The department manages and oversees finance, accounting, facilities management, human resources, payroll, fiscal reporting, internal and external audits, and the pro-forma development and implementation of the operating and capital budgets for the system.
Staff monitor all financial accounts, budgets and financial conditions for compliance with national accounting standards, budgetary and policy requirements and plans; direct the implementation and ongoing maintenance of automated financial systems, system controls and user training and support; coordinate and develop the annual financial statements and provide system office financial and business office support functions.
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Tracy Bashara serves as the VSCS Director of Business Operations. She joined the VSCS in May 2021 with over 20 years of Treasury & Operations experience from both the public & private sector(s). She lives in Montpelier with her husband and two step-daughters.
Shannon Billings serves the VSCS as a Business Services Assistant. Her duties include working with the Accounts Receivable Team and Grant Managers within the System. She joined the VSCS in 2018 after 22 years managing the financial operations of a small construction company. Shannon received her BS in accounting from Thomas College in Waterville, ME. In her free time, you will find Shannon with her Quarter Horse, Skylar, practicing the art of horsemanship.
Linda Davis joined the Chancellor’s Office from Johnson State College, where she spent over nine years. In addition to accounts payable, Linda has a depth of knowledge and understanding of many other important aspects of the Vermont State Colleges, such as student financial services. Linda is passionate about employee wellness and served as the Wellness Coordinator at Johnson State College for several years. Prior to her VSCS experience, Linda and her family owned three successful businesses in the Cambridge, VT area.
Dick Ethier is the VSCS Director of Facilities. He started working for the VSCS system in 1973 at Vermont Technical College. In 1989 he became the VTC Director of Physical Plant. He held that position until 2004, when he came to the Chancellor’s Office as Director of Facilities. Dick lives in Braintree with his wife and in his spare time enjoys collecting and working on antique cars and tractors.
Jocelyn Haley serves the VSCS as Senior Staff Accountant. She joined the VSCS in 2020 with 20 years of experience in the nonprofit and public accounting sectors in Central Vermont. She has a BS in History from Truman State University and a MBA from the University of Vermont. She currently is a licensed Certified Public Accountant. Jocelyn lives in Middlesex with her husband and two kids.
Chassidy King joined the VSCS in June 2017 and works in the Accounts Payable Department. Chassidy lives in Fletcher with her husband and children where they own a maple sugaring business. In her spare time, Chassidy loves NASCAR races, gardening, and spending time with friends.
Sharron Scott is VSC’s Chief Financial and Operating Officer. Sharron began her career with the Vermont State Colleges System in 2003 serving as the system’s first Director of Administrative Information Systems. In 2004, Sharron transferred into the Dean of Administration role with Johnson State College and in 2017, Lyndon State College was added to Sharron’s portfolio where she served, jointly, as the Dean of Administration for both institutions until the colleges were fully unified into Northern Vermont University in 2018. In addition to her institutional roles, Sharron has served as a member of the system-wide policy setting bodies for information technology, human resources, and business affairs. She also served as the system lead for Internal Audit, and as an external evaluator for NECHE, specializing in the areas of finance, facilities, information technology and human resources.
Prior to joining the Vermont State Colleges System Sharron worked for Ecolab, Inc. in St. Paul, Minnesota where she was a director of information technology. In that role, Sharron specialized in software development, business process reengineering, and institutional mergers. Sharron is a native Vermonter and a graduate of the University of Vermont. She and her family reside in Morrisville, and she is excited about the prospect of serving all of the institutions in the Vermont State Colleges System.
Tracy Sweet is a Payroll Specialist for the VSCS system. She joined the VSCS in 1990, starting at CCV in the business office. She worked as an accounts receivable clerk for five years before moving to payroll, eventually becoming CCV’s payroll director. Tracy joined the Chancellor’s Office in her current role in 2005. She has an associate’s degree in accounting from Champlain College.
Betsy Ward is the Grants Compliance Officer for the VSCS System. She splits her time between the Chancellor’s Office and the VSCS institutions, where she works with faculty, administrators, and staff who are developing grant proposals or managing grants. She has a BA in English and an MA in American Studies, both from Utah State University. She has spent most of her career in higher education, with previous positions at the University of Utah and Salt Lake Community College. She also served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Poland and an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer in rural Washington State. She lives in Burlington with her family.
Marissa Greene joined the Chancellor’s Office in March 2020 as an Employee Services Specialist. She brings over fifteen years of experience, most recently with Vermont Creamery where she was instrumental in adding over 50 positions, guiding them through 38% growth year over year. She also spent many years with ADP in their payroll division. Marissa is a local yoga and fitness instructor whose love of anything movement and health oriented leads her to volunteer teaching yoga for people in recovery and at the St. Johnsbury correctional institute. She also works part time at the local domestic violence coalition. Marissa loves to hike the local spots and spend time with her 3 kids and 3 dogs.
Laura Macieira joined the Chancellor’s Office in March 2020 as an Employee Services Specialist. She has been in the field of human resources for ten years, which she enjoys fully. She has an honors degree in architecture from Faculdade de Arquitectura da Universidade do Porto, Portugal. In her free time, Laura can be found with family and friends gardening, hiking, skiing or swimming in lakes.
Katrina Meigs is the System Director of Human Resources & Benefits Administration in the Chancellor’s Office.
Kathryn N. Santiago is Associate General Counsel and System Investigator for Vermont State Colleges. She provides legal support and advice at the direction of the VSC General Counsel on a wide variety of legal issues and acts as the primary investigator for the VSC on complaints of discrimination, harassment, sexual misconduct and other improper or unprofessional behavior whether involving students, staff, faculty, administrators or third-parties, as well as providing training and planning for VSC to comply with state and federal requirements. Prior to joining VSC in 2020, Kathryn served as Title IX Investigator and Deputy Title IX Coordinator at Stony Brook University. Her past experience includes that of Assistant Town Attorney and private law practice. Kathryn is a graduate of the State University of New York at New Paltz and Hofstra University School of Law.
Patty Turley is General Counsel for the Vermont State Colleges, providing a wide range of legal services for the Chancellor’s office and the state colleges. Before joining VSC in 2020, Patty spent more than twenty years in private practice with Zalinger Cameron & Lambek in Montpelier, where her legal practice included areas such as employment, civil litigation, labor, and business transactions. Patty worked as a paralegal for fifteen years at the same firm and successfully sat for the Vermont Bar examination after her four-year clerkship in 1999. She has an MS in Higher Education Administration from Southern New Hampshire University, as well as degrees from Norwich University, Woodbury College and Vermont Technical College. She served as adjunct faculty at Champlain College and earlier at Woodbury College, writing and teaching law-related courses at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Patty is an Examiner for the Vermont Board of Bar Examiners and is a member of the Central Vermont Chapter of the American Inns of Court. She is a native of Montpelier and lives there with her husband.
In addition to our departments, Chancellor’s Office staff are responsible for several other areas of work, including academic affairs, Board of Trustees support, grants administration, institutional research, and legislative affairs.
Wilson Garland is the Director of Transformation Projects for the VSCS. Most recently, he was the Executive Director of the IT Center of Excellence at the Minnesota State college and university system. In the 15 years prior to joining Minnesota State, he served in various other higher education leadership roles and co-founded a mobile learning software company. Wilson received an BA in History from Cornell University and an Master of Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He currently lives with his family in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and his hobbies include hiking, traveling, tennis, gardening, cooking, and studying for a PhD in Leadership for Higher Education.
Katherine Levasseur is the Director of External and Governmental Affairs for the Vermont State Colleges. She is charged with building public support for and raising the profile of the Vermont State Colleges, developing partnerships and alliances to support the VSC, liaising with state and federal elected officials, and leading VSC’s communications strategy. Katherine is a graduate of the University of Vermont and a justice of the peace in her hometown of Hinesburg. Before joining VSC in 2020, Katherine spent four years working as Chief of Staff to Speaker of the House Mitzi Johnson in the Vermont Legislature. Additionally, she has over a decade of experience on political campaigns, serving a campaign manager, volunteer, and statewide campaign director. Katherine grew up in the NEK and enjoys exploring Vermont with her husband, daughter, and rescue pup.
Jen Porrier is the Administrative Director to the Office of the Chancellor. She provides support and management to the Chancellor, Leadership staff and is the liaison to the Board of Trustees. Prior to coming to the Chancellor’s Office Jen worked for IBM for 18 years, most recently as Business Operations Specialist for Watson Health. Jen earned a Master’s Degree in Education from University of Nevada, Reno and is excited to be back in the world of Academics. She lives in Montpelier with her husband.
Juan Zhang is the VSCS Institutional Research Analyst. She has primary responsibility for the IPEDS and other required reporting and is working to transform routine operational reporting needs across all the colleges. Juan was a data analyst at Cathedral Square in Burlington, Vermont where she was responsible for creating an internal data warehouse, developing reports, assuring data quality and integrity, and conducting outcomes evaluation for grants. She has a master’s degree in public administration from UVM and a second master’s of economics in information economy from the Central University of Finance and Economics in Beijing, China.
Yasmine Ziesler serves as the VSCS Chief Academic Officer. She supports the work of the Education, Personnel, and Student Life (EPSL) Committee of the Board and works closely with several VSCS-wide teams including academic deans, institutional research, registrars, teaching and learning technologies, and advising technology. Prior to coming to the Chancellor’s Office in 2015, Yasmine served as Dean of Technology and Associate Academic Dean for first year programs at Castleton University, and she began her VSCS career at the Community College of Vermont Burlington site as an academic coordinator in 2003. Yasmine received her Ph.D. in anthropology from Boston University and was a Fulbright English teacher in the Republic of Korea in 1995-1996.
