HERS (Higher Education Resource Services)

"I wish I would have known about this organization years ago"

HERS (Higher Education Resource Services), based in Denver, CO is a leadership development and research organization dedicated to creating and sustaining a dynamic network of women and gender-diverse leaders in higher education. Their programs serve emerging and established leaders from all institution types and all backgrounds.

Gloria D Thomas, President of HERS, had first heard about YPTC on NPR Radio. Following a failed search for a new CFO, Gloria’s Immediate Past Board Chair encouraged her to consider learning more about YPTC as a possible option. “I am extremely pleased that I followed my board chair’s advice” she says.

Paulina Jordan, the YPTC associate who was assigned to HERS has played a critical role in new developments for HERS, including launching a $5 million fundraising campaign and separating from a university that was HERS fiscal sponsor for decades. The university was handling payroll, HR and benefits, state and federal compliance. Jordan has implemented best practices in tracking and reporting the organization’s financial status monthly for the HERS staff and Board of Directors. Gloria said she could not find a CFO who could do all this work half as effectively as their YPTC associate. “[Paulina] is wonderful, and the board lets her know that at every meeting that she attends with them!” Gloria says.

Gloria expresses extended appreciation for Paulina, “She does everything she needs to do to understand who we are, how we work, what our strengths and challenges are, and makes recommendations for how we can improve. She helps me to supervise our budget officer. She joins the team for staff meetings as needed. She attends Board of Directors and Finance & Investment Committee meetings as needed. She’s ALWAYS prepared and goes above and beyond to get information and reports to HERS to meet our deadlines. I wish I had her as a full-time staff member, but as long as we have this wonderful working relationship, we’ll keep it going as is.”

Gloria is proud to say that she highly recommends YPTC to other organizations, “I simply could not have made the transition nearly as smoothly without the support and guidance of our YPTC associate. She was a full partner in the process.”

“I wish I would have known about this organization years ago.”