NDUS Office Staff

Lisa Johnson

Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs

Lisa Johnson is the Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs for the North Dakota University System. Her work is concentrated in program approval, policy and procedures, transfer and articulation, and matters that affect the health, moral and well-being of the system’s 44,000 students. She serves as the University System’s liaison to councils, task forces, internal and external advisory groups, and several collaborative interagency partnerships.

Lisa began her undergraduate studies at Minot State University while serving in the United State Air Force. She completed associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees from the College of Business at Minot State University and has continued her studies at the doctoral level in Institutional Analysis at North Dakota State University.

She served as a university registrar at Minot State University for six years and was instrumental in planning and transitioning to the current student information system before joining the University System in 2009.

Phone: 701-328-4143
E-mail: lisa.a.johnson@ndus.edu

STAFF

• Claire Gunwall, Director of Academic Affairs, 701-328-4140
• Katie Fitzsimmons Director of Student Affairs, 701-328-4109

David Krebsbach

Vice Chancellor for Administrative Affairs/CFO

David Krebsbach is the University System’s Vice Chancellor for Administrative Affairs/Chief Financial Officer. Krebsbach oversees administrative affairs as it impacts all stakeholders within the university system.

Prior to this position he served four years as the North Dakota University System Director of Finance and was responsible for development and monitoring of policies and activities for all budget related matters for the North Dakota University System and supervision of staff.

David also served as Finance Manager for Job Service North Dakota for nine years prior to his roles with the North Dakota University System.

David has a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Accounting from the University of North Dakota. He is a native of Minot, N.D., and longtime resident of Bismarck. David and Marlene have a daughter and a son, both are graduates of North Dakota State University. He enjoys the outdoors, spending time hunting and fishing.

Phone: 701-328-4116

E-mail: david.krebsbach@ndus.edu

STAFF

• Alexandria Bauer Financial Aid Assistant, 701-328-2964
• Brenda Zastoupil Director of Financial Aid, 701-328-2906
• Chris Pieske, Chief  Compliance Officer, 701-328-3303
• Jamie Wilke Director of Finance, 701-328-4111
• Kristin Ellingson Assistant Director of Financial Aid, 701-328-4156
• Maryann Olson Project and Contract Planning Specialist, 701-792-6394
• Mindy Sturn, Accountant, 701-328-4129
• Rick Tonder Director of Facilities Planning, 701-792-6395
• Robin Putnam Director of Financial Reporting, 701-328-4114
• Sharon Schwartzbauer Accountant, 701-328-4112

Jerry Rostad

Vice Chancellor of Strategy and Strategic Engagement

Jerry Rostad is the University System’s vice chancellor of Strategy and Strategic Engagement. He is responsible for engaging all stakeholders in the State Board of Higher Education’s vision for the North Dakota University System and for leadership in the development, implementation and communication of a comprehensive strategic plan.

Prior to taking this position, Rostad was an assistant chief information officer for Core Technology Services of the NDUS where he was responsible for academic services and training. Rostad has also spent the past number of years as a special assistant to Chancellor Hagerott, supporting a variety of NDUS initiatives related to unmanned systems, digitization, and cybersecurity.

Rostad started his career in higher education working for Agriculture Communication at NDSU. His next stop was with the North Dakota Interactive Video Network, where he led the conversion of classroom videoconference technologies from dedicated circuits to internet-based technologies.

Rostad has been elected to his second term of office as a Fargo Park Board Commissioner. He is a retired Captain after serving 28 years in the Navy Reserve. And, he is involved in many committees and organizations in the Fargo community.

Rostad has a B.S. degree in Mass Communication from Minnesota State University Moorhead and a M.A degree in communication from the University of North Dakota. He is a native of West Fargo and longtime resident of Fargo. Rostad and his wife Tami have two grown sons.

Phone: 701-969-9229
E-mail: jerry.rostad@ndus.edu

STAFF

• Billie Jo Lorius Director of Communications, Media Relations, and Marketing, 701-328-4107
• Eric Jensen, Director of Strategic Engagement and Creative Development, 701-328-1826

Tom Danford

Vice Chancellor for IT/Chief Information Officer

Tom Danford became the Vice Chancellor for IT/Chief Information Officer at the North Dakota University System in the summer of 2024. Before becoming VC for IT/CIO, Tom was employed with a major IT services and consulting provider as a senior principal strategic specialist and chief information officer. In this role he serves higher education executives in improving the alignment of institutional IT assets to augment student success, business processes, compliance and data protection and privacy.

Danford also has served as the chief information officer for the Tennessee board of Regents where he was responsible for initiatives for six universities, 13 community colleges and 26 schools of technology. Some systemwide projects he was involved in include Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) implementation, management and support, Oracle Database Administrator management collaborative, Learning Management System and IT security collaborative for cybersecurity and disaster preparedness.

Danford holds a master’s in business administration, a juris doctor and bachelor’s degree in chemistry and extensive continuing education in a variety of IT/management information systems and business management topics.

Phone: 701-792-6345
E-mail: thomas.danford@ndus.edu

Staff:

• Brad Miller Director Information Security, 701-792-6282
• Corey Quirk, Deputy Chief Information Officer, 701-792-6298
• Dirk Huggett Assistant CIO/P3/M, 701-792-6255
• Melanie Hansen, Controller, 701-792-6244
• Rick Anderson Director Infrastructure & Operations, 701-792-6203

Mark Gorenflo

Chief of Staff and Director for Innovation and Economic Development

Mark Gorenflo is the university system’s chief of staff and director for innovation and economic development. Gorenflo serves as a liaison between the Chancellor, the Chancellor’s Cabinet, and State Board of Higher Education Members. He also serves as the nexus between higher education and workplace and economic innovation.

Prior to joining the NDUS in the fall of 2023, Gorenflo served as the Executive Director of the Evening & Weekend Masters of Business Administration Program at the Haas School of Business, at the University of California, Berkeley. This program was rated as the #1 part-time MBA program in the country by U.S. News and World Report. During his tenure at Haas, Mark oversaw development of a new online cohort with a brand-new portfolio of online courses. Mark holds degrees from the U.S. Naval Academy; the University of Oxford, United Kingdom, where he earned a masters degree as a Rhodes Scholar; and the Haas School of Business, where he earned his MBA.

Phone: 701-328-4154
E-mail: mark.gorenflo@ndus.edu

Staff:

• Caitlin Magilke, Senior Administrative Assistant, 701-328-4108
• Kristie Hetzler Executive Assistant to the State Board of Higher Education, 701-328-2966

Jane Grinde

Director, Human Resources

Jane Grinde is the Human Resource Director for the University System Office and Core Technology Services (CTS).  In this role she provides human resource support and guidance to CTS and System Office employees.  She works closely with campus HR departments and provides oversight and consultation for NDUS human resource policies, personnel issues, benefits and retirement plans.  Prior to joining Core Technology Services she served as Mayville State University’s Human Resource Officer.

Grinde has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Relations from the University of North Dakota.

Phone: 701-328-4217
E-mail: jane.grinde@ndus.edu

Jennifer Weber, PhD

Institutional Research

Dr. Jennifer Weber serves as the Director of Institutional Research & Analytics and Chief Data Analyst for the North Dakota University System (NDUS). In her role, she spearheads leadership and oversight across a broad spectrum of data-related activities. Her responsibilities encompass systemwide and institutional data collection, effectiveness, reporting, and analytics for NDUS, as well as for the State Board of Higher Education (SBHE), the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction (NDDPI), and NDUS Shared Institutional Research services. Additionally, Dr. Weber is an integral member of the governance committee for the state longitudinal data system (SLDS) and fulfills the role of state coordinator for federal data reporting (IPEDS), managing the requisite federal reporting for 19 North Dakota public, private, and tribal postsecondary institutions.

Dr. Weber’s professional journey began as a high school Chemistry and Physics teacher in Lake Station, Indiana. Relocating to North Dakota, she dedicated a decade to teaching science and computer courses at United Tribes Technical College in Bismarck. This was followed by a fourteen-year tenure as a technology staff developer and data coordinator at Bismarck Public Schools. Dr. Weber has been a member of the NDUS team since 2014.

Holding a B.S. in Secondary Science Education from Indiana State University, Dr. Weber furthered her education with a M.Ed. from the University of North Dakota. She then achieved a Ph.D. in Education, focusing on Institutional Analysis, from North Dakota State University.

Phone: 701-328-4103
E-mail: jennifer.weber@ndus.edu

STAFF

• Dr. Ellie Shockley Institutional Researcher, EDU Data Warehouse Specialist, 701-328-2020
• Dr. Greg Carlson Institutional Researcher, Special Projects, 701-328-2017
• Ryan Jockers Assistant Director of Reporting/Analytics, 701-224-2708

Dina Cashman

Chief Audit Executive

Dina Cashman is the Chief Audit Executive at the North Dakota University System. Reporting directly to the SBHE Audit Committee, she performs both individual institutional and system-wide financial and compliance audits, facilitates the Enterprise Risk Management process, and completes fraud risk assessments.

Dina has spent much of her career in the government sector. She previously worked at North Dakota State Auditor’s Office as an auditor where she performed North Dakota state agencies’ operational audits, the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR), and the state’s federal financial assistance audit (“Single Audit”). Dina joined North Dakota University System in 2017.

Dina has a Bachelor of Science in Accounting, from Dickinson State University, a Bachelor of Arts, Master in Linguistics from Belgorod State University, Russia. Dina is a Certified Public Accountant, and received her Certified Internal Auditor designation in December 2020.

Phone: 701-224-2552
E-mail: dina.cashman@ndus.edu

STAFF

• Dustin Walcker Senior Internal Auditor, 701-224-2501
• Jacqueline Miller, Internal Auditor