After serving fourteen years as vice president for finance and administration at Seton Hill University (SHU), the Pittsburgh Business Times awarded Paul Roman as CFO of the Year in the nonprofit category. Roman was presented with the award at the CFO of the Year awards ceremony on November 4, 2009, held at the Omni William Penn Hotel in Pittsburgh, PA.
By Andrew Wichrowski
Staff Writer
After serving fourteen years as vice president for finance and administration at Seton Hill University (SHU), the Pittsburgh Business Times awarded Paul Roman as CFO of the Year in the nonprofit category. Roman was presented with the award at the CFO of the Year awards ceremony on November 4, 2009, held at the Omni William Penn Hotel in Pittsburgh, PA.
“It’s hard to believe that I would get an award for something I enjoy,” Roman said.
The CFO of the Year awards ceremony is held annually by the Pittsburgh Business Times, with categories for CFO’s in nonprofit, public, small private, medium private, and large private organizations. The winner is chosen by a panel of judges comprised largely of previous award winners.
“I was shocked, and quite complemented,” Roman said. “The award is recognition of my peers in the region, so that adds to the recognition for me.”
During his time at SHU, Roman has managed the budget during some of the institution’s most pivotal turning points. Under his financial watch, Seton Hill College has become co-educational, transitioned to a university, renovated buildings, built new dormitories, partnered with the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) to create a medical school on the university’s campus and opened a state-of-the-art
Performing Arts Center (SHUPAC) situated in downtown Greensburg.
When asked about the accomplishment he is most proud of, Roman could not list just one.
“There are many; we’ve come a long way,” Roman said.
The Pittsburgh Business Times was pleased with their choice of Roman as their CFO of the Year.
“I can tell you that it is a very difficult award to win,” said Richard Cerilli, Marketing Director at the Pittsburgh Business Times. “We had a lot of nominations for this program, and a lot especially on the nonprofit side.”–
Other nominees included CFO’s from organizations such as the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, Jewish Family & Children’s Service of Pittsburgh and George Junior Republic.There were more finalists in the nonprofit category than any other category.
“So if you look at the people he was up against, he was up against some of the top CFO’s in the region, some of the larger organizations in the region,” Cerilli said. “It really says a lot about his performance.”
Past winners of the award in the nonprofit category include Deborah Moon of Carnegie Mellon University in 2008 and John Busshaus of Wizzard Software in 2007.
Before coming to SHU, Roman worked as vice president for finance and administration at the Pittsburgh Mercy Health System, founded by a congregation of the Religious Order of the Sisters of Mercy.
When asked why he has devoted so much of his career to work in nonprofit institutions, Roman cited the importance of his community.
“It gives me the opportunity to give something back to society, so you can leave a legacy.”
Many SHU community members and colleagues of Roman were also pleased about his recognition.
“I think that he is very deserving of this award,” said Sister Lois Sculco, vice president for mission and student life at SHU. “Seton Hill University has witnessed dramatic growth in the financial position, and it is certainly due to his overseeing our budgets, keeping us in line, and helping us.”
“He understand how to work with trustees, understands how to work with staff, understands how to work with residence hall people.”
Roman said that he hopes continue the work he has been doing during the rest of his career at SHU.
“I hope to enhance the financial strength of Seton Hill University,” he said.
The Pittsburgh Business Times’ parent company is the American City Business Journals. According to their website, “American City Business Journals is the largest publisher of metropolitan business newsweeklies in the United States, with 40 business journals across the country.”
