Dear University of Montana Colleagues:

I am excited to announce that Paul Lasiter will join the University of Montana as our vice president for operations and finance. Paul joins us from Pepperdine University following a competitive nationwide recruitment that attracted a highly talented pool of leaders.

A certified public accountant and chartered management accountant, Paul brings significant experience in higher education financial management. At Pepperdine, he served as vice president of finance and debt capital markets, and previously as vice president and chief financial officer. He has overseen the financial operations of Pepperdine’s five colleges and schools with nearly 8,000 students.  As chief financial officer, he was responsible for an operating budget of more than $530 million for eight campuses across Southern California and in Washington, D.C., and six international campuses around the globe.

I am impressed by Paul’s experience and proven leadership, as well as by his demonstrated commitment to the well-being of students, faculty and staff. His experience at Pepperdine, his facility in managing the financial operations of complex organizations and his commitment to higher education make him an excellent fit during this critical time of revitalization at UM. I am confident that Paul’s long record in building, leading and advising financial operations will serve our community well, and we’re excited for him to join us in early 2019. 

As we welcome Paul, I want to express my deep gratitude to Rosi Keller, who has served this University for more than three decades and who stepped in to serve as interim vice president for administration and finance in 2017, providing critically important leadership during a time of transition at UM. Rosi has been a wonderful partner, counselor and mentor to me since I joined UM earlier this year. There is no one on this campus who loves UM more than Rosi, and it shows so clearly in the passion and energy that she brings to work every day. I am grateful that she is willing to remain aboard to ensure a smooth transition for our new vice president. 

I also thank Dr. Roberta Evans and our search committee, who worked so hard to build an excellent candidate pool and select strong finalists. I appreciate the time and careful thinking each committee member put into the process, and I thank the many people who provided input along the way.

Please join me in welcoming Paul and his wife, Alexis, to the UM Family.  

Seth