As director of business services, Arranna Bennett ’93 became the gatekeeper of Rec Sports’ financial resources and one of the architects behind the systems that keep the department stable, accountable and student-centered. Now, as she prepares for retirement, she leaves behind processes, policies and a culture that will guide Rec Sports for decades to come.

She didn’t plan on a nearly 30-year career at Texas A&M. She just knew she wanted to grow. Before joining Rec Sports, Bennett was already on campus working as a senior staff accountant for the Texas Ag Extension Service. She applied for the Rec Sports role, didn’t get it on the first try, and moved on — until the phone rang again.

“Long story, I didn’t get it the first time,” she said. “And then the person they hired, although they were a fantastic candidate, had a life change and had to move on within a couple of months of the job. And so Tom [Reber] reached out to me, and I had a second opportunity to apply for it, and I got it. And I was very grateful, because I absolutely loved it. But I still had so much to learn.”

She stepped into Rec Sports in 1997, before satellite facilities, before shared digital files and before Rec Sports became the large, multifaceted department it is today. One of her earliest influences was former senior associate director Tom Reber, who recognized her drive and encouraged her to pursue her CPA. What he wrote on her evaluation changed the course of her career.

“He put it in there as a goal that I should accomplish and get my CPA,” she said. “That was like the gauntlet was thrown down.”

She studied every chance she had and, when possible, was allowed to study at work. She eventually passed, and that momentum carried her through years of financial leadership at Rec Sports, ultimately becoming responsible for ensuring the department’s financial stability across decades, debt cycles and changing campus needs.

“I will forever be grateful to Tom Reber for giving me a chance and to Dennis Corrington for sharing all of his knowledge and expertise related to the Campus Recreation industry,” Bennett said.

“Arranna and I created some of the most complicated spreadsheets that helped us understand our budget and our budgeting process and how we’re going to afford these facilities for the next 100 years,” former executive director Dennis Corrington said. “She was an excellent partner and an excellent employee, and I wish her the very best in her retirement.”

In her role, Bennett oversaw multiple funding streams, including Rec Sports fee revenue, generated revenue, gift funds, Student Affairs allocations and occasional state funds, helping guide how those dollars were used.

“My job is to manage the long-term finances of the department,” she said. “I’m kind of like the gatekeeper of the funds, and I love making sure that they get used for what they were intended for.”

She played a central role in supporting the legislation that protects student access, navigating fee increases and designing systems that ensure student oversight and accountability. When Rec Sports built or expanded facilities, she built the financial models that made them possible.

One tool she worked on most students will never see: the pro forma statement, the department’s long-range income projection stretching 30 years into the future.

“That’s been really interesting,” she said. “We’ve done a lot of big projects, and we are dabbling in some very large projects in the coming years. I’ve been able to effectively come up with these projections, and we’ve always been accurate and on target.”

Alongside that work, Bennett stewarded the department’s most important internal control — the budget review committee — which she has shaped, refined and led for years.

“That budget review committee is the number one internal control that Rec Sports has,” she said. “I’m thankful that I’ve been a part of that ever since I started, and it has evolved as the needs of the department and technology have changed.”

Those systems anchored Rec Sports through expansions, financial shifts, procedural changes and evolving student needs. But the system she speaks of most proudly is not a financial one — it’s the human one.

“I’ve always had an amazing business services team,” she said. “I learn from them all the time. We all learn from each other, including our students, and my team has grown and become experts in their field.”

Her leadership style grew from experience and humility, shaped by years of learning, adapting and working alongside new staff members who asked smart questions and challenged old processes.

“I’m a very informal leader,” Bennett said. “If I can help you shine, then you’re going to shine, and you’re going to reflect that on me. There’s pretty much nothing that my team can’t tell me. I didn’t start out that way — I had to develop a thick skin, and I had to get comfortable in my skin and trust people.”

She learned early to seek counsel, always listen first and defer credit to the team — lessons became central to the way business services operates.

“I like to seek wise counsel,” she said. “Before I make a decision, I listen and get everybody’s perspective, and that always results in a better perspective and decision.”

After nearly three decades, the list of programs, policies and facilities she’s influenced is long. But her impact extends beyond spreadsheets and projections. It lives in the culture she helped foster — one built on committees, shared ownership, student involvement and collaboration.

“You feel like everybody has a voice,” she said. “When you know you’ve been heard, then you can buy into a program. And when it counts, you feel like you’re part of the team you can defend.”

Retirement, for Bennett, isn’t slowing her down — just shifting focus.

“I need to be there for my family,” she said. “I would like to do a little more traveling, and it’s possible I’ll keep working in some capacity. I love to learn. I’ve got grandkids and kids, so I plan on spending more time with them.”

Through this next chapter, Rec Sports will remain a part of her.

“I really don’t think Rec Sports will ever be out of my system,” she said.

Bennett ran the numbers. She touched countless lives. And she leaves behind something bigger: a Rec Sports that is financially steady, student-focused and built to last.

Written by: Claire Frazier