Galaxy Consultant Bios

Galaxy Consultant Bios

Tom Graf, Strata Information Group Project Manager

Tom has been on campus since December working with Yavapai on planning and project activities.  He will continue assisting in project management and serving as the primary liaison in coordinating the training and consulting activities and schedules.  Tom has a checker board career which includes CIO positions at two universities, network consulting, designing and building houses (including his current house in the desert mountains of far West Texas) starting a restaurant at a historic hotel in Marfa and in his early days working in a production management in the music industry.  When not managing technology projects these days, Tom also serves as a director of two non-profit organizations in west Texas—the county’s food pantry and an ecumenical retreat center.

Bryan Snow, SunGard Account Manager

Brian serves as the primary contact point for all ongoing activities both for sales and operations SunGard’s association with Yavapai.  He has a Bachelors of Science in Finance from Utah State University and Masters of Science in Information Technology from Utah State University.  His professional activities have included, Assistant Professor and Department Head at the College of Eastern Utah San Juan Campus; Technology Project Director for Department of Interior - Bureau of Indian Affairs Education; Technology Director for Utah Valley State College; and Banner Project director at Utah Valley State College.  Bryan is happily married with four children (three teenagers!) and spends time in Church and community activities. He loves the outdoors and practices his skills in Dutch Oven Cooking.   Bryan, we’ll expect some Dutch oven cobbler one of these trips.  (Good luck getting that through airport security!)

Marla Skelley, SunGard Financial Aid Consultant

Marla has lived in the financial aid world for more than two decades.  She is serving as the lead financial aid consultant for Yavapai and will be on campus from March 2008 through the Spring of 2009.  She has her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Wyoming and her Masters in Liberal Studies from Regis University.  Marla was director of Financial Aid at Evergreen State College and prior to that worked for her alma mater, UW.  Marla is a native of Wyoming and loves golf. SunGard keeps her off the course, on the road and in the air as she has served Eastern Illinois University, Guam Community College, Ivy Tech Community College, Mercy College, Evergreen State College, Western Governors University, Western State College of Colorado.

Rick Baker, SunGard Finance Consultant

Rick is the lead consultant for the Finance system and will be on campus a good deal of time between May 2008 and July 2009.  Rick was an accounting major at Tarleton State and is a CPA.  He is also a veteran of the US Air Force.  Rick’s professional career has included work in accounting, finance and management within the manufacturing sector and finance system implementation in both the commercial sector and higher education.  He and his wife, a retired accountant, live on the family farm in a small town about 2 hours west of Ft. Worth.  They have two grown children. Rick spends some of his leisure time on the fairways while his wife collects first edition books (perhaps on how to live with a golfer?), and she is also quilts and sews.  Together they enjoy traveling to US cities and to the Aloha State.

Kathleen Sturgill, SunGard Student Consultant

Among the Banner systems, Student is considered the “2000 pound gorilla,” and a consultant with module expertise in population selection, letter generation, catalog, scheduling, prospects, admissions, general student, transfer articulation, graduation, academic history, CAPP, EDI, and community college and university experience is a resource in high demand.  Kathleen is the only full time equivalent consultant assigned to the Galaxy project.  Beginning in April, she will be leading the student implementation and will be full time through late Spring of 2009 and part time from Spring ’09 through fall registration in ’09.  Kathleen resides in the Sunshine state with her husband Kevin, children, Michael 21, Marissa 12, and Kaitlin 9 and the family dog Jade.  If you see her looking at you intently and doodling, beware, she also does pencil and charcoal portraits.  You may be her next masterpiece.  And rumor has it she may be a grandmother soon!