Higher Ed. Organization Names Yestramski Distinguished Business Officer

Joanne Yestramski
Joanne Yestramski, UMass Lowell’s vice chancellor for finance and operations, is the recipient of a 2016 Distinguished Business Officer Award, presented by the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO).

07/22/2016

Media contacts: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944 or Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu and Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu

LOWELL, Mass. – A member of UMass Lowell’s leadership team was recently honored nationally for her exemplary and longstanding contributions to higher-education management.

Joanne Yestramski, UMass Lowell’s vice chancellor for finance and operations, is the recipient of a 2016 Distinguished Business Officer Award, the highest distinction bestowed by the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) to professionals in the field. The nonprofit organization membership is made up of chief administrative and financial officers at more than 2,100 colleges and universities across the country.

Yestramski is a member of UMass Lowell Chancellor Jacquie Moloney’s executive cabinet and a certified public accountant who oversees a multi-million dollar budget for the university, which serves 17,500 students. Since joining the university in 2008, Yestramski has enhanced the operations of the UMass Lowell divisions under her supervision, including facilities management and planning, information technology, university police, financial services and human resources. A UMass Lowell graduate, she is a resident of Groton.

The Distinguished Business Officer Award recognizes Yestramski’s achievements at UMass Lowell as well as her contributions to other higher education institutions over the course of her two decades in financial management and administration. She received the honor during NACUBO’s recent annual meeting, which she attended as a guest of the organization. 

“I am truly grateful for this honor in no small part because it comes from my peers at colleges and universities from across the country,” Yestramski said. “A highlight of my career, the award also reflects UMass Lowell’s forward momentum as a top-tier, national public research institution. I’m proud to advance university operations in support of providing such high-quality educational opportunities to our students.” 

In the past five years, UMass Lowell has risen in U.S. News & World Reports’ Best Colleges ranking by 27 spots, the third-fastest rate in the country. Enrollment has grown by more than 50 percent since 2007, the university has opened 12 new buildings, and annual fundraising and research expenditures have reached record levels. The Chronicle of Higher Education named UMass Lowell as one of the fastest-growing public research institutions in the nation.

All of these gains are being realized in support of “UMass Lowell 2020: A Strategic Plan for the Next Decade,” the university’s blueprint for its future. Yestramski is among those leading its implementation and has developed multi-year financial and capital plans in support of “UMass Lowell 2020.”

Prior to her appointment at UMass Lowell, Yestramski was employed as chief financial officer and treasurer of the University of Maine System. She also served as vice president of finance and treasurer at Bentley University. Before beginning her career in higher education, Yestramski worked in similar capacities at the Museum of Science in Boston, BioTechnica International and KPMG Peat Marwick.

Along with a bachelor’s degree in business administration from UMass Lowell, Yestramski holds a master’s degree in business administration from Texas A&M University. She is member of the Lowell Catholic High School Board of Trustees and serves on the Programming and Services Committee of the Eastern Association of College and University Business Officers (EACUBO).

Yestramski met her husband Charles at UMass Lowell, which he also attended, and the couple was married on campus. Her alma mater has recognized her with honors including Executive of the Year and Distinguished Alumna awards.

UMass Lowell is a national research university located on a high-energy campus in the heart of a global community. The university offers its 17,500 students bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in business, education, engineering, fine arts, health, humanities, sciences and social sciences. UMass Lowell delivers high-quality educational programs, vigorous hands-on learning and personal attention from leading faculty and staff, all of which prepare graduates to be ready for work, for life and for all the world offers. www.uml.edu