Presidential leadership and university governance
Under President Cruz Rivera’s leadership, NAU advances its Elevating Excellence goals through collaborative governance and shared vision, positioning the university as a national leader in equitable higher education.
Following President Cruz Rivera’s leadership and boundless support, NAU works tirelessly to realize the goals of our Elevating Excellence strategic roadmap.
Pursuing these goals, the Office of the President builds on NAU’s unique perspective and experience—through the voices of the presidential cabinet, our advisory boards, and governing organizations across the university. In deep partnership, these groups uphold and extend our vision as a national leader in equitable higher education.
President's cabinet
The President's cabinet is comprised of the leaders of President Cruz Rivera's strategic, operational, and advisory leadership team. This team advances, leads, and coordinates broad efforts across NAU's academic and administrative departments to meet the university's vision and mission.
| Steve Burrell | Vice President of Technology and Chief Information Officer |
| Ann Marie Chischilly | Vice President of Office of Native American and Indigenous Advancement (ONAIA) |
| Laurie Dickson | Vice President for University Strategy and Senior Associate to the President |
| Uri Farkas | Vice President Intercollegiate Athletics |
| Bjorn Flugstad | Senior Vice President for University Operations and Chief Financial Officer |
| Jonathan S. Gagliardi | Vice President of Economic Mobility and Social Impact |
| Laura Jones | Associate Vice President for Strategic Planning, Institutional Research, and Analytics; Chief Data Officer |
| Nick Lobejko | Vice President of Advancement and Foundation and CEO of the NAU Foundation |
| Josh Mackey | Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer |
| Justin Mallett | Vice President for Inclusive Excellence |
| Jeffery McKay | Vice President of Capital Planning and Campus Operations |
| Julie Mueller | Chief Economic Advisor to the President |
| Anika Olsen | Vice President of Strategic Enrollment and Marketing |
| Kimberly Ott | Associate Vice President of Communications |
| Michelle Parker | Vice President of Legal Affairs and General Counsel |
| Karen Pugliesi | Executive Vice President and University Provost |
| Brian Register | Chief of Staff |
| Margot Saltonstall | Vice President of Student Affairs |
| Jason Wilder | Vice President of Research |
| Katy Yanez | Vice President of Government Affairs and Community Relations |
Advisory groups
University Budget Advisory Board
The University Budget Advisory Board is a representative advisory board providing input and recommendations to the president to guide prioritization and funding of university initiatives while empowering operational excellence through the budget process.
University Budget Advisory Board members
| Bjorn Flugstad | Chair; Senior Vice President for University Operations and Chief Financial Officer |
| Megan Cunningham | Vice Chair; University Budget Director |
| Blue Brazelton | Faculty Representative; Assistant Professor, Educational Leadership |
| Lisa Michelle Bliss | Faculty Representative; Associate Teaching Professor, School of Hotel and Restaurant Management |
| Karli VanderMeersch | ASNAU Representative |
| Diamond Price-Tellez | GSG Representative |
| Beth Cross | Staff Representative; Assistant Director of Financial Oversight, College of Nursing |
| Brenna Johnston | Staff Represenative; Assistant Athletic Director of Student-Athlete Services |
| Janina Johnson | Provost’s Representative; Dean, College of Nursing |
| Julie Mueller | President’s Representative; Chief Economic Advisor to the President and Professor, Economics |
| Laurie Dickson | Vice President for University Strategy and Senior Associate to the President |
University Strategic Roadmap Advisory Board
The University Strategic Planning Advisory Board is a representative advisory board charged by the NAU President to advise and support institutional strategic planning processes, monitor the implementation and assessment of the Strategic Roadmap, and facilitate the continuous evolution of the Strategic Roadmap itself.
University Strategic Roadmap Advisory Board members
| K. Laurie Dickson | USRAB Chair; Vice President for University Strategy and Senior Associate to the President |
| T. Noecker | USRAB Vice Chair; Director of Strategic Planning & Institutional Analytics and SPIRA |
| Julie M. Mueller | President Representative; Chief Economic Advisor to the President and Professor for W.A. Franke College of Business |
| Bekka Alvarado | Staff Representative; Assistant Director of Campus Living and Staff Advisory Council (SAC) Voting Member |
| Theresa Rogers | Staff Representative; Director of Academic Affairs, Business Analyst, and Staff Advisory Council (SAC) Voting Member |
| TBD | ASNAU Representative |
| Phoenix Eskridge-Aldama | GSG Representative |
| Deanne (DeeDee) Pérez-Granados | Provost Representative; Dean of College of Social and Behavioral Sciences and Professor of Psychological Sciences |
| Catherine (Kitty) Gehring | Faculty Representative; Regents' and Lucking Family Professor Department of Biological Sciences and Co-Director of the Center for Adaptable Western Landscapes |
| Miriam Espinoza | Faculty Representative; Assistant Clinical Professor of College of Nursing and Psych Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program Coordinator |