At the 2018 HEIBO conference, UT Austin reported on the financial success they had experienced by opening up a Passport Office. Many of us got excited about opening our own “shops” to hopefully experience some of their success. Well, how is it going now? Let’s discuss the challenges we have seen with these offices through the pandemic and the adjustments we have made to work towards the goal of serving our community while increasing profitability.
Panelists:
Kim Hurst – Program & Project Specialist, University of Minnesota-Duluth
Missy Peterson – Director of Finance & Operations, University of Minnesota
Ami Tain – Program Coordinator, Boise State University
Bios:
Kim Hurst – Program & Project Specialist, University of Minnesota-Duluth
Kim Hurst is the Program and Project Specialist for the University of Minnesota Duluth’s International Programs and Services office. She oversees the financial and administrative operations of International Partnerships, Recruitment, Study Abroad, and UMD’s U.S. Department of State Passport Acceptance Facility. Additionally, Kim serves on the Academic Affairs Support Unit Change Team that works to advance equity, diversity, inclusiveness, and social justice within the campus community. Kim earned her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Spanish & Latin American Studies from UW-Green Bay with minors in International Business and Accounting.
Missy Peterson – Director of Finance & Operations, University of Minnesota
Missy Peterson is the Director of Finance and Operations for the Global Programs and Strategy Alliance at the University of Minnesota. As a former Rotary Exchange Student in India, she has been able to combine her passion for international education with her educational background in Finance, Small Business Management/Entrepreneurship, and School Business Management. In her position, she leads the finance, human resource, IT and Passport Office teams to be innovative in working to help navigate University policy and procedures with the complexity of international activity. She also serves as the Treasurer for the University Student Services Association in Montpellier, France where the U of M has a study abroad program and is a Co-Founder of HEIBO. Personally, she is part of the “HEIBO parent of twins club,” as she and her husband have three sons ages 24 and 22-year-old twins.
Ami Tain – Program Coordinator, Boise State University
Ami has worked for Boise State University for the last 10 1/2 years in the Center for Global Education. She has managed front office, back office, and is now the program coordinator for short-term faculty-led programming. Ami has been a HEIBO member since 2018, hosted the 2019 conference, and is the sitting Conference Committee Chair