SAU Tech CFO Finalist for Arkansas Business Award

East Camden, AR (09/15/2022) — Southern Arkansas University Tech (SAU Tech) is pleased to announce that Gaye Manning, Vice Chancellor for Finance & Administration, is a finalist for the Arkansas Business CFO of the Year Award.

Gaye Manning has been the Vice Chancellor for Finance & Administration for SAU Tech for 21 years and has been employed by SAU Tech for 38 years. She earned her business administration degree focusing on management and accounting at Southern Arkansas University and came to work at SAU Tech after graduation. While working for SAU Tech, Manning earned a Master's in Business Administration from Henderson University.

She has been instrumental in ensuring that the College operated in a fiscally sound environment, providing that students and academic programs were at the forefront of all financial decisions. Manning has proven her ability to lead during difficult times over and over again. During a weather disaster that ravaged the campus, she took the lead. She stepped up when the College needed someone to head up emergency response planning, and she has displayed her unique leadership skills during state budget cuts. Above all else, her legacy for the campus will be her dedication to improving the grounds and facilities. Her love of landscaping and plants is on display everywhere. She spends hours volunteering to work in the campus flowerbeds and power washing sidewalks. Her dedication to SAU Tech is indescribable.

When asked about the nomination, she stated, "I am so fortunate to have had the opportunity to fill a leadership role in higher education for all these years. I came in at a time when women didn't traditionally fill the role of CFO. My success has been due to the relationships I developed. The way to succeed in any profession is by understanding the importance of building and nurturing relationships. Networking with peers and colleagues is critical. My entire career has been in higher education. I am retiring in December of 2023, and I know the years at SAU Tech have been well spent."

Manning has worked under Dr. Jason Morrison, SAU Tech Chancellor, for the last five years. Morrison stated, "I have been in a very privileged place to work with a CFO who has so much understanding of state and federal financial guidelines. She has been instrumental in planning the resurgence of NJCAA athletics on the campus and managing grant funds from federal and state sources, including CARES funds. When I have a new idea, she is my sounding board, and I can always trust her to give me reliable and honest feedback. Gaye is a valuable member of my team, and we would not have been able to accomplish so much the past five years without her leadership."

Arkansas Business announced the 2022 CFO of the Year finalists and Lifetime Achievement Award winners on September 13, 2022, and the final awards will be announced on November 2, 2022. This year, Jeffery Holt of Stallion Transportation Group has earned the CFO Lifetime Achievement Award, and Mike Carroll, now retired from Beall Barclay, formerly Landmark CPAs, will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award in Accounting.

This is the 13th year Arkansas Business has honored outstanding CFOs from around the state. Nomination forms were submitted to an independent panel of judges who met in August to determine finalists and winners.

Presented by Hogan Taylor, the 2022 CFO of the Year Awards will be hosted at the DoubleTree Little Rock as Arkansas Business Publisher Mitch Bettis and Editor Lance Turner highlight what sets these finalists apart.

Finalists and winners in each category will be honored at a special event on November 2, and profiles of each of them will be published in a special supplement of Arkansas Business on October 31. In-person ticket packages are available for purchase at ArkansasBusiness.com/CFO. The categories for the finalist are listed below.

CFO LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

CFO LIFETIME IN ACCOUNTING

LARGE PRIVATE COMPANY CFO FINALISTS:

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION CFO FINALISTS:

PUBLIC SECTOR/EDUCATION CFO FINALISTS:

HOSPITAL CFO FINALISTS:

SMALL PRIVATE COMPANY CFO FINALISTS:

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SAU Tech Vice Chancellor for Finance & Administration