- K-State home
- Office of the Provost
- Initiatives
- Budget Transformation Initiative
- Budget Transformation Committees
Budget Transformation Committees
To lead and support the Budget Transformation Initiative, two governance committees were charged in early 2026 to advance the work forward.
Governance Committees
Executive Budget Committee (EBC)
The Executive Budget Committee, or EBC, is responsible for final decision-making related to major budget levers, sequencing, implementation and alignment with institutional priorities, external obligations and the Next-Gen K-State strategic plan. The EBC is committed to timely, transparent and institutionally aligned outcomes.
- Richard Linton, President
- Jesse Perez Mendez, Provost and Executive Vice President*
- Ethan Erickson, Vice President for Administration and Finance*
- Marshall Stewart, Executive Vice President for Engagement and Executive Affairs and Chief of Staff
- Hans Coetzee, Vice President for Research
- Patrick Burt, Vice President for Communications and Marketing
- Brad Behnke, 2025-2026 Cabinet Dean Representative and Dean, College of Health and Human Sciences
- Chris Culbertson, Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
- Ben Wolfe, Dean and CEO, K-State Olathe
- Becca Zecha, Associate Vice President for Financial and Strategic Planning
- William Everroad, Chief of Staff to the Provost
*Denotes co-chairs of the Advisory Budget Committee
Advisory Budget Committee (ABC)
The Advisory Budget Committee, or ABC, focuses on the development, testing and refinement of budget models and performance metrics; monitors implementation impacts; and provides data-informed recommendations to the EBC. Transparency, consistency and attention to major unit-level implications are central to this committee's charge.
Co-Chairs:
- Jesse Perez Mendez, Provost and Executive Vice President*
- Ethan Erickson, Vice President for Administration and Finance*
Committee Members*:
- Hans Coetzee, Vice President for Research
- Thomas Lane, Vice President for Academic Success and Students Affairs and Dean of Students
- Becca Zecha, Associate Vice President for Financial and Strategic Planning
- Karen Goos, Vice Provost for Enrollment Management
- Margaret Mohr-Schroeder, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Innovation
- Gregg Hadley, Assistant Vice President and Director of K-State Extension
- Brad Behnke, 2025-2026 Cabinet Dean Representative and Dean, College of Health and Human Sciences
- Kevin Gwinner, Dean, College of Business Administration
- Alysia Starkey, Dean and CEO, K-State Salina
- Sara Luly, 2025-2026 Faculty Senate President, Associate Professor in the Department of Modern Languages and Director of the University Honors Program in the Staley School of Leadership
- Colby Moorberg, Faculty Senate President-Elect, Associate Professor in the Department of Agronomy
- Geneva Jahnke, Budget and Fiscal Officer, College of Agriculture
- Karen Horton, Budget and Fiscal Officer, College of Health and Human Sciences
- Diana McElwain, Budget and Fiscal Officer, College of Architecture, Planning & Design
- Christian Peña, Student Governing Association representative and Student Body President-Elect and junior in agricultural education
*Ex-Officio representatives and subject matter experts as needed.
ABC Sub-Committees
The Advisory Budget Committee establishes sub-committees to develop the mechanisms supporting individual budget levers and create implementation frameworks. Sub-committees submit their recommendations to the larger ABC group for review/approval to advance to EBC, and then EBC reviews for final decision.
Planning Team
This team provided initial high-level recommendations to EBC in alignment with our new approach for budget allocations: The 90/10 incremental budget/metric-aligned performance pool. This team ultimately further recommended the formation of an implementation team to further explore underlying mechanics.
- Kevin Gwinner, Dean, College of Business Administration, Chair
- Karen Goos, Vice Provost for Enrollment Management
- Karen Horton, Budget and Fiscal Officer, College of Health and Human Sciences
- Ian Jacobs, University Strategy Officer
- Stephanie McDowell, Director of Budget Operations, Division of Financial Services
- Bin Ning, Associate Provost and Chief Data Officer
Implementation Team
This team has been responsible for building out the mechanics in support of this budget lever.
- Kevin Gwinner, Dean, College of Business Administration, Chair
- Karen Horton, Budget Fiscal Officer, College of Health and Human Sciences
- Geneva Jahnke, Budget Fiscal Officer, College of Agriculture
- Sara Luly, Associate Professor and Director, University Honors Program, 2025-2026 Faculty Senate President
- Stephanie McDowell, Director of Budget Operations, Division of Financial Services
- Dan Moser, Dean, College of Agriculture
- Karin Westman, Professor and Department Head, English
This sub-committee has been responsible for creating recommendations for the assessment of the three-year 1.1% budget reduction Budget Transformation lever.
- Alysia Starkey, CEO and Dean, K-State Salina, Co-Chair
- Michael McClure, Dean, College of Architecture, Planning & Design, Co-Chair
- Diana McElwain, Budget and Fiscal Officer, College of Architecture, Planning & Design
- Shannon Fox, Budget and Fiscal Officer, College of Education
- Gregg Hadley, Associate Professor, Assistant Vice President and Director of Extension
- Stephanie McDowell, Director of Budget Operations, Division of Financial Services
- Margaret Mohr-Schroeder, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Innovation
- Becca Zecha, Associate Vice President for Financial and Strategic Planning, Administration and Finance
This sub-committee has been responsible for creating recommendations around the one-time and annual cash management pullback for GU carry-forward dollars across all university units.
- Brad Behnke, Dean, College of Health and Human Sciences, Chair
- Geneva Jahnke, Budget and Fiscal Office, College of Agriculture
- Thomas Lane, Vice President for Academic Success and Student Affairs and Dean of Students
- Sydney Rasmussen, Director of Financial Planning, Division of Financial Services
- Melissa Shivers, Budget and Fiscal Officer, College of Business Administration
This sub-committee was originally conceived as three separate sub-committees: One focused on the historical Institutional Support Fee (and its re-conception in alignment with the new Budget Transformation Levers); another to consider our unique funding lines (K-State Salina, K-State Olathe, the College of Veterinary Medicine, the Staley School of Leadership, Ag Research, and Extension); and the third sub-committee to form recommendations for the 5% Operational Support Fee on select special revenue sources.
Ultimately, as conversations progressed, ABC recommended the merger of these three sub-committees into one to support a more holistic conversation around the Operational Support Fee.
- Thomas Lane, Vice President for Academic Success and Student Affairs and Dean of Students, Chair
- Carlotta Bell, Associate Vice Provost, Finance and Business Operations
- Elizabeth Davis, Interim Dean, College of Veterinary Medicine
- Gregg Hadley, Associate Professor, Assistant Vice President and Director of Extension
- Geneva Jahnke, Budget and Fiscal Officer, College of Agriculture
- Michael James, Executive Director of Finance and Administration, K-State Salina
- Abby Lear, Executive Director of Operations, Office of the Vice President for Research
- Colby Moorberg, Associate Professor, Agronomy and Faculty Senate 2026-2027 President
- Sam Morrone, Senior Associate Athletics Director and Chief Financial Officer, K-State Athletics
- Phillip Payne, Interim Dean, Graduate School
- Christian Peña, K-State student, 2026-2027 Student Governing Association President
- Alysia Starkey, CEO and Dean, K-State Salina
- Jane Schuh, Associate Dean and Director, Research and Ag Innovation, College of Agriculture
- Mary Tolar, Dean, Staley School of Leadership
- Jeff Tucker, Executive Director, Technology Development Institute, Carl R. Ice College of Engineering
- Bill Turnley, Professor and Department Head, Management, College of Business Administration
- Fran Willbrant, Associate Vice President, Division of Financial Services
- James Wiser, Dean, K-State Libraries
- Ben Wolfe, CEO and Dean, K-State Olathe
Archived Planning Committees
During the Discovery/Planning phase of the initiative from September 2025-January 2026, the Budget Transformation Initiative was led by a senior leadership team and five functional working groups. The working groups identified opportunities within their areas of focus with an eye toward maximizing resource flexibility and utilization and made recommendations to align financial resources with our Next-Gen K-State strategic plan.
The Core Team served in an advisory capacity to the President during the Discovery/Planning phase of the initiative from September 2025-January 2026.
- Richard Linton, President*
- Jesse Perez Mendez, Provost and Executive Vice President
- Marshall Stewart, Executive Vice President for External Engagement and Chief of Staff
- Hans Coetzee, Vice President for Research
- Ethan Erickson, Vice President for Administration and Finance
- Kevin Gwinner, Dean, College of Business Administration
- Debbie Mercer, Dean, College of Education
- Sara Luly, Faculty Senate President, Associate Professor in the Department of Modern Languages and Director of the University Honors Program in the Staley School of Leadership
*Denotes the team chair.
Core Considerations
- Student recruitment and retention
- Novel programmatic changes
Working Group Members
- Jesse Perez Mendez, Provost and Executive Vice President*
- Debbie Mercer, Dean, College of Education
- Mary Tolar, Dean, Staley School of Leadership
- Ben Wolfe, Dean and CEO, K-State Olathe
- Chris Culbertson, Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
- Shawna Jordan, Associate Dean for Student Success, College of Health and Human Sciences
- Bin Ning, Associate Provost and Chief Data Officer
- Karen Goos, Vice Provost for Enrollment Management
-
Phillip Payne, Interim Dean, Graduate School
*Denotes working group chair.
Core Considerations
- Research funding and support
Working Group Members
- Hans Coetzee, Vice President for Research*
- Brad Behnke, Dean, College of Health and Human Sciences
- Chris Culbertson, Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
- Beth Davis, Interim Dean, College of Veterinary Medicine
- Alysia Starkey, Dean and CEO, K-State Salina
- Stacy Hutchinson, Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Programs, Carl R. Ice College of Engineering
- Jane Schuh, Associate Dean, Director for Research and Graduate Studies, College of Agriculture
- Darrin Smith, Associate Dean of Faculty, Research, and Administration, K-State Olathe
- Becca Zecha, Associate Vice President for Financial and Strategic Planning
- Abby Lear, Executive Director of Operations, Office of the Vice President for Research
*Denotes working group chair.
Core Considerations
- Extension and engagement budget efficiencies
- State and federal support
Working Group Members
- Marshall Stewart, Executive Vice President for External Engagement and Chief of Staff*
- Brad Kramer, Interim Dean, Carl R. Ice College of Engineering
- Dan Moser, Interim Dean, College of Agriculture
- Tim Steffensmeier, Assistant Vice President and Director for Engagement and Outreach
- Gregg Hadley, Assistant Vice President and Director for Extension
- Mary Kohn, Professor in the Department of English
- David Carter, Director of Engineering Extension
- Chris Jones, Department Head and Professor of Civil Engineering
- Daniel Skucius, Director of K-State Extension Riley County
- Dustin Pendell, Professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics
*Denotes working group chair.
Core Considerations
- Competitive market pay
- Cost escalation and inflation
- Deferred maintenance
- Aging technology
- New facilities
Working Group Members
- Ethan Erickson, Vice President for Administration and Finance*
- Kevin Gwinner, Dean, College of Business Administration
- Michael McClure, Dean, College of Architecture, Planning & Design
- James Wiser, Dean, K-State Libraries
- Katie Kingery-Page, Associate Dean, College of Architecture, Planning & Design
- Thomas Lane, Vice President for Academic Success and Student Affairs and Dean Of Students
- Becca Zecha, Associate Vice President for Financial and Strategic Planning
- Shannon Fox, Budget/Fiscal Officer, College of Education
*Denotes working group chair.
Core Considerations
- Athletics
- Philanthropy
Working Group Members
- Marshall Stewart, Executive Vice President for External Engagement and Chief of Staff*
- Gene Taylor, Director, Intercollegiate Athletics
- Greg Willems, President and CEO, KSU Foundation
*Denotes working group chair.