Meet Our Staff
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Jay Thomas
Chief Audit Officer
Chief Audit Officer jthom141@kennesaw.edu (470) 578-3360 TP 4230
Jay Thomas serves as the Chief Audit Officer at Kennesaw State University. In the role, he provides leadership of the internal audit team that provides independent, objective audits, advisory services, and special projects designed to improve the effectiveness of KSU’s operations, risk management, and governance processes.
Mr. Thomas brings 20+ years of audit, finance, and compliance experience from various
industries including higher education, health care, and federal and state government.
Prior to joining KSU, Jay served as a Director of Internal Audit for Columbia University.
Jay earned a Master of Accountancy from Rutgers University and a Bachelor of Business
Administration in Accounting from Kennesaw State University. Additionally, he holds
professional certifications including Certified Public Accountant (Georgia), Certified
Internal Auditor, and Certified Information Systems Auditor.
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Brenda Crawford
Deputy Chief Institutional Auditor
Deputy Chief Institutional Auditor bcrawf46@kennesaw.edu (470) 578-6369 TP 4256
Brenda Garcia Crawford joined Kennesaw State University (KSU) as the Deputy Chief
Institutional Auditor in November 2021. Brenda is a Certified Public Accountant and
brings 20+ years of experience crossing various accounting and finance disciplines
(e.g., External Audit, Internal Audit, SOX Compliance, Financial Planning & Analysis,
and General Ledger Accounting). Brenda received her Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in
Accounting and a minor in Economics from the Babson College. Prior to KSU, Brenda
worked at Ernst & Young, Deloitte, Warner Media, Comcast, Optum, and Rollins Inc.
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Stephen Sprague
Director, Audits and Investigations
Director, Audits and Investigations sspragu3@kennesaw.edu (470) 578-6293 TP 4700 D1
Stephen Sprague joined Kennesaw State University (KSU) as the Director of Audits and
Investigations in May 2023. Stephen is a Certified Public Accountant, Certified Fraud
Examiner, and Certified Information Systems Auditor with over 20 years of experience
within operations, finance, auditing, and investigations. Stephen received a bachelor's
degree in accounting from New York University. Prior to KSU, Stephen worked at Columbia
University, Sprague Consulting, STI Telecom, and Cablevision.
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Eric de Oliveira
Audit Manager
Audit Manager edeoliv4@kennesaw.edu (470) 578-4458 TP 4700
Eric de Oliveira joined Kennesaw State University (KSU) as a Senior Internal Auditor
in April 2022. Eric is a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Fraud Examiner
with over five years of experience in managing and conducting operational, financial
and compliance audits, as well as fraud investigations and other financial services
across various industries. Eric received his Bachelor of Business Administration with
an emphasis in Finance and Master of Accounting degrees from Georgia Southern University.
Prior to KSU, Eric worked at Ernst & Young, United Parcel Service (UPS) and, more
recently, Invesco.
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Jonelle Vernon
Senior Auditor, Investigations
Senior Auditor, Investigations jvernon6@kennesaw.edu (470) 578-3973 TP 4700
Jonelle Vernon joined Kennesaw State University (KSU) as a Senior Auditor of Investigations
in December 2022. Ms. Vernon received her Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A)
in Accounting from Georgia State University and her master's degree in Accounting
with a Forensic Accounting concentration from Florida Atlantic University.
Ms. Vernon is a Certified Fraud Examiner with over six years of experience in the
fraud and forensic accounting field. In prior roles, Ms. Vernon conducted criminal
and administrative investigations of fraud, waste, and abuse and analyzed financials
to assist with the divorce and commercial litigation processes.
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