Region III Chair

Riddick (Rick) Smiley
East Carolina University

Rick Smiley is a Grant and Contract Officer at East Carolina University. He is a Certified Research Administrator who has worked in the field since 2004. Rick is a North Carolina native (born in Greenville, raised in Raleigh) and attended college at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee. Outside of the office, Rick is an active volunteer in professional organizations, city commissions, neighborhood associations, and public school improvement teams. He also plays goalkeeper for his city league soccer team. Rick is married to Jess and has two kids – Gray and Andie.

Region III Chair Elect
Cindy Hope
The University of Alabama

Cynthia (Cindy) Hope is the Assistant Vice President for Research and Director of the Office for Sponsored Programs at The University of Alabama.

Her responsibilities include Sponsored Programs Administration (pre-award and non-financial post-award), Contract and Grant Accounting and Cost Analysis. Prior to coming to Alabama, she worked for the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) in the areas of Costing, Grant and Contract Accounting and Financial Accounting and Reporting. Cindy came to UAB from Coopers and Lybrand, now PricewaterhouseCoopers, and is a Certified Public Accountant (inactive). Cindy has served as workshop faculty, presenter, committee member and Regional officer in the National Council of University Research Administrators, is a member of the faculty for the annual National Association of College and University Business Officers Facilities and Administrative Cost Rate Workshop, serves on the Costing Policies Committee of the Council on Governmental Relations, serves as the administrative representative for the University in the Federal Demonstration Partnership and is a member of the NSF Advisory Committee for Business and Operations.

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Secretary
Laura Letbetter
Kennesaw State University

Laura Letbetter is Director of Proposal Development at Kennesaw State University, located 25 miles northwest of Atlanta, Georgia. Laura graduated from Georgia Southern University with a Bachelor of Arts in English and from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale with a Master of Arts in English. She has worked in research administration and been a member of NCURA since 2004. She served as a Region III newsletter contributor from 2008 to 2011 and has been a volunteer and presenter at regional and national meetings.

The Secretary is responsible for maintaining the minutes of the regional business meetings and the official membership roster of the region. Minutes of regional business meetings shall be obtained from the outgoing Secretary and delivered to the incoming Secretary. The Secretary will make appropriate reports at regional meetings.

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Treasurer
Erica Gambrell
The University of Alabama

Erica Gambrell is Manager Contract and Grant Accounting, at the University of Alabama.

Her responsibilities and expertise include Effort Reporting and Management of C&GA Reporting and Information Systems functions. Erica also serves as a webmaster for University of Alabama’s Research website. Prior to coming to Alabama in 2007, she was the Senior Treasurer for Mercedes-Benz US International, Inc. She has been a member of NCURA since 2007 and has been an active volunteer at both regional and national meetings.

The Treasurer is responsible for maintaining the financial records of the region. The Treasurer shall collect, deposit, and disburse regional funds. The Treasurer shall be responsible for the preparation of the region's annual budget for endorsement by the Regional Chairperson. The budget period will coincide with each Regional Chairperson's term of office. The Treasurer will make appropriate reports at regional meetings.

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Treasurer-Elect
Jill Griffith
Medical University of South Carolina

Jill Griffith is Grants Manager for the Department of Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina. Her responsibilities and expertise include sponsored research administration (pre-award and post-award) for over 100 researchers, across 11 divisions, including proposal review, contract costing/ analysis and financial reporting. Jill also leads the College of Medicine Clinical Research operations group and serves on numerous institutional committees on research policies/procedures. Prior to coming to MUSC in 2003, she attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and graduated with a Masters in Business Administration. She has been an active member of NCURA since 2004 and has volunteered at both regional and national meetings.

The Treasurer-Elect shall assist the Treasurer, as requested, in directing the financial activities of the region and shall assume the duties of the Treasurer in his/her absence. The Treasurer-Elect shall assume the office of the Treasurer at the expiration of the Treasurer’s elected term of office, or upon the death, recall, or resignation of the Treasurer.

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Region III Past-Chair
Jennifer Shambrook
St. Jude Hospital

Jennifer Shambrook has worked in the field of Research Administration since 1986. She has worked in both departmental and central administration at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, she was the director of the pre-award office at Allegheny University of the Health Sciences, director of pre- and post- award at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, Vice-Chair for Research Administration for the Department of Psychiatry at the Medical University of South Carolina, and is now the Director ofthe Grants and Contracts Management Office at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. She has been a member of NCURA since 1997 and has frequently spoken at Region II and Region III meetings. The Regional Chairperson serves as the chief executive officer of Region III, having the responsibility of calling meetings, appointing committee members, and generally directing the activities of the region. The Regional Chairperson shall be the second person authorized to sign checks drawn on the region's account. The Regional Chairperson, at the conclusion of the term of office, shall serve as Immediate Past Chairperson.

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Region III Board Member
Jill Tincher
University of Miami

Jill Frazier Tincher is the Senior Director of Research Administration at the University of Miami, Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine. In addition, Jill is the Senior Director of Sponsored Programs Education. Jill’s responsible for identifying sponsored programs funding opportunities, proposal processing, negotiation, and award acceptance/modification. She is also responsible for developing pre award-related policies and procedures and overseeing the development and implementation of Sponsored Programs Education opportunities (online, discussion groups, classes and workshops) conducted at all UM campuses.

Jill has worked for the University of Miami since 1994. During this time, she has worked extensively in both central and departmental administration. She worked in a cradle-to-grave office providing pre through post award administration support, and she developed the UM Sponsored Programs Education manual and classes for faculty, administrators and staff.

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