The post Star Tribune writes about hiring of new Chief Financial Officer, Vice President for Finance and Administration appeared first on News and Media.

“Maintaining a sound and sustainable financial footing is a core dimension of our long-range strategic plan,” said Augsburg College President Paul Pribbenow. “We are pleased to have Beth join Augsburg and – building on the strong foundation created by prior CFOs of the College – lead the ongoing development of a sustainable financial model that supports our core academic mission and strategic priorities.”

Reissenweber brings to Augsburg more than 20 years of experience in strategic financial planning, treasury and investment management, risk assessment, audit, and accounting. In her previous role, Reissenweber served for six years as vice president for finance and treasurer at Aurora University in Aurora, Ill. Prior to that, she held numerous leadership positions in finance at Roosevelt University in Chicago. In both of those institutions, Reissenweber worked with a diverse mix of higher education program offerings – much like the array of programs that Augsburg offers, which includes traditional day student undergraduate programs as well as post-traditional undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs.

Reissenweber’s professional background also includes financial leadership roles in not-for-profit legal services and early childhood development organizations.

“I am impressed and inspired by the work Augsburg does in serving an extremely diverse population of students and in engaging with its communities both regionally and internationally,” Reissenweber said. “I am excited about the opportunity to bring my financial stewardship experience to this dynamic college and support the important work that Augsburg does in Minnesota and around the world.”

Reissenweber holds a PhD in educational studies from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, an MBA from Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind., and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Elmhurst College in Elmhurst, Ill. She is a registered certified public accountant (CPA) and a certified management accountant (CMA).

Augsburg College is set in a vibrant neighborhood at the heart of the Twin Cities, and offers more than 50 undergraduate majors and nine graduate degrees to nearly 4,000 students of diverse backgrounds. Augsburg College educates students to be informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders. The Augsburg experience is supported by an engaged community that is committed to intentional diversity in its life and work. An Augsburg education is defined by excellence in the liberal arts and professional studies, guided by the faith and values of the Lutheran church, and shaped by its urban and global settings.

The post Augsburg College names Beth Reissenweber Chief Financial Officer, Vice President for Finance and Administration appeared first on News and Media.

These are a few of the important money matters that Tom Rixen ’12 [left] and Kris Ozga ’11 want you to know about. And as a reward just for learning, they might give you a fabulous prize!

Rixen and Ozga are the students behind College Money Matters, a series of events designed to help students learn about the financial issues that are important to them now and in the future. Both marketing majors, they were recruited to join a personal finance pilot project aimed at college students directed by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.

Ozga says that he was interested in the program because, unlike many of his peers, he learned very early in life about the importance of saving and spending wisely. “I’ve always been very good at personal finance, and I think this is something students need to know. I think they are usually passive about finance until they get to the real world,” he says.

Rixen wanted to be involved with Money Matters to help his peers understand more about credit and finances. “I learn better myself by helping others, so I want to share this with my friends and classmates.”

Rixen and Ozga are planning a series of events starting the week of Nov. 8. They will be tabling in Christensen every day and are having a Jeopardy game one night during dinner. They are also available to give “bite-sized presentations” on financial matters in classes or in other venues.

“We want this to be very interactive,” Ozga said. Rixen adds that they want students to come up with questions about what they want to know because, that way, they will get more out of the program. “It’s a student involved program, so they have to learn and then they can get the benefits of it.”

What are the benefits? In addition to a better understanding of issues like credit, financial aid, and saving, students can win a Wii, a Blu-Ray player, or $300 cash.

“Our goal is to have fun and help students learn while they are hanging out with us,” Rixen says.

Rixen and Ozga will be tabling in Christensen Center every day the week of Nov. 8. So come and hang out with them. There could be something in it for you.

The post These guys want to teach you about your money appeared first on News and Media.

Following the presentation, students will be able to talk with an all-star panel of industry experts including an Augsburg MBA graduate, Sarah Phelan ’09. Phelan is a marketing program manager with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra.

Phelan was working in marketing at Thrivent Financial when she was recruited into the Augsburg MBA program. Soon after she finished her graduate studies, she started looking for a job. “I decided that it was a good time to put some feelers out there, given that I had a new degree on my resume,” she says.

Though she has an undergraduate degree in theology and philosophy of religion, Phelan enjoyed marketing and wanted to stay in it. She also found the arts scene in Minneapolis and St. Paul intriguing. “It’s a very vibrant scene,” she said, “and I always saw myself going in the non-profit direction.”

Phelan landed a job with SPCO and works on a grant project from the Wallace Foundation. She is taking a grassroots, community-based approach to marketing for the orchestra, a somewhat unique method for an arts organization in a major metropolitan area. “‘It’s been a really unique opportunity. We’re doing everything for the first time so everything is a new experience.”

Phelan hopes to share her experience on the marketing side of music business with students next week. “Everything I do is hands-on and focused on how to get the word out,” she says. In that sense, she says her work is very similar to how a band or smaller organization would market themselves—using social media and grassroots communication.

Phelan says the Augsburg MBA program was very beneficial for her career. She says what she learned at Augsburg could be applied to a variety of industries. “I think the Augsburg MBA is a great fundamental learning experience, and it gave me a solid foundation to make the jump from financial services to the arts.”

The music business seminar will be held Tuesday, Apr. 13 from 4-6 p.m. in Sateren Auditorium. The seminar is open to all students, and admission is free but reservations are recommended. Email musicdept@augsburg.edu to make a reservation.

Panelists include:

-Jeralyn Steele, Steele Family performing artists and WCCO Radio personality

-Brad Eggen, attorney and president of the Twin Cities Musicians Union, Local 30-73, American Federation of Musicians

-Shantel Dow, president of Dow Artists (artist management)

-Steve McClellan, executive director of Diverse Emerging Music Organization (DEMOMN.org); faculty member, McNally-Smith College of Music

-Sue McLean, president of Sue McLean and Associates (concert promotion)

-Sarah Phelan ’09 MBA, marketing program manager, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra

The post From finance to fine arts — a perspective on music business appeared first on News and Media.

“It’s the craziest thing I’ve ever done,” says Rostad. “If you had asked me about this my freshman year, I wouldn’t have even thought of it.”

An accounting and finance major from Bloomington, Minn., Rostad applied for the internship after a friend recommended he participate in a program abroad. He’s working in Strategic Growth Markets (SGM) doing assurance and auditing for the firm.

Rostad says his first experience abroad has helped him gain confidence in himself. “I’m turning into my dad,” he said. His father had a similar experience working in Japan. “He told me before I left to go out and try to meet as many people as I could.” Rostad is constantly working with a team and meeting new people, whether it’s in the Underground or on the way to and from his flat.

Besides the fact that an internship with a leading international accounting firm looks great on a resume, Rostad says he is grateful for the experience of living and working abroad. He likes working with the assurance team, traveling to small towns outside London, and meeting people from all over the world.

Back at Augsburg, Rostad is involved with KAUG as the “advertising guy” and says he tries to get involved in many activities. Thanks to a friend and to Leah Spinosa de Vega of Augsburg Abroad, he can now add study in London to his list of accomplishments.

If you are an Augsburg student studying abroad this summer, please let us know so we can share your experience with the community. Email wheelerw@augsburg.edu.

The post A summer in London appeared first on News and Media.