Announcing Chief Financial Officer Appointment

August 24, 2017

To the Jacksonville University Community:

Greetings from campus after a summer of exceptional work, investment and planning from our University leadership and staff, as we continue to enhance students’ educational experience and upgrade our primary settings and venues for study, sport, living and social activities. Look for more signs of meaningful progress and momentum this upcoming academic year.

To help direct and strengthen that progress, today I’m pleased to announce we have named Randal Freebourn as our new Chief Financial Officer, effective Sept. 1.

Randy is currently Vice President for Finance & Administration and Assistant Treasurer at Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio. Before that, he was Assistant Vice Chancellor for Business Services & Comptroller in the Purdue University system, at its Calumet regional campus.

Prior to Wittenberg and Purdue, Freebourn was Vice President for Business Affairs & Treasurer for 11 years at St. Joseph's College in Rensselaer, Ind. He also served in several leadership capacities at Allegheny College, including as Assistant Vice President for Administrative Services. He earned his B.S. in Business Administration with an accounting major from the University of Dayton and his M.B.A. from the University of Notre Dame.

In short, Randy is as performance-driven as they come, and is a true higher education veteran with extensive fiscal expertise. He brings vision, breadth and depth to this key finance role. His skills in integrated planning, budget modeling, investment management, physical plant oversight, contract negotiation and risk management will serve us well during a period of heightened growth in enrollment, faculty and programs.

We are especially impressed by his keen insights into financial discipline and strategy, and his data-driven yet collaborative personal approach to service, leadership and decision-making.

Over more than 30 years in corporations and mission-driven, nonprofit higher education organizations, Randy has built a reputation for keeping well-balanced and funded operations. He has the talent we need to engineer the most effective organizational structures and enhance internal and external customer service. That includes incorporating the latest financial aid strategies for students, delivering improved services to the campus and cultivating strong and favorable contractual relationships with outside vendors.

Please join me in offering a warm welcome to Randy as he prepares to begin his new duties.

Sincerely,

Tim Cost
President
Jacksonville University
Class of 1981