Vanessa Lopez
Villa Grove
Summary
Business Administrative Associate with experience supporting complex, policy-driven operations within the University of Illinois System and private enterprise. Trusted for policy interpretation, cross-unit coordination, and managing sensitive administrative and financial processes with discretion and accuracy.
Overview
6
6
years of professional experience
Work History
Business Administrative Associate
University Payables, UIUC
Urbana
06.2023 - Current
- Interpret and apply University financial policies and procedures to review, validate, and process complex transactions, requisitions, and expenditures in compliance with institutional and regulatory standards.
- Support financial processing and policy guidance for all three University of Illinois campuses (Urbana-Champaign, Chicago, and Springfield), coordinating with diverse campus units to ensure consistency, compliance, and timely resolution of issues across the system.
- Serve as a primary point of contact for campus units seeking guidance on allowable costs, documentation requirements, and compliance expectations.
- Identify and prevent common errors that delay payments or create compliance risk, resolving issues prior to escalation and ensuring continuity of operations.
- Coordinate with fiscal officers, campus departments, and internal partners to resolve discrepancies and ensure timely, accurate processing.
- Manage sensitive financial, vendor, and institutional information with a high level of discretion, accuracy, and professionalism.
- Maintain organized records and documentation to support audit readiness, transparency, and operational continuity.
- Navigate differing campus practices while applying system-wide policies, ensuring equitable and consistent outcomes across UIUC, UIC, and UIS transactions.
- Frequently serve as an informal escalation point for colleagues seeking clarification on policy interpretation, workflow decisions, and exception handling.
- Contribute to continuous process improvement by identifying workflow gaps and recommending practical, policy-aligned solutions.
Business Administrative & Operations Manager
Pride Outdoor Services, LLC
Villa Grove
09.2019 - 06.2023
- Managed and continuously reconciled multiple interdependent schedules, including leadership appointments, operational crews, project timelines, materials logistics, and equipment deployment, adapting priorities daily in a high-variability environment.
- Oversaw operational expenditures, inventory controls, and asset tracking, including monitoring equipment usage, coordinating maintenance and repairs, and maintaining accurate records to support fiscal accountability.
- Served as primary operational escalation point for time-sensitive issues, exercising independent judgment to resolve conflicts and maintain continuity of operations.
- Coordinated client communications, vendor relationships, and project logistics to ensure timely execution of services involving multiple stakeholders.
- Prepared professional materials, proposals, and documentation to support client engagement and large-scale projects.
- Developed and maintained internal systems for organization, documentation, and process consistency across administrative and operational functions.
- Maintained and updated organizational website content to ensure accuracy, consistency, and alignment with business operations.
- Supported leadership by anticipating needs, managing logistics, and ensuring operations ran smoothly with minimal oversight.
Education
MBA - Business Process Management
University of Illinois At Springfield
Springfield, Illinois, IL05-2028
Bachelor of Arts - Graphic Design
Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, IL07.2019
Skills
- Executive administrative support with independent judgment
- Policy interpretation and institutional compliance
- Cross-unit and system-wide coordination
- Confidential records and documentation management
- Calendar, scheduling, and logistics coordination
- Operational process coordination and improvement
- Executive correspondence and professional writing
- Microsoft Office and University systems
References
- Leah Hamilton | leahh@uillinois.edu
- Corey R. Berkemann | corey@pride-outdoor.com | 217-721-2423
- Susan Forsyth | seforsyt@uillinois.edu
Languages
English
Native/ Bilingual
Spanish
Native/ Bilingual
Timeline
Business Administrative Associate
University Payables, UIUC
06.2023 - Current
Business Administrative & Operations Manager
Pride Outdoor Services, LLC
09.2019 - 06.2023
Bachelor of Arts - Graphic Design
Eastern Illinois University
MBA - Business Process Management
University of Illinois At Springfield