Vice President for Finance and Administration

Ringling College of Art and Design

Vice President for Finance and Administration

Ringling College of Art and Design seeks an experienced and talented leader to serve as their next Vice President for Finance and Administration (VPFA).

Ringling College of Art and Design is a private, not-for-profit, independent higher education success story. Having grown to 1,600 students – numbers that held largely steady during the pandemic – and operating in the black for all of its 90-year history, Ringling has raised its academic and public profiles to that of one of the most decorated and successful art and design colleges in the nation. To build upon this success, the College seeks a vice president for finance and administration (VPFA) to help the College achieve its vision of becoming the preeminent art and design college in the world.

Succeeding a successful incumbent and reporting directly to Ringling's visionary president, the VPFA will join a highly creative and collaborative leadership team to develop and execute the vision, strategies and tactics that will continue and enhance the College's successful trajectory. Ringling's aspirations are considerable, and its track record for innovation and creativity within the academic program and in its business dealings is enviable. The new VPFA will therefore join and thrive within an environment accustomed to making bold decisions and reaping the benefit of strategic investments. 

Success in this environment requires a financial professional with exceptional strategic skills and the ability to make sound judgments regarding short and long-term returns on investment. As would be expected, the central skills and experience of a financial leader are required, including understanding higher education financing, FASB and GAAP as they apply to higher education and the regulatory environment. Candidates with such experience within a college or university of equal or greater complexity will be at a decided advantage, as will professionals with appreciation for art and design and a personal resonance with art and design education. The institution's large and growing footprint and a campus master plan that anticipates further growth in the student body and the academic program put facilities-management acumen high on the list of desirable attributes. Change management experience and superior communication skills are sine qua non.

Located in lovely Sarasota, Florida, a community that values and supports arts and cultural programming and education, Ringling College is optimally positioned for even greater success. Its new vice president for finance and administration will thus have the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to one of the nation's most successful higher education enterprises.

All applications, nominations, and inquiries are invited. For fullest consideration, candidate materials should be received by Friday, July 16, 2021. Interested parties may apply using WittKieffer’s candidate portal.

Applications should include, as separate documents, a CV or resume and a letter of interest addressing the themes in the profile, available at www.wittkieffer.com. For more information, questions or nominations, please contact Ringling College of Art and Design's consultants Dennis Barden and Julia Bradley at: RinglingVPFA@wittkieffer.com.

Ringling College of Art and Design is an Equal Opportunity Employer.