Georgian Court Names John Sommer as Chief Financial Officer

John Sommer, a veteran public accountant with two decades of public and private sector experience, is Georgian Court University’s new chief financial officer. He also serves as vice president for finance and administration, making him a member of the President’s Administrative Team under the leadership of Rosemary E. Jeffries, RSM, Ph.D.

Mr. Sommer most recently served as CFO of Hudson County Community College, where he was responsible for several areas of the school’s operations, including capital and operating budgets, financial planning and reporting, risk management, pension and benefits, purchasing, and student accounts. During his tenure there, he was responsible for grant accounting and helped the university write approximately $14 million in grant applications to underwrite a new science center.

“John comes to us with some great experience,” says President Jeffries, “both at higher education institutions and in corporate positions. His work on both fronts will be important to Georgian Court as we continue to strengthen the university and how we serve our students.”

At Georgian Court, Mr. Sommer will take on similar duties while managing the university’s financial accounting, budget and planning processes, information technology, contractual services, GCU’s extensive facilities on the 156-acre campus, and financial aid operations.

“The goal of providing an education that is affordable and accessible has long been a hallmark of our nation’s colleges and universities,” says Mr. Sommer. “However, given the fiscal challenges facing the institutions, students, and communities we serve, many schools have been forced to shift priorities and redirect resources.

“GCU’s strategic plan for 2012–2017 embraces a sound fiscal planning process that focuses our resources on organizational and student success,” he says. “My goal is to build upon GCU’s past successes and provide continued support for the future.”

In addition to working at Hudson County Community College, Mr. Sommer also served at Centenary College in Hackettstown, first as an assistant professor of accounting, where he developed content for an online master’s degree in accounting, and later as CFO. Prior to moving into higher education, he worked with New York-based firms Goldstein Golub Kessler & Company, Price Waterhouse Coopers, and Gerson Lehrman Group.

Mr. Sommer also draws on his experience with community and professional service organizations, including the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (GCU’s accrediting body), Warren County Regional Chamber of Commerce, Hackettstown Rotary Club, the ARC of Warren County Foundation, and Volunteers in Income Tax Assistance (VITA). He is a member of several industry groups, including the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the National Association of College and University Business Officers.

A graduate of Baruch College (City University of New York) and Long Island University, Mr. Sommer is completing a doctorate in higher education leadership and administration at Rowan University.

Founded in 1908 and sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy, Georgian Court University is a comprehensive, coeducational university with a strong liberal arts core and an historic, special concern for women. A forward-thinking university that supports diversity and academic excellence, Georgian Court serves more than 2,200 students of all faiths and backgrounds in both undergraduate and graduate programs. The main campus is located at 900 Lakewood Avenue, Lakewood, N.J., on the picturesque former George Jay Gould estate, a National Historic Landmark. Georgian Court also serves students at New Jersey Coastal Communiversity in Wall and through multiple online certificate and degree programs.