Alumni Feature - Theresa O'Carroll ('96, '00)

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Theresa O’Carroll named Moraine Valley vice president of Financial and Business Services

As Moraine Valley Community College’s new vice president of Financial and Business Services and college treasurer, Theresa O’Carroll is eager to face this change in her career while continuing to help the college remain fiscally strong.
When she first arrived on campus in 2000, O’Carroll was the assistant controller. Two years later she became the controller and remained in the position until her recent promotion. O’Carroll earned her undergraduate degree in Accounting and graduate degree in Business Administration from Lewis University before working at Rush University Medical Center in various accounting positions for 21 years.

            As the controller, O’Carroll did mostly detailed work in the background. In her new role, she is more involved in the planning process and working at a more strategic level.

            “I’ll be more involved in conversations about where the college wants to go. I have to make sure the money is there for plans,” O’Carroll said. “I have pressure in this job in a good, challenging way. [My predecessor] Bob [Sterkowitz] did a great job fiscally. I want to continue that path for the next generation.”

            Some of the challenges she anticipates include pension reform/state cost shifting, state funding, property tax caps, increased healthcare costs, and declining enrollments. With each task, O’Carroll will work with her colleagues and strive to maintain the high fiscal standards that have made Moraine Valley a strong institution.

            “I’m excited about this new opportunity. It’ll be a challenge to learn new things, but I’m looking forward to working with other divisions of the college, the president and vice presidents,” she said. “My goal for the first year is not to make any major changes but to learn the position and reach across divisions of the college and see their needs and how to help.”


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