Elmhurst College announced on Thursday, Sept. 12, that Nathan Hancock soon will become the College’s new director of student financial services.

Hancock has more than 17 years of professional experience in the financial and customer service industries. He worked most recently as the associate director of financial aid processing at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Hancock said joining Elmhurst appealed to him because of its “wonderful reputation,” and because he was ready for the next challenge in his career. He starts in his new role on Tuesday, Sept. 17. “I want to meet people and see where I can start to contribute right away,” he said.

“I am very excited to have Nate join our Elmhurst College team,” said Cindy Gonya, vice president for business and finance. “Nate’s knowledge of the student financial services functions, along with his extensive customer service experience, will enhance the level of service we provide to our students.”

Among his accomplishments at the School of the Art Institute, Hancock redesigned the financial aid awarding and verification processes, which allowed for a record number of student aid awards; he increased the frequency of student outreach regarding financial aid and financial literacy; and fostered significant changes across his areas of responsibility, including in student accounts and student payroll. He also has worked at the Career Education Corporation and at CareerBuilder.

Hancock graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a bachelor’s degree in marketing and business administration.

He’s looking forward to learning more about Elmhurst College—the people as well as the institution. “What really motivates me is helping students, families and staff,” he said, “and putting everybody in a better place.”