workshop development for sustainable revenue generations; integration of financial best practices administration with overall fiscal operations pertinent to student financial services; Perkins Loan administration best practices.
Nick Laudato

Distance and online instructional systems development; instructional technology solutions design and implementation; strategic and tactical academic and information technology assessment and planning; best practices for student information systems and instructional technology integrations; IT integrations across functional areas of ERP’s through strategic business process mapping and gap analyses; IT staff training and development; leadership development for succession planning.
Patricia Brown Santilli

Registration systems; academic policy and compliance; degree audit; curriculum development and management; staff development and training; user documentation; transfer credit evaluation; process improvement; registrar best business practices; strategic vision as it relates to the registrar’s office; internal and external program reviews; Banner and CAPP implementation; degree audit alignment with curriculum management; data integrity for regulatory compliance reporting; workflow technologies.
Bruce Cunningham

Class and course scheduling,Registration and records systems, National searches, Academic calendars, NCAA certification, FERPA, Office structure and management, Data reporting, Registrar best practices, Compliance issues and monitoring, Academic policy – development and compliance, Staff mentoring and professional development, Records and registration practices for international campuses.
Delsie Phillips

Enrollment management; recruitment strategy review; customer service; team building; staff development; admission and financial aid marketing; external relations; international recruiting; utilizing CRM and data management; promoting private colleges; interim leadership in enrollment.
Dan Nussbaum

Leadership development and coaching; succession planning; academic program planning for accreditation/re-accreditation; leadership transitions; mentoring; talent management; professional development; strategic planning, opportunity, and allocation; faith-based institutions; community engagement; organizational “time management”
Murry Evans

Admissions, enrollment management, data management, strategic marketing, advertising, staff development, team building, major event management, strategic planning, public relations, integrated communication strategy, customer service, international marketing, social media marketing, DISC behavioral styles assessment, using data-driven geo-demographics.
Larry Whitworth

Community college executive leadership; enrollment growth strategies; governance development issues and best practices; curricular strategies and optimizations for growth at the community college level; budget management and cost containment strategies for two year institutions; retention and graduation planning strategies; Career Focus magazine as communication vehicle.
Gary Lewicki

Nationally acclaimed college rankings expertise; higher education research and administration; college choice; freshman year experience; retention and graduation strategies and best practices; academic program migration; student success; diversity; accreditation; legislation; high impact practices.
Bob Herr
Cassie Dembosky

Student record systems design and integration; Academic policy development; Organization structures for optimized functioning; Staff mentoring and professional development; Class and course scheduling, National searches, Academic calendars, FERPA, Office structure and management, Data reporting, Registrar best practices, Compliance issues and monitoring.
Scott Dittman
Registration systems; academic policy and compliance; degree audit; curriculum development and management; staff development and training; user documentation; transfer credit evaluation; process improvement; registrar best business practices; strategic vision as it relates to the registrar’s office;
Joanne Nicoll
Educational programs needs assessment, design, implementation, and evaluation in varied disciplines and delivery modes; curriculum design consultation with discipline experts to develop instructional programs; development and implementation of degree program outcomes assessment; design of instructional methods and strategies to meet learners’ needs; development of instructional manuals and program planning documents; and development of distance education courses and programs, including self-instructional materials.
Karen Acree

Instructional technology; instructional design and course development based in Quality Matters; Quality Matters certified Peer Reviewer; Learning Management System administration and training including Canvas and D2L; implement classroom technology; professional development; lead electronic accessibility efforts; project management for information technology projects; cross functional information technology leadership.
Lauren Oczypok

Instructional technology implementation and training; instructional design and course development aligned with the Quality Matters rubric; Learning Management System administration and training including Blackboard, Canvas, Desire2Learn Brightspace, and Jenzabar eLearning; corporate training systems; professional development and training; ICT accessibility planning and remediation.
Susan Kassab

Comprehensive Enrollment Management and Marketing; Institutional Strategic Visioning; Enterprise Systems Analysis and Integration; Specialized recruitment in the international, transfer, military, graduate, and adult markets, Internal and External Partnership Development, Change Management Practitioner.
Meaghan Arena
Meaghan Arena has more than 20 years of experience in higher education including serving in senior leadership roles at both public and private institutions. Most recently she served as Vice President of Enrollment and the Student Experience, a role that uniquely combined enrollment and student affairs including health & counseling, athletics, student engagement and leadership, student conduct, Title IX, and residential life. She has also served as a traditional Vice President for Enrollment as well as Associate Dean in Graduate and Continuing Education. Her background also includes work with financial aid, transfer admissions, adult students, non-credit programs, summer programs and veteran's services. In addition, Meaghan teaches graduate students as an adjunct instructor at several universities.
Meaghan holds an Ed.D. in Higher Education Leadership from Northeastern University, a Master of Education from Cambridge College, and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Delaware. She lives in Western New York with her husband and son and is an avid animal lover.
Skill-based expertise: admissions, graduate admissions, transfer admissions, financial aid, data-driven enrollment management, enrollment strategy and operations, team management and mentoring, strategic planning, enrollment communications, discount rate management.
Tim Ebner
Timothy Ebner was the University Registrar at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City a position he held for nearly seventeen years retiring in July of 2022. He has worked in the profession for 42 years beginning in the fall of 1980 serving as Assistant Registrar at the Elkhorn Valley Campus of Metropolitan Community College in Omaha, Nebraska. He has also served as Registrar at three other institutions including Quincy University in Illinois, for one year, Midland University in Nebraska for fifteen years and Boise State University in Idaho for six years.
He brings a unique and comprehensive background of working in community college, private liberal arts, public 4 year and flag ship college/university experience. This experience has allowed him to be at the center of much change in the offices he has administered as well as the profession generally. These include multiple SIS and third party software implementations, data warehouse and technology enhancements, process reviews, staff re-organizations, data analysis and visualization development as well as curricular and policy reviews. Professional Development has been at the center of his personal commitment to his role, as well as providing a rich program for the staff he directs.
Tim received his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from the University of Nebraska at Kearney and his Master’s degree in College Student Personnel from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
Lou Jimenez
Prior to joining focusEDU in July of 2022, Lou Jimenez was the University Registrar at Texas State University. A position he held for seven years before retiring in February 2021. He has worked in the profession for over 26 years He began his career as Associate Registrar at the Community College of the Air Force. After retiring from the Air Force he has served in the Admissions and Registrar field at several other institutions including Auburn University at Montgomery, Baylor College of Medicine, St. Philips College, Kentucky State University, Auburn University and The University of Alabama.
He brings a unique and comprehensive background of working in community college, public 4-year and flagship college/university experience. This experience has allowed him to be at the center of much change in the offices he has administered and the profession generally. These include multiple SIS and third-party software implementations, data warehouse and technology enhancements, process reviews, staff re-organizations, data analysis, and visualization development as well as curricular and policy reviews. Professional Development has been at the center of his personal commitment to his role, as well as providing a rich program for the staff he directs. Lou is a nationally acclaimed leader in the registrar profession and looks forward to assisting the leadership of the higher education community as a Consulting Director with focusEDU.
Lou received his Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Technology from Southern Illinois University and his Master’s degree in Management from Troy University in Alabama.
Siham Doughman
After a stellar and acclaimed career in the registrar profession,Siham Doughman, joined focusEDU to share her skills and insights with the leadership of higher education. Siham has over 25 years of professional experience in U.S. and international universities; over 15 years as a Registrar and over 10 years as a college Professor teaching business and MIS courses. Siham has the unique ability to lead teams and collaborate with university leadership and colleagues. She also has extensive experience in academic operations and processes improvements. Siham is dedicated to maintaining high quality student services standards while creating a positive educational experience for students from diverse academic backgrounds. Her diverse work experiences has provided her with background with multiple student information systems and applications experiences.
Siham Doughman worked as a University Registrar at Syracuse University, Southern Connecticut State University, Laureate Higher Education Group, and most recently served as Associate Vice President and University Registrar at Northeastern University, bringing to higher education institutions a wealth of experience and in-depth knowledge at the operational as well a strategic level.
Siham looks forward to working with the leaders of higher education to optimize and serve all constitents.
Kathy Posey
Ms. Kathy A. Posey has joined the team of focusEDU as a Consulting Director. Kathy is an accomplished higher education professional with more than 15 years of experience in assessing Registrar offices to determine strengths and challenges, recommend and implement change, and develop solutions with and without technology.
Kathy’s higher education career began as the Assistant Registrar at Berklee College of Music, the world’s preeminent college for the study of music. At Berklee, Kathy was selected as part of the team that brought online registration to the campus. In addition, Kathy was the co-chair of Berklee Women’s Network and was selected for the BRASS award, an annual recognition given to exceptional employees. Since that time, Kathy has worked as the Registrar in small private undergraduate and graduate liberal arts colleges and a mid-size private undergraduate and graduate business university. At these colleges and university, Ms. Posey has had significant roles in implementing student information systems, resolving issues with the A133 audits, improving relationships with faculty, optimizing office operations, and being a key contributing member on many committees. In addition, Ms. Posey has conducted consulting assignments at colleges and universities that include a university with a military focus, a nationally acclaimed optometry college, and a HBCU.
Kathy is an effective leader who collaborates with cross functional groups to accomplish goals. Her extensive experience includes developing solutions to transform challenging environments into being organized, efficient, productive, and collaborative. She has been commended by supervisors and colleagues and recognized for leadership, ability to produce results in high stress environments, strong work ethic, and compassion. She has a career-long dedication to managing the ever-changing challenges in the higher education field.
Ms. Posey has been active in leadership roles in American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) and New England Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (NEACRAO). These roles have included State and Regional Relations Chair, State and Regional Relations Co-Chair, Nominations and Elections Committee member (AACRAO). President Elect, President, Past President, Vice President of Records and Registration, Scholarship Committee Chair, and Mentor (NEACRAO). Ms. Posey has made numerous presentations at AACRAO’s annual meetings and NEACRAO’s conferences.
Michele Neary
Michele Nearry has joined the team of focusEDU as a Consulting Director.
Most recently, Michele served as the University Registrar at Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana for ten years before leaving in August 2022 to pursue her interests in consulting. She has worked in the profession for 31 years, serving in a variety of student records positions at Indiana University-Bloomington for 18 years, then as Associate Registrar at Northwestern University for three years.
She is adept at engaging stakeholders in conversations to build consensus around best practices, academic policies, and business process improvements to ensure academic integrity while engaging students and enhancing their university experience. Her work with a range of institutions from large publics to small privates has given her a variety of experiences in student records, academic affairs, and curriculum management along with the understanding that optimal solutions are largely dependent on institution type.
Michele received her Bachelor’s degree in History, her Master of Information Science, and her Doctor of Jurisprudence from Indiana University-Bloomington.
Michele looks forward to serving the needs of the higher education community for registrar services and best practices as a Consulting Director for focusEDU.
Polly Winfrey Griffin
Polly Winfrey Griffin is an experienced, strategic, and collaborative leader who joins focusEDU with a full career in academic administration. Following forty years as Registrar of four fascinatingly different institutions, she is visionary and bold in the implementation of academic policy and the delivery of enrollment services.
Polly has most recently been Registrar of Princeton University. For sixteen years, she directed the function of student systems; managed institutional enrollment reporting and research and the scheduling of exams and classrooms; served on numerous faculty and administrative committees and task forces (including calendar reform); and assembled and led an exquisitely effective staff. She led the development of a student enrollment portal (Tiger Hub) and collaborated on the development of sophisticated advising services.
As Registrar at Dartmouth prior to 2006, Polly coordinated the collaboration of five college Registrars including medical, engineering and business schools. In addition to responsibilities for student and academic services, she led classroom master planning and developed classroom management structures.
System implementation and faculty services were paramount at Davidson, a high-touch rigorous, liberal arts institution. Her first portfolio at Wingate included expanding services to enable curricular expansion to accompany transition to four-year status and directing its now-legendary international program.
Polly brings to focusEDU a critical understanding of the role a Registrar fulfills in supporting the needs of the academic program and its numerous stakeholders, through policy development and implementation and through essential collaboration with multiple diverse constituents to understand their goals and effect change.