The University Cashier’s Office (UCO) offers a warm welcome to Kristy Saunders, our new assistant director of operations, who joined the UCO on May 4. With her strong background in student financial services and team leadership, Saunders makes an excellent addition to the team as the office continues to streamline its processes and support the Wolfpack community.

Most recently, Saunders served as the financial aid outreach coordinator at Wake Technical Community College, where she led a large team and oversaw frontline service operations, budgeting and data analysis. Prior to her time in North Carolina, she spent over five years at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln as the associate director of Husker Hub. In that role, she managed day-to-day operations for an integrated service center handling student billing, financial aid and registrar functions. Her career is deeply rooted in improving the student financial experience and navigating the complexities of higher education administration.

With experience spanning orientation, retention and one-stop services, Saunders centers her approach on campus-wide teamwork. Coming from this background, she views campus departments not as separate units but as interconnected partners. 

“To provide exceptional student support, we must also be exceptional campus partners,” Saunders shared. “One of the aspects of higher education I enjoy most is collaborating to solve the puzzles of creating clearer, more student-friendly processes for both students and our campus community”.

She is excited to bring this passion for problem-solving to the UCO.

“From my very first conversations with the UCO team and campus partners, I immediately recognized a group of passionate student advocates who truly believe in the mission of higher education,” she shared, adding that she knew right away she had found her people.

While she is eager to dive into campus operations, Saunders admitted that her most urgent mission as a new member of the Wolfpack is trying NC State’s famous Howling Cow ice cream! As she transitions into her new role, we look forward to working alongside her and benefiting from her valuable insights.

Please join us in giving Kristy a warm welcome to NC State! If you have any questions or would like to introduce yourself, feel free to reach out to Kristy Saunders.