Five on Friday

Featuring Matt Foor, controller

1. What is your role as controller?
My role is to help coordinate and oversee the day-to-day accounting operations of the University. The tasks are quite varied, and on any given day you may find me helping a department chair with budget issues, advising student government leaders about their student activity funds, working with auditors to reconcile financial reports, completing government-required reports so the school can receive federal funding, talking to bankers about treasury/cash management, and making sure "the bills get paid" in an efficient manner. I work with an outstanding staff and work for leaders with great vision. I feel privileged to be able to make a contribution to the ONU community and do my part to make this a better place for students.

2. You're participating in Vision Walk 2010. How did you get involved with this?
Vision Walk is being held in Chicago on June 13, and I am participating with my family. The purpose is to raise awareness and funds for eye diseases. We are so close to having cures to help those who struggle with being able to see. With God's help, the researchers can continue to make strides with adequate funding. Since some of my family members, including my wife, have to deal with vision difficulties, this is something I want to do to show my support for them. The 5K walk will start at Soldier Field and wind through the Museum Campus.

3. What's one family vacation you'd like to take?
This is an easy question. Disney World! We have started planning and saving for a trip. Our kids are getting to the age now where they travel better and enjoy vacation time. Beth and I have started telling them all the fun things there are to do there, and their excitement seems to grow each day. Our son is already studying the map of the parks and is asking questions all the time.

4. You and your wife both graduated from Olivet. How did you meet?
Beth and I met at Olivet, but were in different classes and had different friends. We knew each other just well enough to say "hi" in the hallways and cafeteria, etc. After we graduated, we both had jobs in the same town, went to the same church, attended the same small group, and she lived right next door to my sister and brother-in-law. So by then, our paths started crossing more ... then we started dating ... then we fell in love, and the rest is history. It was all part of God's plan and I am so thankful that we met at ONU and are now able to share the rest of our life together.

5. You're an Ohio State fan married into a Michigan family. How have you managed to remain on good terms with the in-laws during OSU's current winning streak?
I keep my mouth shut. :) Seriously, we have been kind to each other about our "differences." I knew my wife truly loved me when she, a Michigan fan from birth, pulled many strings to find tickets to a Buckeye football game for our tenth anniversary.