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Walsh College Officers

Walsh College Officers

Stephanie W. Bergeron, MBA, CGMA
President, Chief Executive Officer


Stephanie W. Bergeron became the sixth president and chief executive officer of Walsh College on January 10, 2007. She has served Walsh College as a trustee (1996), chair of the Academic Committee (2005), director of The Walsh College Foundation (2004), and interim president (2006).
Stephanie Bergeron
After earning a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in accounting from The University of Michigan in 1975, Ms. Bergeron worked as a senior accountant for Arthur Andersen. In 1977, Ms. Bergeron began a 25-year career in automotive industry finance that included General Motors, Chrysler, and The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company.

Ms. Bergeron held various accounting and financial control positions at General Motors for 11 years. In 1988, she joined the Chrysler Corporation as general auditor and rose to become assistant treasurer in Corporate Finance. Ms. Bergeron joined The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company in 1998 as vice president-treasurer. While there, she advanced to senior vice president, Corporate Financial Operations, and was responsible for Goodyear’s corporate finance, accounting, tax, and treasury.

Subsequently, Ms. Bergeron joined Bluepoint Partners, a consulting company providing advice on financial and capital structure, as president and chief executive officer.

Ms. Bergeron is a trustee of the Henry Ford Health System and chairs its Audit and Compliance Committee. She is also a member and officer of the Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants (MACPA).  Her board memberships include the American Association of Presidents of Independent Colleges and Universities, Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) Detroit, the Detroit Regional Chamber, the Detroit Economic Club, Rose Hill Center, Sun Communities, Inc., and the Troy Chamber of Commerce.

Ms. Bergeron is also a member of the Executive Committee of the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Michigan as well as Financial Executives International (FEI).

A registered Certified Public Accountant, Ms. Bergeron recently earned the Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) designation from the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA), and is a member of the AICPA Council.

Ms. Bergeron holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Detroit. In 2011, she received an honorary Associate in Arts & Sciences from Schoolcraft College. In 2007 and 1997, Crain’s Detroit Business named Ms. Bergeron one of its “Most Influential Women”. In 2013, the Michigan Business & Professional Association (MBPA) honored Ms. Bergeron with a Distinguished Leadership Award in the Education category.
           
 
David Shields, Ph.D.
Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer

David Shields, Ph.D., provides Walsh College with strategic and operational leadership, oversees academic standards and accreditation, and ensures that the College’s academic programs meet employer and student needs. 

Dr. Shields joined Walsh College on January 2, 2012, from Atlanta’s Mercer University.  At Mercer, Dr. Shields was professor of accounting in the Stetson School of Business and previously served as the business school’s dean. Dr. Shields has also served as dean of Western Michigan University’s Haworth College of Business; associate dean for Graduate and Professional Programs at the University of Houston’s C.T. Bauer College of Business; and associate dean and director of Louisiana State University’s James C. and Cherie H. Flores MBA Programs and the James C. Flores Endowed Chair of MBA Studies.

Dr. Shields collaborated with the University of Houston to develop and operate Executive MBA programs in Global Energy Management. At Western Michigan University, he worked to create Centers for Sustainable Business, Global Business, and Entrepreneurship/Innovation.

Dr. Shields has taught managerial accounting, financial accounting, and budgeting at the undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and executive levels, as well as in corporate seminars. He taught at Louisiana State University; Mercer University; Texas A & M University; the University of Michigan; Thunderbird, the American Graduate School of International Management; and Western Michigan University.

He has been recognized for teaching excellence at the University of Florida (Teacher of the Year), the University of Houston (Halliburton Faculty Teaching Award, the MidCon Corporation Award for Teaching Excellence [Executive MBA], Melcher Faculty Teaching Fellow), and Rice University (finalist, Phi Beta Kappa Teaching Prize).

Dr. Shields has published nine research projects, authored 26 articles, and served as editor or reviewer for eight prominent accounting journals. He has consulted across a range of industries for such firms as Shell Oil, Brown & Root, McKinsey & Co., Coca Cola Foods, IOMEGA, and Chevron. He began his career at Coopers & Lybrands (now PriceWaterhouseCoopers).

Dr. Shields earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Accounting with a concentration in Psychology from the University of Michigan, where he was a Paton Fellow. His Master of Business Administration degree and Bachelor of Arts degree in English are from The Ohio State University.
 

Elizabeth A. Barnes, PHR
Vice President, Chief Human Resources and Administrative Officer

Elizabeth A. Barnes is responsible for human resources, career services, and institutional planning. In 1996, the Walsh College Board of Trustees appointed Barnes vice president after she had served as director of College Relations (1990-1996) and manager of Personnel and Placement (1985-1990).

Prior to joining Walsh, Barnes was an employment recruiter for Personnel Director Associates and an employment program coordinator for the South and West Washtenaw Consortium.

Barnes earned a Bachelor of Business Education degree from Eastern Michigan University and completed graduate courses in management at Walsh College.

Barnes is a member of the Board of Directors for Junior Achievement of Southeastern Michigan.  She served on the capital campaign committee for the Troy Boys and Girls Club and is the past secretary/treasurer of the Troy Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. She is a member of the College and University Human Resources Association, the National Association of Colleges and Employers, the American Society of Employers, the Society for Human Resource Management, the Michigan Wellness Council, and the WorldAtWork Association.

Audrey M. Olmstead
Vice President, Chief Development Officer


Audrey M. Olmstead has 21 years of experience in higher education and health care fund development. She is responsible for the College’s Development, Alumni Relations and Government Relations functions.

Olmstead joined Walsh in April 2008 from the Henry Ford Health System, where she was senior director, major and principal gifts. At Henry Ford, she led the major gifts team for the medical group and Center of Excellence, led research and planned giving, and served as a member of the capital campaign leadership team.

Prior to that, Olmstead was with the University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, as interim vice president of development and alumni relations. While there, Olmstead developed plans that led to increased gift revenue and established and strengthened relationships with alumni, individual, corporate, and foundation friends.

Locally, Olmstead was with Wayne State University as senior director of development, University Advancement, and held roles at Walsh College and Oakland University. She was also an independent business owner.

Olmstead earned a Bachelor of Science degree magna cum laude in Communications and English from Oakland University, and is a certified facilitator in the Zenger Miller Front-line Leadership Program.

Helen Kieba-Tolksdorf, CPA, CGMA
Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

Helen Kieba-Tolksdorf is responsible for much of the College’s infrastructure, including facilities, information systems, and finance.

Prior to joining the Walsh College staff, Kieba-Tolksdorf was with Oakland Community College (OCC), serving as controller, director of special projects, and chief business officer and treasurer.

While at OCC, Kieba-Tolksdorf led a successful conversion of the financial and administrative system and chaired the Criterion II Committee in a successful NCA reaccreditation visit. In addition, she led the legal and business sections for OCC’s millage passage.

During her career Kieba-Tolksdorf was also audit manager at Ernst and Whinney, specializing in education, financial institutions, insurance, health care, and pension plans. She has taught accounting at Walsh College and OCC.

A certified public accountant, Kieba-Tolksdorf received both Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Science in accounting degrees from the University of Detroit Mercy. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the National Association of College and University Business Officers, the University Risk Management and Insurance Association, the Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants, and recently earned the Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA). Helen also sits on the board of the American Society of Employers and is a Certified Information Technology Professional (CITP).  Helen also improved the technology defenses of Walsh College, leading to an article published by the National Association of College and University Business Officers.

Last Updated: May 20, 2013

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Walsh College is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (www.ncahlc.org; phone: 312-263-0456). Specific degree programs are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP, www.acbsp.org) and the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE, www.iacbe.org).

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