Auburn University names Shomaker chief financial officer

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Auburn University has named Kelli D. Shomaker its new vice president for business and finance and chief financial officer following a national search, effective Sept. 13.

Shomaker comes to Auburn from Blinn College in Texas, a four-campus junior college system of 20,000 students, where she has been the chief financial officer and senior vice president for finance and administration for nearly four years. Her career in public accounting, private finance and higher education administration spans more than 30 years.

"Her knowledge, experience and leadership style will serve Auburn very well as we continue to build on the successes we have had and the constantly changing challenges and opportunities that lie ahead," said Auburn Executive Vice President Don Large.

Shomaker replaces Marcie Smith, who is retiring from the post at the end of the month. Smith came to Auburn in 1985 as an internal auditor, following experience as a certified public accountant in Virginia. She has served in various positions in central financial administration at Auburn including the director of financial reporting, controller and assistant and associate vice president for business and finance.

"Marcie's 30-plus years of highly successful service at Auburn and the professionalism, knowledge, energy and dedication she demonstrated throughout her career is something she can be very proud of and something we are very grateful for," Large said. "Fortunately for Auburn and a credit to her leadership, Marcie leaves behind an outstanding group of leaders and departments in her key areas of responsibility that will continue to serve the university at the highest levels."

"Auburn is a great university and I am very happy to have the chance to serve in this role," Shomaker said. "Having spent considerable time at Auburn during the interview process, I am fully aware of the challenge of stepping into the position that Marcie is retiring from. Her leadership and accomplishments are a major reason why the university enjoys its strong financial position and is recognized as an institution that pursues best practices in so many areas. I am committed to listening and learning and working closely with the outstanding team Marcie leaves behind, as well as with the rest of the campus."

Shomaker, prior to serving at Blinn, spent 15 years in various senior financial roles at Texas A&M University in College Station. She also served as an accounting lecturer. Her career in private finance includes working as vice president, chief accounting officer, treasurer and controller at U.S. Global Investors Inc., and as an auditor at PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Shomaker earned a bachelor of business administration in accounting from the Maya Business School at Texas A&M in 1984. She is a certified public accountant.

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Auburn University is a nationally ranked land grant institution recognized for its commitment to world-class scholarship, interdisciplinary research with an elite, top-tier Carnegie R1 classification, life-changing outreach with Carnegie’s Community Engagement designation and an undergraduate education experience second to none. Auburn is home to more than 30,000 students, and its faculty and research partners collaborate to develop and deliver meaningful scholarship, science and technology-based advancements that meet pressing regional, national and global needs. Auburn’s commitment to active student engagement, professional success and public/private partnership drives a growing reputation for outreach and extension that delivers broad economic, health and societal impact.