Alumnae Spotlight

Debbie Kay Ward ‘88

Years after graduating from College of Saint Mary, Debbie Kay Ward’s passion for the education opportunities the University provides women has not diminished.

“I’m still a CSM’er in my heart,” she said.

Ward, a 1988 graduate, completed her bachelor’s degree in accounting while working and being a mom and wife. After earning her certification as a public accountant, Debbie began a long career in finance, which would include working in higher education and for the State of Nebraska.

Ward credits CSM for nurturing her spirit of servant leadership. “In a time when women were an anomaly in the finance world, I had the spirit to be a voice at the table, sometimes the dissenting voice in a room of 12 men,” she said. CSM also helped her develop potential in her employees.

In January 2001, Ward returned to CSM as a staff member. She was hired to serve as the chief financial officer and vice president of financial services. In that role, she developed, forecasted and administrated the annual budget. She spent six years at CSM.

In 2009, Ward was hired as the director of financial services for the Nebraska Department of Labor. She remained in that role for five years. Her work earned her the status of an admiral in the Great Navy in the State of Nebraska in 2014. The award was conferred by the governor. She was nominated by the Department of Labor for the development of financial processes benefiting the agency.

Ward returned to higher education after she was hired as the CFO of Bellevue University.