Auburn University promotes Kelli Shomaker to senior vice president for business and administration and chief financial officer

Published: July 05, 2023

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Kelli Shomaker has been promoted to Auburn University’s senior vice president for business and administration and chief financial officer, President Christopher B. Roberts announced today.

Shomaker, whose appointment is effective immediately, has served Auburn as vice president for business and finance and chief financial officer since 2016. She has more than 26 years of higher education senior administration experience, including 16 years at Texas A&M University.

“Kelli has a wealth of financial and administration experience in higher education, and I couldn’t be more pleased to further leverage her experience for Auburn,” Roberts said.

Shomaker currently oversees financial services, financial aid, non-endowed cash management, human resources, debt management, budgets and business operations. Shomaker will add several units to her portfolio in this new role, including facilities management, administrative effectiveness, The Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center, The Laurel, 1856, Hey Day Market, real estate and property development, risk management and safety and trademark management and licensing.

“It is a privilege to lead finance and administration,” Shomaker said. “I am eager to work with the leadership team Dr. Roberts has assembled to achieve institutional goals and continue building on the forward momentum of Auburn.”

Prior to higher education, Kelli was the vice president, treasurer and controller for a publicly traded investment company and worked as an auditor for the accounting firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Shomaker also serves as a board member of the Retirement System of Alabama and the Public Education Employees’ Health Insurance, Treasury Institute of Higher Education, Women in Public Finance Alabama Chapter and the Lee County Boys and Girls Clubs, as well as on the NACUBO Treasury and Investment Advisory Council.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Texas A&M and is a certified public accountant.

Auburn University is a nationally ranked land grant institution recognized for its commitment to world-class scholarship, interdisciplinary research with an elite, top-tier Carnegie R1 classification, life-changing outreach with Carnegie’s Community Engagement designation and an undergraduate education experience second to none. Auburn is home to more than 30,000 students, and its faculty and research partners collaborate to develop and deliver meaningful scholarship, science and technology-based advancements that meet pressing regional, national and global needs. Auburn’s commitment to active student engagement, professional success and public/private partnership drives a growing reputation for outreach and extension that delivers broad economic, health and societal impact.