President Aondover Tarhule is pleased to announce that Dr. Glen Nelson has accepted the role of vice president for finance and planning, effective January 6, 2025. He will report to the president.

Nelson most recently served as the vice president for administration and finance/chief financial officer at California State University Monterey Bay and brings 27 years of experience in senior leadership positions at the system, university, and college levels. 

“Dr. Nelson’s broad experience in both the public higher education and business sectors is noteworthy,” Tarhule said. “I am confident he will serve Illinois State well in this critical role, leading and collaborating with stakeholders to build a solid path toward Resilience, Innovation, Sustainability, and Excellence (RISE).”

Nelson and three other finalists participated in a two-day campus interview and presented at individual open forums during the week of December 2, 2024. The campus community was invited to attend, engage, and provide feedback. The finalists also met with various leadership teams, including the RISE Taskforce, to learn about and discuss financial challenges and opportunities the University is currently confronting.

“Illinois State’s success in providing high-quality, student-centered academic experiences with a strong emphasis on community and civic engagement resonated with me,” Nelson said. “The growing enrollment and goals of the strategic plan will require diligent fiscal leadership and planning to preserve the reputation of academic excellence and community engagement for which Illinois State is known. I look forward to joining President Tarhule and the Redbird community on this journey.”

In addition to California State University Monterey Bay, Nelson brings leadership experience from previous roles at Arizona State University, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Idaho State University, the University of Wisconsin System, the Oregon University System, and the Arizona Board of Regents where he served as the senior vice president for finance and administration. He successfully led higher education initiatives generating over $100 million of new resources through the implementation of process improvements, improved asset utilization, management of debt instruments, and the creation of new lines of revenue through collaborations with community partners. He brings 20 years of teaching experience at both undergraduate and graduate levels and is a co-founder of the Affordability and Transparency Initiative, a joint research collaborative with colleagues at the University of Louisville and the University of Georgia.

He began his career working in a variety of management positions within finance, accounting, and IT for several Fortune 500 companies and is a Certified Management Accountant (CMA). Nelson earned a Ph.D. in educational studies with a specialization in educational leadership and higher education from the University of Nebraska, holds an MBA from the Arizona State University Thunderbird School of Global Management, and an undergraduate degree in business administration from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.