Shahrooz Roohparvar

Shahrooz Roohparvar What is your favorite quote? “The only thing worse than training your employees and having them leave is not training them and having them stay.” –Henry Ford

SHAHROOZ ROOHPARVAR IS vice president of finance and administrative services at Arizona Western College.

In that role, he has overall responsibility for fiscal management for the AWC’s district, which comprises not only the main campus in Yuma and satellites around Yuma County but cam- puses in neighboring La Paz County.

Roohparvar has been a financial executive in higher education more than 11 years. When he joined AWC three years ago, he was the youngest chief financial officer of a college district anywhere in the United States.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s in busi- ness administration with double concentra- tion in finance and supply chain management. At present, he is working toward earning a doctorate in education

from the University of Southern California.

Roohparvar says his most memorable professional moment came in co-founding AWC’s business incubator and running the college’s Startup Weekend, a program that pairs aspiring entrepreneurs with seasoned professionals who help them launch their business plans.

“Seeing the pure energy behind exploring a new business idea made me feel complete,” he said. “I was honored to be a part of something that encouraged so many at once.”

Outside of his regular duties, Roohparvar sits on the boards of Yuma YMCA, Yuma Executives Association, Arizona Community Colleges Business Officers Council, AWC Foundation Board as a non-voting member, and the Advisory Board of the National College Association of College and University CBOs.