Jessica A. Boles, the former vice president for fiscal affairs at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College in Miami, is East Central University’s new vice president for finance and administration.
Boles, who managed large construction projects at NEO and oversaw $20 million in renovations after floods devastated the campus in 2007, was NEO’s assistant vice president for fiscal affairs and controller from February 2005 until October 2008 when she was named vice president.
At ECU, she succeeds Dr. Steve Turner, who became president of Northeastern State University in January. Retired ECU vice president Raymond Johnson served as interim vice president after Turner resigned.
“Ms. Boles’ business experience at NEO will be invaluable to East Central University,” said ECU President John Hargrave. “She demonstrated an excellent oversight of the NEO campus, which has experienced extensive growth in the last few years. Her work with the planning, construction and renovation of a number of their buildings is certainly a bonus as we construct the $10.65 million Harland C. Stonecipher School of Business and Conference Center on our campus.”
Boles worked with architects and engineering teams at Oklahoma State University to design and build NEO’s athletic training complex, a new lab sciences facility and the renovations of a science building and student union building, all totaling nearly $18 million.
On top of that was the disaster caused by the flood in 2007.
“The subsequent reconstruction of several campus buildings, the tireless battles with insurance and construction companies, all amidst external audits, proved a tremendous learning experience,” she said.
Boles also helped secure two federal Title III grants worth approximately $2 million each.
A certified public accountant and fraud examiner, she previously worked six years in the private sector providing audit and attest services for governmental agencies and non-profit organizations.
A native of Oklahoma City, she was raised in Independence, Kan. She is a graduate of Independence Community College and completed a bachelor of business administration degree with a major in accounting at Pittsburg State University in 1998. She plans to complete a master’s degree in business administration at Oklahoma State University in 2013.
She was the 2010-11 chair of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education’s Council of Business Officers. She was a board member of the Miami Area Chamber of Commerce from 2007 to 2009 and was treasurer in 2009. She was a member of the Miami Leadership XI Class and is a member of Rotary International.
Boles and her husband David have two sons, Ethan, 10, and Jackson, 6.