CCBO 2025 Leadership Academy and Annual Conference Recap

Frisco, Texas | September 29 – October 2, 2025

Community College Business Officers from across the nation gathered in Frisco, Texas, for the 2025 CCBO Leadership Academy and Annual Conference — a week filled with professional growth, collaboration, and connection. The event combined engaging educational sessions, recognition of outstanding professionals, and a dash of Lone Star spirit, including a lively happy hour complete with line dancing.

A special thank-you goes to Platinum Sponsor Ferrilli for helping make this year’s event possible. Their generous support helped create a conference experience as dynamic and impactful as the business officers who attended.

Leadership Academy

The week began with the Leadership Academy (September 29–30), an intensive program designed to strengthen leadership capacity within community college business offices. Under the direction of Paige Childs, Vice President for Business, Finance and Facilities at Piedmont Technical College and Dean of Leadership Academy, and Chris Murphy, Vice President of Finance at Northeast Mississippi Community College and Assistant Dean of Leadership Academy, participants explored a range of strategic topics.

Sessions included:

Enrollment, Recruitment, and Retention: How to Increase the College Revenue Stream — presented by Dr. Merrill Irving, Jr. (Ferrilli) and Dr. Nerita Hughes (Bay de Noc Community College)
Leading Through Complexity: Strategic Leadership for Community College Business Officers — led by Dr. Carmelita Coleman (Transact + cbord, Inc.)
Managing Dumpster Fires in Higher Ed: A Tactical Toolkit for College Leaders — presented by Michelle Bargona (Northeast Mississippi Community College)
Student Success Hub: NACUBO Suite of Tools — with Terri Dautcher (NACUBO)

The Leadership Academy concluded with the presentation of two distinguished awards:

Jim Turner Outstanding Leadership Academy Graduate: Christina Kelley, Director of Procurement, Strategic Sourcing, and Sustainability, Middlesex Community College
Darrell Roberts Emerging Professional Award: Caleb Pellouchoud, Director of Budgets, Planning & Analysis, Colorado Community College System

Annual Conference

The Annual Conference (September 30–October 2) brought together professionals from across the country to discuss emerging issues, share innovative solutions, and strengthen the business office community.

The program opened with a fireside chat, Top Five Business Issues Currently Facing Community Colleges, facilitated by Kara Freeman, NACUBO President & CEO, with panelists Holly Harper (Cowley County Community College), Stan Sullivant (Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas), and John K. Pitcher (Bunker Hill Community College).

Additional sessions throughout the week explored timely and practical topics such as:

Keynote: The Power of Engagement – How to Succeed in Diverse, Dynamic Environments — presented by Mitch Savoie Hill (SavHill Consulting, LLC)
Strengthening Your Workforce — presented by Amanda Duval Norwood (Harper College)
Using Enrollment Gap Analysis to Assist with Student Recruitment and Retention — led by Dr. Merrill Irving, Jr. (Ferrilli) and Dr. Nerita Hughes (Bay de Noc Community College
Navigating New Norms: Embracing PCI DSS v 4.0 in Higher Education Payments — presented by Linda Wilson (Transact + cbord, Inc.)
Mastering the Higher Ed Budget Book — with Dianne Duron (San Jacinto Community College) and Justin Martin (Tru Consulting)
Student Success Begins at Hello! — presented by Beth Baligrosky (Jackson State Community College), Judith Witherspoon (Edamerica), and Seth Harden (Jackson State Community College)
Communicating with Clarity as a Retention Strategy — with by Kerri Langoni Carpenter (San Juan College)
Meet Your Workforce Where They Are: Leveraging an Employer of Record to Recruit Top Talent — presented by Jeff Bujak (KellyOCG) and Jeremy Van Kley, Ed. D, (KellyOCG)
Current Trends in Higher Ed Payments: Navigating Change in Student Financial Services — presented by Zak Wiatr (Transact Campus) and Melissa Klemp (Coconino Community College)
Cross-Department Collaboration in Action — presented by Terri Dautcher (NACUBO)
Remote and Beyond: Exploring the Benefits and Hurdles of Hiring Out-of-State Talent in Higher Education — led by Dianne Duron (San Jacinto Community College) and Carin Hutchins (San Jacinto Community College)
Beyond the Hype: Using AI to Save Time and Strengthen Strategy — presented by Amber Kinney (Strategies by Design Group)

Attendees also received a Legislative Update from Kathryn Gimborys, Government Relations Manager at the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), who provided insights into current policy developments shaping higher education.

Honoring Excellence

CCBO President Maderia Ellison was formally installed in her new role, receiving the gavel from outgoing President John K. Pitcher to mark the beginning of her term. She also presented awards recognizing two exceptional professionals whose contributions exemplify leadership and commitment to the community college mission:

Outstanding Chief Business Officer: Paige Childs, Vice President for Business, Finance & Facilities Management at Piedmont Technical College and Dean of the CCBO Leadership Academy
Outstanding Business Officer: Valerie Greenwood, Associate Vice Chancellor for Business & Finance for the Tennessee Board of Regents

Both recipients were recognized for their strategic leadership, operational excellence, and service to their institutions and colleagues. CCBO also extended appreciation to Board of Directors members Jessica Booth (Midlands Technical College), who completed her term as Treasurer, and Bruce Budde (Illinois Central College), who completed his term as Region 5 Representative, for their dedicated service and contributions to the organization.

Networking and Connection

Beyond the sessions and awards, attendees enjoyed ample opportunities to connect with peers and business partners. From hallway conversations to the high-energy happy hour with line dancing, the conference balanced professional development with camaraderie and fun.

Looking Ahead

The 2025 Leadership Academy and Annual Conference once again underscored CCBO’s vital role in advancing excellence among community college business officers. Attendees left Frisco with new tools, insights, and connections to support their work back home — and excitement already building for next year’s gathering.

Mark your calendars!
CCBO 2026 Leadership Academy and Annual Conference
September 21–24, 2026
Hilton New Orleans Riverside
Two Poydras Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70130
Hotel and registration details coming soon!