You may have heard of the new pilot Business Center 1 and wonder what this new center and its employees do for WU. Associate Vice President for Fiscal Services/Controller Jenni Lewis gives us the scoop in our first Q&A of the 2026-27 year!
We've been laying the groundwork for long-term success. We've spent time getting to know the departments we support and learning the unique ways they operate. We've also met with our functional offices—including human resources, procurement, accounts payable, accounting, budget, payroll, and others—to learn how everything connects. Understanding each department's needs—and the full process behind the scenes—helps us become better partners, not just processors. Along the way, we've already assumed p-card liaison and supervisor responsibilities, loaded FY27 purchase orders, made p-card purchases, prepared and routed personnel, position, and travel forms, developed budget reports, and continue to train for additional responsibilities.
The business center is pleased to serve the Athletics Department, the College of Visual and Performing Arts, the School of Graduate, Continuing and Online Education, and many areas of the administration, including the divisions of Enrollment Management and Marketing, Finance and Business Affairs (including facilities and IT), Human Resources, and University Advancement, as well as the offices of the President and Provost.
We have several familiar faces working in the business center, including Kirsten Morales as our business center manager, Gabby Jacobsen as our budget and finance analyst, Lea Bailey as a finance associate, and Rachel Glover as a finance associate. Our new Eagles include James Wallace as a finance associate and Karina Rojas and Regina Harper as our employment associates. Learn more about them on our website. They can’t wait to meet you!
We are on the 3rd floor of Tillman.
The biggest misconception is that the business center is designed to replace or diminish the role of the department administrator. Nothing could be further from the truth. We know that department administrators wear countless hats, and over the years, administrative processes have become increasingly complex and time-consuming. The business center is designed to help shoulder that administrative workload so administrators can spend less time chasing signatures, troubleshooting processes, and managing paperwork, and more time supporting faculty, serving students, advancing new initiatives, and helping their department achieve its goals. Department administrators know their faculty, students, and programs better than anyone. Their value isn't in pushing paperwork—it's in being a trusted partner to their department. We don't want to diminish the role of the department administrator—we want to give them more capacity to do the work that has the greatest impact.
To me, it's about providing consistent service, improving turnaround times, reducing administrative burden, and creating a better experience for campus employees. The more we learn about how work flows across campus, the more opportunities we'll have to improve processes, solve recurring challenges, and support departments in new ways. We're just getting started!
I knew we'd have a talented team, but I wasn't expecting how quickly they would come together as one. Everyone has something unique to contribute, and they've created a really supportive environment. With a group like this, anything is possible!
Visit our website! You can find plenty of information there about each role, which functions each employee handles, and how to connect with the team.
Thank you, Jenni, for this fantastic insight to the business center concept and BC1. Watch for our next Q&A where Amanda James will “bring the numbers” related to fall enrollment!
