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Three alumni and several students were honored for their career and academic achievements at the USD Beacom School of Business accounting and finance division dinner.
VERMILLION, S.D. – The University of South Dakota Beacom School of Business accounting and finance division honored the academic and career achievements of several alumni and students at a recognition dinner on Thursday, Nov. 4.
Michelle Micka | Sioux Falls, South Dakota | SVP, Finance, Health Services | Sanford Health
Michelle Micka graduated from the University of South Dakota with an accounting degree in 1997. While at USD, she was actively involved in Delta Sigma Pi and Beta Alpha Psi. She started her career with Deloitte in Omaha, Nebraska, and later transferred to the Minneapolis office, where she spent eight years in the audit practice primarily focused on health care and non-profit clients. After public accounting, Micka’s career continued at Fairview Health Services in Minneapolis where she held several finance leadership roles within the Corporate Finance team over eight years.
Micka joined Sanford Health in 2012 and has served in multiple finance leadership positions, including chief financial officer (CFO) for development and research division, corporate controller and SVP finance, health plan. She has held her current position for the past three years and is responsible for the financial operations of the health services division which includes financial reporting, financial planning and analysis, capital planning and revenue cycle for the division. Micka and her husband Paul reside in Sioux Falls and have two sons, Jonathan and Matthew.
Rob Ness | Yankton, South Dakota | Chief Finance Officer | First Dakota National Bank
Rob Ness, a Yankton native, earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (finance emphasis) from USD in 2002 and attained his Master of Business Administration degree from USD in 2003.Following graduation, Ness was a National Bank Examiner with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). Ness was based out of Indianapolis, Indiana, and Columbus, Ohio, during his tenure and he spent time examining banks in Indiana, Illinois, Ohio and Kentucky. Ness has been with First Dakota National Bank, for nearly 15 years in a variety of positions, including his current role as CFO. Ness is a member of the executive management team and serves on the bank’s board of directors.
While at USD, Ness was a member of the USD Track & Field team. He was an original member of Coyote Capital Management and was a member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity and Delta Sigma Pi business fraternity. Ness has served his community and state by sitting on several non-profit boards. Ness is a member of the USD School of Business’s Finance Advisory Council and is active with the Yankton Howling Pack. Ness and his wife Amber (USD alumna) have three children, Archer, Daphne, and Rex, and live in Yankton.
Mackenzie Schaffert | Elk Point, South Dakota | Controller | Heyl Truck Lines, Inc.
Mackenzie Schaffert, an Akron, Iowa, native, earned her joint Bachelor of Business Administration and Master of Professional Accountancy degrees from USD in 2013.
During her time at USD, Schaffert had the opportunity to connect and intern with both KPMG, LLP in Omaha, Nebraska, and Eide Bailly LLP in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Following graduation, Schaffert joined Eide Bailly for one year in their tax department where she spent most of her time serving the real estate industry. She then pursued an opportunity to move to Omaha, Nebraska, to work for KPMG where she worked in their audit department serving clients in the energy and non-profit industries. For the last six years, Schaffert has served as Controller of Heyl Truck lines, Inc.
While at USD, Schaffert was a member of Beta Alpha Psi and Coyoteopoly. Today, she is a member of the USD Beacom School of Business’s Accounting Advisory Council. Mackenzie is a certified public accountant and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the South Dakota CPA Society. Schaffert and her husband Josh have three children, Charlotte, Thea, and Bennett, and live in Elk Point, South Dakota.
Top performance awards were presented to 36 students based on their academic achievements, community involvement, membership in USD’s accounting and finance organizations, and community service activities. Students recognized were nominated by accounting and finance faculty after submitting applications and resumes for top performance awards consideration.
Students receiving top performance awards included:
USD’s Beacom School of Business was established in 1927 and has been accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) since 1949. The leading business school in the region, Beacom’s programs are consistently ranked among the top business schools in the nation by Princeton Review, U.S. News & World Report and others for its high-quality learning experience, student success, affordability, and high-caliber of faculty and students. Whether a student chooses face-to-face or online courses, Beacom’s programs emphasize real-world experience through professional organizations, quality internships and capstone projects.
Founded in 1862 and the first university in the Dakotas, the University of South Dakota is the only public liberal arts university in the state, with 202 undergraduate and 84 graduate programs in the College of Arts & Sciences, School of Education, Knudson School of Law, Sanford School of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, Beacom School of Business and College of Fine Arts. With an enrollment of nearly 10,000 students and more than 400 faculty, USD has a 16:1 student/faculty ratio, and it ranks among the best in academics and affordability. USD’s 18 athletic programs compete at the NCAA Division I level.
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