Dr. Tashni-Ann Dubroy, a Jamaican-born executive vice-president and chief operating officer of Howard University, has been appointed as the new board chair for the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO), based in the USA.
Dubroy’s appointment, effective August 1, marks a historic moment as she becomes the first Black female board chair in NACUBO’s history.
NACUBO, founded in 1962, is a nonprofit professional organization representing chief administrative and financial officers at more than 1,700 colleges and universities across the United States. The organization is dedicated to advancing economic vitality, business practices, and support for higher education institutions in their missions.
Dubroy’s appointment is a significant milestone in NACUBO’s journey towards diversity and inclusivity in its leadership. Reflecting on her new role, Dubroy said, “I am immensely optimistic about the future of NACUBO. We’ve never been stronger, and I look forward to working with my fellow board members to strengthen the value we provide to our member institutions, and in turn, to the students they serve.”
Kara D. Freeman, NACUBO’s president and CEO, welcomed Dubroy’s appointment, stating, “With these experienced and talented campus business leaders guiding our work and sharing their insights from the field, NACUBO will continue to build on its offerings focused on professional development, student success, policy analysis, consulting, and more.”
The Diaspora connection
Dubroy, who hails from Clarendon, Jamaica, has had an exceptional professional journey. Dubroy grew up in May Pen, attending Glenmuir High School. She later moved to the capital Kingston to attend Holy Childhood High and Wolmer’s Girls’ School.
After immigrating to the United States following high school, Dr. Tashni-Ann Dubroy attended Kingsborough Community College in Brooklyn, New York, where she graduated as class valedictorian in 2000. She continued her education at Shaw University, North Carolina State University, and Rutgers University. Dubroy’s career initially took off as a research scientist at BASF.
She later transitioned to academia, joining Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina, as an associate professor of chemistry. Over time, she advanced to chair the university’s Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and served as a special assistant to the university president, focusing on process optimization. In June 2015, at the age of 34, Dubroy was appointed president of Shaw University, making her the second-youngest president in the institution’s history and the third woman to hold the position.
In July 2017, Dubroy announced her resignation from Shaw University to take on the role of executive vice president and chief operating officer at Howard University in Washington, D.C. During her tenure at Howard, she led several critical initiatives, including improving the university’s financial aid standing, which resulted in its removal from the Department of Education’s Heightened Cash Monitoring status in 2019. She also spearheaded key infrastructure recovery efforts, such as restoring steam plant functionality after a historic winter storm in 2018 and managing the response to a ransomware attack in 2021. In recognition of her impact, Dubroy was named one of the Washington Business Journal’s “Women Who Mean Business” in the Washington-Metropolitan area in 2021.
Reflecting on her roots, Dubroy shared, “My Jamaican [upbringing] has profoundly shaped my approach to leadership and decision-making.” She added that values such as resilience, community, and a strong work ethic, inherited from her upbringing, have guided her leadership approach. “I lead with empathy, foster inclusive environments, and make decisions that reflect the diverse needs of the communities we serve. Jamaicans generally have a caring spirit, often cloaked in tough love, but our compassion is evident,” she expressed.
During her tenure at NACUBO, Dr. Tashni-Ann Dubroy plans to focus on enhancing financial sustainability through innovative strategies, advancing professional development opportunities for business officers, fostering collaboration among member institutions, promoting best practices in governance, and advocating for policies that support equity and inclusion.
Additionally, Dubroy intends to explore opportunities for collaboration with Caribbean educational institutions, aiming to facilitate knowledge exchange, professional development, and joint projects that address common challenges, ultimately enhancing educational outcomes globally.
