Dr. Brad Sheriff
Dr. Brad Sheriff, vice chancellor for finance and administration at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith (UAFS), has been named vice president for finance and administration at Southeast Missouri State University.
Sheriff was selected following a national search. He will begin his new duties Aug. 1 and will work alongside Kathy Mangels, vice president for finance and administration, until her retirement this fall.
Southeasts vice president for finance and administration is the Universitys chief financial officer, reports to Southeast President Carlos Vargas and serves as a member of the Executive Staff. The vice president for finance and administration serves as the treasurer of the Board of Regents and of the Southeast Missouri University Foundation, and is responsible for the Budget Office, Controllers Office, Facilities Management, Information Technology, Human Resources, Public Safety and Transit, Research and Sponsored Programs, Student Financial Services, the Show Me Center and Legal Services.
When Dr. Sheriff was on campus this spring, he clearly demonstrated a breadth of financial experience and knowledge that we believe will serve us very well, particularly as we navigate this very challenging budget climate, Vargas said. We look forward to him joining us, leading the Universitys business operations and providing financial guidance as we begin the FY21 budget year.
Sheriff said he is honored to be selected as Southeasts next Vice President for Finance and Administration.
“I am eager to partner with President Vargas and his talented leadership team at SEMO to help guide the institution in the coming years, he said. This is such a challenging time for higher education, but with great challenges come great opportunities. I look forward to playing a part in positioning the University to identify and capitalize on these opportunities to the benefit of its students, the region and beyond.
I look forward to engaging with the dedicated staff in finance and administration to provide the stewardship, service and support functions so critical to the success of the Universitys mission, he said.
Sheriff said he and his wife, Launa, and their daughter, Lauren, are excited to become active members of the Southeast and Cape Girardeau communities.
He added that having hadthe pleasure of meeting and visiting with Kathy Mangels duringthe interview process, I’m sure that she will be a tough act to follow.”
Vargas also offered his thanks to Mangels for her many years of service at Southeast.
I would like to offer my heartfelt gratitude to Kathy Mangels for her outstanding and steadfast financial leadership over the past 25 years at Southeast, he said. Kathy began at Southeast in 1995 as a budget analyst in Facilities Management before becoming controller in 1998. She has served as vice president for finance and administration since 2006, and she has admirably and astutely managed the Universitys finances through a variety of budget challenges. She also has provided remarkable oversight for a broad range of operations and services at Southeast, and I wish her the best on a very well-deserved retirement.
Sheriff has served as vice chancellor for finance and administration since 2016 at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith, where he is the universitys chief financial and administrative officer, administers an $80 million operating budget and oversees the offices of Budget, Controller, Facilities, Human Resources, Information Technology Services and University Police. He also served UAFS as interim vice chancellor for university advancement.
Sheriff comes to Southeast with a wealth of experience, having previously served as assistant vice chancellor of business and finance for academic affairs at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and associate vice president for business affairs and compliance at Indiana Wesleyan University. He held several roles with the University of Illinois System, including director of University Strategic Procurement, administrative director of Operations and External Relations, administrative planning and project coordinator and business analyst.
He holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree in global leadership with a specialization in higher education administration from Indiana Institute of Technology, a higher education management development certificate from Harvard University, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Illinois-Springfield and a Bachelor of Arts in business management from Greenville (Illinois) University. He is also a certified management accountant.
Sheriff has served in several capacities with a number of professional business organizations, including the Educational & Institutional Cooperative Services, the Southern Association of College and University Business Officers and the Institute of Management Accountants.