The success of a top tier research institution depends on a seamless, effective, and efficient infrastructure of support. The mission of Operations and Business Services (OBS) is to improve the quality of life on campus for all students and staff. OBS supports the university’s overall strategic plan by providing quality goods, innovative services and strategic business partnerships that improve value, increase student success, and enhance financial conditions.
OBS impacts everyday life on campus by providing services administered through contracts such as dining, parking, bookstore, tech store, print and mail, and vending. It also oversees several campus departments like Student Centers, Mason Card, Child Development Center, Public Safety, as well as Parking and Transportation. Additionally, it offers university-wide business consulting services to support projects and initiatives of the university to maximize efficiency and effectiveness.
Director of Technology Services, Dual Report to University Life
Danny Anthes is the Director of Technology Services, Operations and Business Services, and University Life. He manages the IT planning and implementation around campus. Danny is a graduate of George Mason University.
Executive Director of Business Partnerships & Licensing
David C. Atkins is the Executive Director of Business Partnerships and Licensing at George Mason University where he is responsible for negotiating and administering contracts associated with trademark licensing, campus bookstores, technology store, beverage pouring rights, snack vending, and retail banking valued in excess of $50 million. David also is responsible for brand awareness in the retail environment and division-wide marketing, as well as the administration of the award-winning town-gown relations program, Patriot Perks. Prior to this role, he has led student center and housing departments at Mason and the University of Maryland at Baltimore, respectively. David holds a Bachelor’s degree from George Mason University and a Master’s degree from Howard University.
Director of the Mason Card Office
Laura Callahan is the Director of the Mason Card Office at George Mason University overseeing the Mason ID program as well as the meal plan and Mason Money programs. Laura has worked at Mason for over 20 years. She holds a BBA degree from Eastern Kentucky University.
Director of Parking & Transportation
Josh Cantor is the Director of Parking and Transportation for Operations and Business Services where he oversees daily operations and planning related to all parking and transportation programs.
Associate Director of Contracts and Special Projects
Buz Grover is the Associate Director of Contracts and Special Projects for Operations and Business Services, handling Mason’s managed print services program, mailroom, copy center, and digital signage, as well as ensuring Mason’s minors on campus policy is followed. A graduate of Mason, Buz is a Fellow with the Cave Research Foundation and spends much of his time outdoors.
Director of the Child Development Center
Shira Kulok is the Director of the Child Development Center, managing all aspects of Child Development Center operations. Shira joined the GMU CDC team in August of 2016. Having spent the past 12 years with international early care and education provider, Bright Horizons, nine of which she served as Center Director, Shira brings a wealth of experience and expertise in areas of child development, parent partnerships, client relations, and early childhood curriculum. Shira earned her MS.Ed in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from Bank Street College of Education in New York City.
Chief Business Officer & Executive Director, Finance & Operations
Patrick McCavitt is the Chief Business Officer and Excutive Director of Finance and Operations. He manages business planning, budgeting and finances for Business Services, as well as Mason’s auxiliary business operations of third-party managed and self-operated units. Prior to Mason, he worked in banking, finance, venture capital, and asset transactions for financial services firms. Patrick graduated from William & Mary with a BA and has an MBA from the University of North Carolina, Kenan-Flagler Business School.
Executive Director of Student Centers, EagleBankArena & Event Services
Stephen Morehouse is the Excutive Director of Student Centers, EagleBank Arena, and Event Services for Operations and Business Services. He is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Student Centers facilities which comprises the Johnson Center, Sub I, and the Hub. He also manages renovations and construction for the Business Services unit and serves as the contract administrator for EagleBank Arena. Stephen graduated from Marshall University with a Bachelor of Business Administration and has a graduate certificate in Higher Education Administration from George Mason University. Stephen’s career at Mason began in 2000 with the Office of Housing and Residence Life.
Director of University Business Consulting
Whitney Owen is the Director of University Business Consulting, where she is responsible for establishing the practice to identify and capitalize on opportunities for innovation, planned and structured growth, and increased effectiveness across George Mason University. Prior to joining Mason, Whitney was the Director of the Health & Human Services Market at LMI, where she led a $40M portfolio and a 150-person team supporting healthcare clients across the Federal government. She holds a Master of Public Administration from The George Washington University and a B.S. in International Affairs from Georgia Tech. She is also a Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) and a Project Management Professional (PMP).
Executive Director of Auxiliary Services
Pascal Petter is the Executive Director of Auxiliary Services. In this role, he manages all outsourced dining contracts on Mason’s three Northern Virginia campuses, including lease agreements with independent retail operators. In addition, he oversees the Technology Services and Mason Card Office for the division. He provides oversight of a $40M dining program, which offers 30+ dining locations spread across campus and the healthy foods vending machine, manages capital renovations, and leads all strategic initiatives for the departments. Prior to this role, he managed auxiliary operations at various higher education institutions for the past 10 years and brings more than 20 years of hospitality experience to George Mason University. Pascal holds two international Bachelor’s degrees in hotel and hospitality management and a Master of Public Management degree from Carnegie Mellon University.
Director of Special Projects
Tony Pillari joined Mason in 2020 and is currently Director of Special Projects and a member of the UBC Team. Before joining Mason, Tony worked in the higher education and healthcare practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he focused on strategic planning, financial modeling, and operational implementation. He continued this work as a Director in the Office of Strategy, Planning, and Business Development and the NYU Langone Medical Center and as Associate Dean for Education Administration at the Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons at Columbia University. As an independent consultant, he has assisted one of the nation’s premier children’s hospitals to create a learning network of hospitals performing pediatric organ transplants and partnered with one of the nation’s leading foundations supporting breast cancer research to develop a new strategic plan. Tony received his MBA from Emory University and his B.A. in Biology from Brown University. He loves everything about living in NYC.
Assistant Vice President and Chief of Police
Carl Rowan is the Assistant Vice President and Chief of Police reporting to Operations and Business Services. In this capacity, he oversees all aspects of public safety and community policing, including operational, administrative and programming functions.
Consultant, University Business Consulting
Nikki Smith Acierto joined University Business Consulting in 2021 and is currently a Consultant. She brings a variety of experiences in health advocacy and public education to her consulting work. Prior to joining Mason, Nikki was with LMI, a federal consultancy, where she worked on projects involving Medicare program review and compliance, communications, and facilitation. Prior to LMI, Nikki worked as a high school teacher in rural Kentucky. She earned a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin – Madison and a Masters of Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University, and is a practitioner of Human-Centered Design and Certified Scrum Master. She loves camping and spoiling her rescue dogs.
Associate Director of Dining Services, Operations & Business Services
Jonathan Elwell has extensive culinary background serving as Executive Chef at private clubs, stadiums and universities. Jonathan was previously the Executive Chef and General Manager of the dining operation at Georgia Tech in Atlanta, GA. Jonathan achieved the level of Certified Executive Chef through the American Culinary Federation and has won multiple medals in culinary competitions, most recently a silver medal in the NACUFS National Culinary Competition. He has assisted the culinary teams at the World Series, PGA Championship, and the Master’s Golf Tournament. In his free time, Jonathan enjoys golf, traveling, and spending time with family.
Student Video Content Creator, Operations & Business Services
Mansi Jadon is a student video content creator for Operations and Business Services. She assists with recording, editing, and creating video content for OBS’s social media channels. Mansi has four years of experience with multimedia marketing and is an undergraduate sophomore studying Information Technology and Business Marketing at Mason.
Office Assistant Operations & Business Services
Ananya provides front desk assistance and support for Operations and Business Services. She is a Mason student pursuing a master’s degree in information systems with an expected grauted year of May 2023.
Student Graphic Designer, Operations & Business Services
Ji Hyun Lim is a student graphic designer for Operations and Business Services. She assists with print and digital collateral design for OBS units and closely works with marketing and graphic design specialist on creating cohesive brand identities for OBS and shopMason brands. Ji has a bachelor’s degree in fine art and is pursuing B.F.A. in graphic design at Mason.
Consultant Manager, University Business Consulting
Pam Promisel joined Mason in early 2021 and is a Consultant Manager within University Business Consulting with extensive program and project management expertise and a strong focus on relationship building, change management, and stakeholder buy-in. Before joining Mason, Pam was part of The George Washington University’s internal management consultant team. During her 16-year career at American Management Systems, Inc. (AMS), Pam worked with civilian government agencies such as the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Social Security Administration (SSA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and US Customs. Pam received her Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Brown University. In her free time, she volunteers at the National Park Service Manassas Battlefield in their mounted patrol program.
Associate Director of Marketing and Communications
Aliya Rinaldi is the Associate Director of Marketing and Communications and is responsible for creating and implementing department-wide marketing initiatives that promote our goods and services to campus and beyond. Working collaboratively with all units within Operations and Business Services, Aliya oversees the division’s web presence, social media channels, publications, and print collateral as well as departmental events and community-driven programs that highlight local businesses in and around Northern Virginia. Aliya graduated from Christopher Newport University with a degree in Communication Studies and a minor in Journalism. In her free time, Aliya enjoys spending time with her family, cycling, traveling, and cooking.
Marketing & Graphic Design Specialist
Nelcy Rocha Meneses is the Marketing and Graphic Design Specialist. She is responsible for creating engaging graphics and content for both print and digital collateral for all the units within the Operations and Business Services. Nelcy enjoys using her skills to contribute to the fast-paced environment of digital marketing and designing content to encourage interests in the operational, services, and retail units. Nelcy graduated from George Mason University’s School of Business with a bachelor’s degree in Marketing. Outside of the office, Nelcy enjoys discovering nearby trails and is a stationery enthusiast.”
Consultant, University Business Consulting
John Tyree joined Mason in 2019 and is currently a Consultant for the UBC team. Prior to joining the UBC team, John worked as an Associate Director of Information Technology for the Card Access Security Operations (CASO) department at Mason, where he worked closely with departments across all campuses to ensure continuity of access control and surveillance systems. He also served as an advisor for new electronic and physical security installations on capital projects for the university. Prior to joining Mason, John worked as a systems analyst for Virginia’s largest hospital system, Sentara Healthcare. There he worked to build workflow processes with various hospital stakeholders to increase efficiency and accuracy of retrieving electronic medical records. John received his BS in Information Systems and Operations Management (ISOM) from George Mason University, and is currently pursuing his MBA with a focus in Business Analytics from George Mason University. In his free time John enjoys doing all things outdoors (hiking, biking, kayaking), and trying/creating new recipes for baked goods.
Administrative Assistant/Analyst, University Business Consulting
Silke Vrouletis is the Administrative Assistant / Analyst for UBC and Capital Strategy & Planning, where she supports the two divisions in their day-to-day operations and projects. Before joining Mason, Silke worked in higher education at Virginia Tech, where she was part of the Advancement Division and took part in an initiative working to achieve 22% alumni participation by the end of fiscal year 2022. She holds a B.A. in Psychology from City College of New York, where she focused her undergraduate research on Burnout and Depression in Austrian School Teachers. Currently she is working towards her Master’s in Applied Industrial-Organizational Psychology here at Mason. In her free time Silke enjoys creating new recipes influenced by countries all around the world.
Web & Digital Content Manager
Zi Wang serves as the Web & Digital Content Manager and manages the web presence for all the units within Operations and Business Services Her key responsibilities include strengthening OBS’s branding and visibility through creative web content development, generating web traffic, maintaining functional and reliable web platforms, and enhancing user experience. Zi is specialized in marketing and communications in higher education and previously worked in University Communications at Shepherd University. She has a bachelor’s degree in public relations and political science and is pursuing her MBA at Mason.
Associate Director for Finance and Internal Controls
Debbie Williams is the Associate Director for Finance and Internal Controls. She manages the budget development and process, financial reporting, and internal controls for Operations and Business Services and its units, which are self-operating and/or third party-managed. Most of her career is at Mason; she previously worked in Finance and Planning, the Budget Office, and the President’s Office. Debbie earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from The College of William and Mary and an MBA from George Mason University.
General Manager, EagleBank Arena
Eric Cuthbertson has over 30 years of live entertainment and venue management experience. Prior to arriving in Fairfax, Cuthbertson spent nearly 10 years in greater China with AEG Facilities opening new arenas, adapting international venue management best practices with local business customs/traditions, as well as providing design consultation services for newly planned entertainment venues/districts. Cuthbertson has spent over 10 years during his career promoting, marketing and booking shows for Feld Entertainment, producers of Disney On Ice, Feld Motor Sports, and Ringling Bros Circus. A graduate of the University of South Carolina in Sport Administration, Eric also developed a curriculum and conducted the Large Venue Management Lecture Series for 3 years at the Shanghai Theatre Academy.
Print & Mail Services Site Manager
Terry Metro is the Program Manager with Print and Mail Services. Terry is responsible for managing Mail Services, Print Services, and the Mason Print HUB and been with George Mason for the last five years. Terry has over 31 years of experience in the printing and mailing industry.
Bookstore General Manager
Jack Smith has been the general manager for the bookstores at George Mason University since 2019 and has been working with Barnes & Noble College since 1993. Previously, Jack started as the assistant manager of the bookstore at the Alexandria Campus of Northern Virginia Community College and also served as the store manager of the Loudoun and Annandale campus stores.
Mason Dining District Manager
John Teeple is the District Manager for Sodexo and oversees Dining Services at George Mason University.
Senior Budget and Finance Analyst
Danielle Kirby is the Senior Budget and Finance Analyst for Operations and Business Services. She prepares financial reports and tracks financial activity for the business units that are managed by Business Services. Danielle graduated from Mason with a BA in Integrative Studies, a concentration in Organizational Administration. During her time as an undergraduate, she worked as an office assistant for Business Services.
Graduate Consultant Intern, University Business Consulting
Yaser Alabdulbaqi joined UBC as a graduate consultant intern in 2022. He graduated with a BS in Industrial Engineering from Texas A&M University and a master’s degree in Systems Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania. Yaser is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Computational Science and Informatics. He’s passionate about human-computer interaction, statistics, and data science and is excited to contribute and gain more skills during his internship at UBC. In his free time, Yaser loves to explore parks and playgrounds with his daughter and experiment in the kitchen, especially with bread-making recipes and all sorts of desserts.
Graduate Consultant Intern, University Business Consulting
Hannah Abraham joined UBC as a graduate consultant intern in 2021. Prior to joining the team, she was a tax analyst at Santander Consumer USA. Hannah graduated with a BBA in Accounting and is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in Data Analytics Engineering at Mason. Hannah has a strong interest in consulting, finance, and healthcare and she looks forward to building these three skillsets and integrating them with data analytics during her internship at UBC. In her free time, Hannah is busy working out at her Krav Maga studio and spends the rest of her time learning new programs that relates to her coursework.
Business Manager for the Mason UPS Store
Senior Consultant, University Business Consulting
Adam Bookman joined University Business Consulting as a Senior Consultant in 2020. Prior to joining Mason, Adam was a Senior Consultant in the Advanced Analytics practice at LMI, where he led several analytic and human capital improvement projects for defense and civilian federal clients. Before entering consulting, Adam spent seven years at the U.S. Department of Education, managing a portfolio of grants to universities, school districts, and educational non-profits. Adam specializes in data visualization and analysis, grant and contract management, training and facilitation, and project management. He holds a Master of Public Administration from The George Washington University and a B.A. in American Studies from Amherst College. He is also a Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) and a Project Management Professional (PMP). Adam uses his free time to travel via scooter or look for exotic animals with his son.
