Andrew Harris
The Virginia Museum of Fine Artsannounced the appointment of Andrew Harris as the museum’s new Deputy Director for Finance and Chief Financial Officer.
“Andrew is a considerably talented financial executive who is known for his integrity and good judgment,” said Alex Nyerges, VMFA’s Director and CEO. “The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is undergoing tremendous growth and it will be greatly strengthened with Andrew as our CFO. We are fortunate to have him joining our leadership team.”
Harris is a senior level financial and operational leader with 30 years of experience in the higher education, nonprofit and government sectors. His expertise includes finance, budgeting, treasury and cash operations; debt financing; research; strategic financial management; technology and administration.
In his recent position as Vice President for Finance and Administration, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Administrative Officer at Roosevelt University, Harris was a strategic partner in the school’sBuilding a Stronger Rooseveltplan where he helped to strengthen the university’s financial position, upgrade the bond outlook from negative to stable and returned the university to profitability. He also engaged the university, located in Chicago, Illinois, in a debt restructuring plan to provide relief from debt service obligations, which reduced debt service costs by more than $20 million in the first five years. Roosevelt University ended Fiscal Year 2021 with a balanced budget and entered Fiscal Year 2022 with a balanced budget. Harris also helped grow the school’s endowment fund, which doubled in size to over $160 million during his tenure.
Previously, Harris was Chief Financial Officer of the University of North Texas (UNT) and the UNT System. There, he implemented a variety of new systems and procedures to strengthen the university’s financial position, leading to two upgrades to the UNT System credit rating. In 2009, Harris was named as CFO of the Year for the public sector by the Dallas Business Journal.
Harris’s past positions include Associate Vice President and University Budget Director at the University of Chicago in Illinois and Director at Boston University Medical Campus’ Office of Financial Planning and Budget in Massachusetts.
For more than 27 years, Harris maintained impressive dual careers in higher education and simultaneous service in the Vermont Army National Guard. The Commonwealth of Virginia, of which VMFA is an agency, is committed to assisting transitioning military, National Guard and Reserve members and veterans to the civilian workforce.
Harris commanded at all levels through brigade, which in recent years included Commander of the 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Mountain) and Executive Officer of the 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. He received a battalion command assignment to a combat zone, a highly complex brigade conversion from armor to infantry, two deployments to Afghanistan, a successful company command lasting 41 months, two rotations to Macedonia as part of the State Partnership for Peace Program and a response to New York City in the aftermath of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
As Chief of Staff from 2017 to 2018, he supported the operational needs of all subordinate Army National Guard units in Vermont including human resources, finance, training and development; information technology; compliance; risk management; strategy; logistics; supply; procurement; diversity; readiness and civil support.
Harris retired from the Vermont Army National Guard in 2018, having achieved the rank of Colonel. His many decorations include the Bronze Star Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Combat Action Badge, Global War on Terror Campaign Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with ‘M’ device, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal and Army Service Ribbon.
“With its upcoming expansion, this is an exciting time to join the staff at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts,” said Harris. “I look forward to my new role protecting the museum’s assets and its future through the prudent stewardship of VMFA’s and the Foundation’s finances.”
The position of Deputy Director for Finance and Chief Financial Officer at VMFA was vacant following the retirement of Hossein Sadid. For more information about the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, visitwww.VMFA.museum.
