NDUS Office Staff

The staff of North Dakota University System supports the State Board of Higher Education’s mission to enhance the quality of life for all those served by the NDUS as well as the economic and social vitality of North Dakota. NDUS and its affiliated organizations are committed to providing quality higher education as they work with the 11 institutions that serve our students. The chart below provides information about the organizational structure of the system staff and the individuals who comprise the team.

NDUS Departments

Academic & Student Affairs

Lisa Johnson

Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs

Lisa Johnson is the Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs for the North Dakota University System. Her work is concentrated in program approval, policy and procedures, transfer and articulation, and matters that affect the health, moral and well-being of the system’s 44,000 students. She serves as the University System’s liaison to councils, task forces, internal and external advisory groups, and several collaborative interagency partnerships.

Lisa began her undergraduate studies at Minot State University while serving in the United State Air Force. She completed associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees from the College of Business at Minot State University and has continued her studies at the doctoral level in Institutional Analysis at North Dakota State University.

She served as a university registrar at Minot State University for six years and was instrumental in planning and transitioning to the current student information system before joining the University System in 2009.

Phone: 701-328-4143
E-mail: lisa.a.johnson@ndus.edu

Staff

Administrative Affairs

David Krebsbach

Vice Chancellor for Administrative Affairs/CFO

David Krebsbach is the University System’s Vice Chancellor for Administrative Affairs/Chief Financial Officer. Krebsbach oversees administrative affairs as it impacts all stakeholders within the university system.

Prior to this position he served four years as the North Dakota University System Director of Finance and was responsible for development and monitoring of policies and activities for all budget related matters for the North Dakota University System and supervision of staff.

David also served as Finance Manager for Job Service North Dakota for nine years prior to his roles with the North Dakota University System.

David has a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Accounting from the University of North Dakota. He is a native of Minot, N.D., and longtime resident of Bismarck. David and Marlene have a daughter and a son, both are graduates of North Dakota State University. He enjoys the outdoors, spending time hunting and fishing.

Phone: 701-328-4116
E-mail: david.krebsbach@ndus.edu

Staff

Operations

Meredith Larson

Vice Chancellor of Operations/Chief Operating Officer

Meredith Larson is the Vice Chancellor for Operations and Chief Operating Officer for the North Dakota University System, bringing nearly two decades of public service and legal expertise to the role. Prior to this position, she served as an Assistant Attorney General and legal counsel to the State Board of Higher Education and a number of NDUS institutions.

A proud graduate of the University of North Dakota, Meredith holds a B.A. in Psychology and a J.D. with distinction. She launched her legal career as a prosecutor in the Grand Forks County State’s Attorney’s Office, where she focused on cases involving interpersonal violence and played a key role in major public initiatives.

As a third-generation public servant, Meredith has long been guided by a deep commitment to justice, service, and community. That dedication extends beyond her professional roles as Meredith frequently serves as a guest lecturer for a variety of schools and other organizations and currently serves as a board member for the Community Violence Intervention Center and the North Dakota State Bar Foundation.

Meredith lives in Grand Forks with her husband, Joel, and their three children.

E-mail: meredith.larson@ndus.edu

Staff

  • Chris Pieske Chief  Compliance Officer, 701-328-3303
  • Jane Grinde Director of Human Resources, 701-328-4217
  • Billie Jo Lorius Director of Communications, Media Relations, and Marketing, 701-328-4107
  • Eric Jensen, Director of Strategic Engagement and Creative Development, 701-328-1826

Information Technology

Corey Quirk

NDUS Chief Information Officer/Core Technology Services CIO

Corey Quirk became the Chief Information Officer (CIO) at the North Dakota University System (NDUS) and Core Technology Services CIO in the summer of 2025. He has more than 25 years of leadership in IT administration. Since 2023, Corey had served as deputy CIO for CTS. His extensive career within the NDUS also includes roles as director of Enterprise Applications, and assistant director and lead applications administrator for CTS Enterprise Services.

Quirk has a bachelor’s degree in graphic communication and a master’s degree in industrial technology, both from the University of North Dakota.

Phone: 701-792-6298
E-mail: corey.quirk@ndus.edu

Staff

Institutional Research

Jennifer Weber, PhD

Institutional Research

Dr. Jennifer Weber serves as the Director of Institutional Research & Analytics and Chief Data Analyst for the North Dakota University System (NDUS). In her role, she spearheads leadership and oversight across a broad spectrum of data-related activities. Her responsibilities encompass systemwide and institutional data collection, effectiveness, reporting, and analytics for NDUS, as well as for the State Board of Higher Education (SBHE), the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction (NDDPI), and NDUS Shared Institutional Research services. Additionally, Dr. Weber is an integral member of the governance committee for the state longitudinal data system (SLDS) and fulfills the role of state coordinator for federal data reporting (IPEDS), managing the requisite federal reporting for 19 North Dakota public, private, and tribal postsecondary institutions.

Dr. Weber’s professional journey began as a high school Chemistry and Physics teacher in Lake Station, Indiana. Relocating to North Dakota, she dedicated a decade to teaching science and computer courses at United Tribes Technical College in Bismarck. This was followed by a fourteen-year tenure as a technology staff developer and data coordinator at Bismarck Public Schools. Dr. Weber has been a member of the NDUS team since 2014.

Holding a B.S. in Secondary Science Education from Indiana State University, Dr. Weber furthered her education with a M.Ed. from the University of North Dakota. She then achieved a Ph.D. in Education, focusing on Institutional Analysis, from North Dakota State University.

Phone: 701-328-4103
E-mail: jennifer.weber@ndus.edu

Staff

  • Dr. Ellie Shockley Institutional Researcher, EDU Data Warehouse Specialist, 701-328-2020
  • Dr. Greg Carlson Institutional Researcher, Special Projects, 701-328-2017
  • Ryan Jockers Assistant Director of Reporting/Analytics, 701-224-2708

Internal Audit

Dina Cashman

Chief Audit Executive

Dina Cashman is the Chief Audit Executive at the North Dakota University System. Reporting directly to the SBHE Audit Committee, she performs both individual institutional and system-wide financial and compliance audits, facilitates the Enterprise Risk Management process, and completes fraud risk assessments.

Dina has spent much of her career in the government sector. She previously worked at North Dakota State Auditor’s Office as an auditor where she performed North Dakota state agencies’ operational audits, the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR), and the state’s federal financial assistance audit (“Single Audit”). Dina joined North Dakota University System in 2017.

Dina has a Bachelor of Science in Accounting, from Dickinson State University, a Bachelor of Arts, Master in Linguistics from Belgorod State University, Russia. Dina is a Certified Public Accountant, and received her Certified Internal Auditor designation in December 2020.

Phone: 701-224-2552
E-mail: dina.cashman@ndus.edu

Staff