In 2014, Nicole Brown arrived on the Newman University campus as a 27-year-old mother navigating single parenthood, working late-night bartending shifts while balancing full-time work as a staff accountant for Newman.
Nearly 12 years later, her work ethic has led to a major milestone: her promotion to associate vice president of finance at Newman.
In her expanded role, Brown continues to provide direct leadership in financial reporting, fiscal oversight and compliance, while also overseeing operations for Mail & Copy Services within the finance and administration division. The promotion, which took effect in the spring, begins a new chapter in a Newman career that has seen her evolve through nearly every corner of the university’s business operations.
“Going from payroll and student accounts into an accounting manager is crazy because I didn’t think I was capable of that,” Brown said. “It’s just really nice to be recognized. I feel like I’ve put in so much time and Newman has given me a lot of different opportunities.”
Climbing the ranks
Brown is a Wichita native who attended Christ the King Catholic School and Bishop Carroll Catholic High School. She began her college journey right out of high school, then paused when she became a mother at 19.
“I had the weirdest upbringing of my 20s because I was a single mom,” Brown said. “But I feel like I’m a go-getter. I love trying to figure things out on my own and get things done.”
Before working at Newman, Brown gained professional experience working civil cases at the Sedgwick County Courthouse and at a local attorney’s office before transitioning to The Independent School. When former coworker Jennifer Gantz joined Newman, she encouraged Brown to apply for an opening at the private Catholic College.
Brown started as a staff accountant in 2014 and stepped up whenever opportunities arose. She served as payroll manager and student accounts manager from June 2015 to August 2023 before becoming controller.
“All of my positions came upon me with different opportunities of people leaving … and they opened doors that I didn’t think I would ever have the opportunity to do,” Brown said.
Returning to school
Even in the midst of managing demanding roles in finance, Brown decided to finish what she started years earlier — partly inspired by the environment at Newman. While pregnant with her youngest child, she re-enrolled in college at Friends University, where she completed her bachelor’s degree in 2024, followed immediately by her Master of Business Administration degree in accounting in December 2025.
“I used to be so settled with what I was doing that I didn’t care if I had a degree,” Brown said. “But once I got a taste of doing something different and seeing what I could advance to, I decided, ‘I’m going to go all in.’ The fact that I did school full time with four kids while working full time. … I’m proud of it.”
Even her kids noticed. Her youngest son still excitedly tells her, “Congratulations, Mom!”
“It’s really cool,” Brown said. “They got to see me finish something that I never in a million years thought that I would do.”
Leading on campus
As if graduate studies weren’t enough, Brown also played an instrumental role in one of the largest administrative undertakings in Newman’s recent history: the campuswide transition to the Jenzabar J1 student information system. She and the implementation team spent countless weekends collaborating across departments to build and test the software.
“The team is really what made J1 as successful as it has been,” Brown said. “It’s been so cool to see everybody come together the way that we have. It’s been a fun experience even though it’s been so much work.”
Brown also serves on the university’s AI Governance Taskforce, where she helps evaluate how emerging technology can safely and efficiently support administrative workflows. She is focused on strengthening Newman’s budget processes and ensuring the finance team has the tools and confidence to succeed.
“Now that everything is in J1, my ultimate goal is to be more proactive with everything,” Brown said. “That way everyone can know exactly where they’re at and as a whole, the institution can make some better decisions on where we want to be financially.”
For Brown, leadership is about empowering the colleagues who work alongside her every day.
“I love working here, and I want to give my team the same opportunities that I had to be able to grow and be confident in their positions and in themselves,” she said.
Campus as the backdrop for personal milestones
Looking back, Brown appreciates how far her journey has brought her.
“I think I always will see myself as a 20-year-old single mom,” Brown said. “So for people to see me differently than who I was when I started … it is cool.”
Newman has become more than a workplace for Brown; it has served as the setting for some of her most meaningful life events.
“I feel like I’ve grown up here,” Brown said. “And it’s something that not many people can say. It means a lot to me.”
Brown and her husband, an officer with the Wichita Police Department, were married in St. John’s Chapel on the Newman campus. Her husband also entered the Catholic Church at Newman.
“I’m so blessed to have my husband who’s just the best and an amazing person,” Brown said. “He’s so supportive and has definitely given me a, ‘This is your time to shine,’ moment. And my parents are great. They’ve been so helpful and supportive and they’re my kids’ personal chauffeurs.”
Brown stays busy as a mother of four, with children spanning from an almost 20-year-old daughter to young boys, including a middle son with autism. Outside of office hours and school routines, the family regularly spends evenings playing nine holes of golf together.
“My husband describes me as ‘the queen of rot,’” she joked. “My ideal way to relax is being at home, watching serial killer documentaries.”
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