Over the coming weeks you will meet some of our alumni and learn about the important work they are doing to create a healthier nation and world.
Julia Buchanan
Employer: Council on Aging Henderson County
Current position: Finance Director
Location: Hendersonville, NC
Degree(s): 2008, IUPUI – IU School of Medicine, BS Health Service Management
Briefly describe your career path.
After graduation I worked as a data analyst for Franciscan Health in Indianapolis. Since, I have worked as a social worker, independent virtual assistant, nonprofit executive assistant, development and marketing director for a nonprofit healthcare entity, and now work for Council on Aging Henderson County as a finance director.
In five sentences or less, describe what an average day for you might be like.
As a former development director my average day was to solicit and solidify donor relationships, research and apply for grant opportunities, manage marketing and community relationship opportunities, plan donor acquisition events, planned giving, annual fundraisers, and annual campaigns to raise 20 percent of our operations expense of over $2 million.
As a finance director I am responsible for the financial management of a $2M nonprofit. My day consists of grant reporting, accounts payable processing, financial reporting, and the handling of many top-level leadership decisions organizationally.
What advice would you give your college self about pursuing work in your current industry?
I would have encouraged myself not to leave the hospital healthcare industry. It is hard to re-enter.
What is a lesson learned at the Fairbanks School of Public Health that you have been able to apply to your career?
Financial management and budgeting/accounting have been the most helpful coursework.
What is the most significant thing that’s happened to you since graduating?
I started my own company and successfully operated it for four years while raising young children. The management and independent work necessary were lessons I have learned throughout my career.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years? What’s next for you?
I am completing my MBA – Healthcare Administration at Lenoir-Rhyne University in Asheville, NC. I hope to grow as a finance director and transfer into the corporate for-profit financial industry in a larger city over the next three years.
Leave a Reply