Jessie Sova, assistant vice provost for finance and business at DELTA and NC State Continuing and Lifelong Education, has been honored by UPCEA with the 2026 Business and Operations Award for Operational Excellence. UPCEA is the leading national association for online and professional education, and this award represents one of the highest individual honors in the field. Sova was formally recognized before a national audience of her peers at the 2026 UPCEA Annual Conference held this April in New Orleans.

The UPCEA Business and Operations Award for Operational Excellence recognizes outstanding individual contributions in operations, entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial work that move an institution forward. The award specifically highlights excellence in financial, human, administrative and IT operations within professional, continuing and online education units at postsecondary institutions. It also recognizes contributions to the UPCEA Business and Operations Network, including sharing best practices and emerging trends across the field.

Recipients must demonstrate excellence in areas such as financial and operational leadership, using technology to achieve operational goals, implementing workflow improvements to better use resources, performing data analysis to identify challenges and opportunities, building and transforming organizational structures and more.

“We have long stated that we believe we work with the best business officer at NC State,” said Mark Bernhard and Donna Petherbridge, vice provosts overseeing DELTA and NCSCaLE. “Well, we were correct but not thinking broadly enough — actually, we work with the best business officer in higher education.”

Bernhard and Petherbridge noted that Sova demonstrates excellence across all areas recognized by the award, praising her as a hardworking, forward-thinking leader in finance and business operations.

UPCEA’s Association Awards Program, which dates back to 1953, recognizes both individual and institutional achievement across its membership. The awards honor outstanding contributions to the field of professional, continuing, and online education.

Congratulations to Jessie Sova on this well-deserved recognition!