Kathleen Conklin

Before joining WMU-Cooley, Kathleen was employed by Ernst & Young (Ernst & Whinney) in Lansing, Michigan as a certified public accountant. From 1987 to 1991, she served as a member of the audit department specializing in higher education, nonprofit entities, government, and auto parts manufacturers.

She joined WMU-Cooley in 1991 as the Assistant Controller. She served as the law school’s Controller from 1998 through 2007. She was promoted to Vice President for Finance, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer in October 2007. In 2015, the Operations Division began reporting to her. The Information Technology Department became part of the Finance Division in 2019. She became a Senior Vice President in 2019.

She oversees the financial management of the Law School and the leadership of the Business Office, the Human Resources Department, the Information Technology Department, Auxiliary Services, and the Operations Division. She is responsible for budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, administration of the Law School’s Debt Policy, and operating investment assets. She also oversees the insurance program and risk management for the Law School.

She serves on the Board of Directors as the Treasurer for Sixty Plus, Inc. Elderlaw Clinic. She is a member of the Michigan Association of CPAs, the American Institute of CPAs, the Society for Human Resource Management, and the Colleges and Universities Professional Association for Human Resources.