MICUA

Tina M. Bjarekull

Tina Bjarekull is President of the Maryland Independent College and University Association (MICUA), a voluntary association of 16 private, nonprofit colleges and universities located in Maryland. MICUA provides public policy leadership and support of higher education, fosters cooperative efforts among colleges and universities, and serves as the official liaison between these independent institutions and the State and federal governments.

Prior to joining MICUA, Ms. Bjarekull served as the Deputy Superintendent for Finance at the Maryland State Department of Education and was responsible for the administration of fiscal policy, human resource management, procurement, school facilities, pupil transportation, and nutrition. In her capacity as Deputy Superintendent, Ms. Bjarekull played an instrumental role in reviewing the State’s finance structure for public elementary and secondary education and developing alternative scenarios to improve the equity and adequacy of public school finance in Maryland.

Earlier in her career, Ms. Bjarekull served as Assistant Secretary of Finance Policy for the Maryland Higher Education Commission. In this capacity, she handled all fiscal issues related to State aid for public and private higher education institutions, including operating and capital budget requests and student financial aid. During this period, she chaired the Workgroup to Develop Funding Guidelines for Maryland’s public higher education institutions. The Workgroup proposed a peer-based methodology to establish guidelines to inform funding decisions and evaluate institutional performance.

Ms. Bjarekull entered her professional career in the State of Maryland as an analyst for the Department of Fiscal Services (DFS), an agency responsible for providing professional staff support to the Maryland General Assembly. While working for DFS, Ms. Bjarekull served several years as a Senior Analyst for the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee. Ms. Bjarekull holds an M.B.A. from Loyola College in Maryland and an undergraduate degree from the University of Baltimore.  Prior to moving to Maryland, Ms. Bjarekull worked for over ten years in the insurance and banking industries in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Massachusetts.

Current leadership responsibilities include participation on the following boards and commissions:

• National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU) - Member of the Board of Directors
• NAICU State Executives - Vice Chair of the Executive Committee
• Maryland Workforce Corporation - Member of the Board of Directors
• Race to the Top - Member of the Steering Committee
• Anne Arundel County Chapter of the American Red Cross - Member of the Board
• Greater Baltimore Committee - Member of the Education and Workforce Committee
• Independent College Fund of Maryland – Member of Executive Committee and Board of Directors
• Maryland Government Relations Association – Member of the Board
• Segmental Advisory Committee - Maryland Higher Education Commission - Member
• Governor’s P-20 Leadership Council of Maryland - Member
• Maryland Chamber of Commerce – Legislative Committee - Member
• Leadership Maryland - Member

In addition, Ms. Bjarekull serves on numerous workgroups, task forces, and committees reviewing higher education policy and finances.