UofL hires top North Carolina public higher education finance leader to be new CFO

The University of Louisville has named North Carolina’s top public higher education financial leader to serve as its chief financial officer.

Jonathan Pruitt, senior vice president for finance and budget and chief financial officer at the University of North Carolina System, will assume the CFO role at UofL, pending Board of Trustees approval. Pruitt is scheduled to join the UofL team Jan. 16, 2018.

Pruitt was hired after an extensive national search led by an internal committee made up of faculty, staff and administrators from the Belknap and HSC campuses and a national firm, Isaacson, Miller. He also met with a number of groups including the Faculty and Staff Senate executive committees, trustees and several employees who will report to him.

“The University of Louisville is a remarkable institution, and I am honored, humbled, and excited to assume this role,” Pruitt said. “As the higher education landscape becomes increasingly competitive, successful public institutions must be able to demonstrate their value proposition to students, families and taxpayers. UofL is well-positioned to enhance the social and economic mobility of the state, and I look forward to joining President Postel and his team in the work ahead.” 

Pruitt has been with the UNC system, which is comprised of 16 public, four-year institutions and one residential high school, since 2006. As senior vice president and CFO, he leads the financial and business affairs of the system, with a combined operating budget of $10 billion. He is credited with significant improvements in areas ranging from financial transparency to operational efficiencies.

He began his career with Kentucky’s higher education system, having served both as a senior associate, finance, for the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education and as a policy and budget analyst for the Office for Policy and Management.

“We are thrilled to be able to bring someone with Mr. Pruitt’s credentials to the university,” said Greg Postel, M.D., UofL’s interim president. “His expertise will be vital as we continue to streamline our financial processes and ensure we are accountable to our campus community and the citizens of Kentucky.”

A native of Pikeville, Ky., Pruitt received his bachelor of arts from Centre College and his master of public administration degree from the University of Kentucky.