A&S Welcomes New Financial Planning Director

Elissa Morton, who has served in financial leadership roles at Middlebury College and the University of Pennsylvania, joined the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences this week as the new Senior Director of Financial Planning and Analysis. Morton joins the Dean’s Office team after a national search and inherits some of the financial responsibilities formerly overseen by Associate Dean Nancy Bertram, who retired this month after a 33-year career at the University of Virginia.

"I am very excited to join A&S and to be a part of UVA's transition to the new University Financial Model," Morton said. 

Morton brings a deep background in financial operations, budgeting and strategic planning in higher education. In her most recent post, as Middlebury College’s Director of Budget and Financial Planning, she played a leadership role in redesigning the college’s budget process and systems. Before that, Morton served as the Executive Director of Financial Strategy in the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Arts & Sciences.  In that role, she was directly responsible for the direction and management of the Office of Budget and Decision Support, providing strategic financial leadership and operational management of critical budget and planning functions.  

Penn has one of the most mature Responsibility Center Management (RCM) models in the country, said Senior Assoc. Dean Adam Daniel, and Morton will bring a wealth of valuable experience in how to plan within RCM environments such as UVA’s new University Financial Model.

“She is a proven financial professional, and we are delighted she will be joining the A&S community,” Daniel said. “She offers the Dean’s Office an expanded focus on  financial modeling and forecasting, which will be increasingly critical as we learn to plan under the new University Financial Model.”

Morton and her children, Shoshana (14) and Oren (11), completed their move to Charlottesville last week.