Date, Time, and Location

Wednesday, October 7, 2026, 9:20 a.m. - 10:05 a.m.
Commonwealth Room, 50 Washington Street, Westborough, MA

Session Description

The University has used Oracle (Peoplesoft) as its Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System since the early 2000s. We are now 2 1/2 years into the planning process for selecting a new ERP. David Nero will review the process to date and the next steps. He will highlight some of the opportunities and challenges that confront the University as we select and implement a new ERP and how that experience will be transformative for the University.  There will be an opportunity for participants to ask questions during and after David’s presentation.

During the second half of this module, John Dunlap will review change management models that focus on how both the individual and an organization adopt to change. These models include the ADKAR Model and Kotter’s 8-Step Process. These change management models may inform how the University prepares for the major system-wide changes that could occur during the implementation of a new ERP.

Session Documentation

  • Available upon request

Speaker Bios

John Dunlap

John Dunlap serves as the Chief Human Resources Officer for the UMass President’s Office. He oversees all HR functions for the UMPO workforce and serves as the primary contact for the five Vice Chancellors of Human Resources on each campus. He chairs the Human Resources Administrators Committee (HRA) which provides University-wide oversight and coordination on HR matters.  He plays a leading role in coordinating Labor Relations across the system. He has over 30 years of experience in Human Resources in public and higher education settings. His prior positions include the Director of Employee and Labor Relations for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Chief of Personnel and Labor for the City of Boston, the Director of Human Resources for the Town of Brookline and the Director of Personnel for the Town of Arlington. John has a bachelor’s degree in communications from UMass Amherst and a Master of Public Administration from Northeastern University.

David Nero

David Nero is Associate Vice President for Strategy & Innovation where he leads enterprise transformation initiatives focused on administrative modernization, shared services, strategic planning, and operational excellence. He has played a leadership role in major initiatives including Shared Services, various system-wide technology projects, and Project NextGen. Prior to joining UMass, David served as Chief Information Officer at Perkins School for the Blind and spent nearly two decades with the City of Boston in a series of leadership roles, culminating as Deputy Chief Information Officer. David holds a Masters of Public Administration from the State University of New York at Albany and a bachelor's degree in Political Science from State University of New York at Cortland.

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