Miriam Scharer
Miriam Scharer has worked in higher education for over 23 years with a focus on business services, budget, finance, and operational areas. She is the current vice president and chief financial officer at Chemeketa Community College, a proud Hispanic-serving institution that provides educational opportunities across a 2,600 square mile area in Oregon’s Willamette Valley.
Scharer first started at Chemeketa as a grant accountant, but over time, took on additional responsibilities and projects. Some of her notable accomplishments include:
- Working on the systems implementation during the college’s migration to Banner and later Nelnet Business Solutions, among other critical systems.
- Streamlining the college’s purchasing and contracting tasks as part of its LEAN process improvement.
- Contributing to the transition to fully remote instruction and services during COVID-19.
- Forming the college’s technology governance committee with a focus on strategic resource allocation and prioritization.
Her current position is responsible for the entire support services division, including the financial and auxiliary functions as well as the operational functions.
Scharer participated in the Oregon Community College’s Business Officers group and chaired that group for several years. She has also presented at national and local conferences on subjects ranging from system implementation, to financial structures at community colleges, to managing up.
She holds a masters in adult education from Portland State University and a bachelors in business administration/accounting and psychology/organizational behavior from Western Oregon University.
