Round Rock, TX – Trellis Company, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation and leading provider of loan and contact center support and financial education services for the U.S. Government and commercial businesses, today announced that Timothy J. Fournier, Ed.D., MBA, will join Trellis Company as Chief Operating Officer effective August 23, 2021. Dr. Fournier will assume oversight of several internal functions aimed at increasing strategic capacity and service delivery.
“I am very pleased and excited to have Tim join the Trellis team,” said Debra Chromy, Ed.D., Trellis’ President and Chief Executive Officer. “I have had the good fortune to collaborate with Tim previously, where his ability to integrate operations with strategy played a key role in organizational success. Tim brings an impressive depth of experience in both operational improvement and higher education, creating a skill set that aligns tightly with Trellis’ needs and direction.”
Most recently, Tim served as Senior Vice President and Chief Enterprise Risk Management, Ethics, Audit, and Compliance Officer for Rutgers University where, among his many responsibilities, he collaborated with the University’s leaders to define institutional goals and strategy, established the University’s risk tolerance related to a variety of organizational activities, assessed and monitored the University’s ability to meet regulatory and policy compliance expectations, responded to and corrected incidents of non-compliance, provided guidance and education related to a variety of compliance, ethics, and risk topics, and promoted a more compliant and risk-aware culture throughout the University.
“I am so pleased to be joining Trellis,” said Tim. “Debra is such a dynamic leader and visionary in higher education finance. I believe that vision will drive Trellis to further increase its contribution to college accessibility and affordability, and ultimately improve the lives of those around us…especially those in underserved populations. For me, these are some of the most important things that can be a part of my career.”
Prior to Rutgers, Tim served as Managing Director, Higher Education for Huron Consulting and as Senior Associate Dean for Finance & Administration and Chief Operating Officer, Northwestern University in Qatar. Tim holds a B.S. in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, an M.B.A. with distinction from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University, and an Ed.D. in Higher Education Management from the University of Pennsylvania.
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About Trellis Company
Trellis Company is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation with the dual mission of helping student borrowers successfully repay their education loans and promoting access and success in higher education.
For over 40 years, we have had a successful track record of delivering positive outcomes for students and institutions. Our strong philanthropic heritage of giving through grants to colleges, universities, and research groups remains focused on improving student outcomes, especially to assist underserved students and families, and to help institutions navigate the changing landscape of higher education.