Dear USF Community,
I am thrilled to announce that Brent Gustafson will join the University of San Francisco as our vice president and chief financial officer, effective July 20.
Mr. Gustafson has more than 20 years of senior financial and administrative leadership experience in higher education and public service, most recently as associate vice president and chief budget officer at Oregon State University (OSU). Prior to that, at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota, he served as vice president for finance and administration.
He approaches financial leadership as a form of stewardship and has extensive expertise leading institutional budget development and multi-year financial planning, as well as advising executive leaders on resource strategy, tradeoffs, and best practices for alignment with institutional priorities. He is committed to ensuring that USF’s financial plan both supports our institutional mission and also positions the university for long-term sustainability.
A central tenet of Mr. Gustafson’s financial leadership approach is collaboration and partnership, and he has worked closely with presidents, provosts, enrollment leaders, and administrative colleagues to align financial strategy with institutional priorities. At both OSU and Hamline, he collaborated on tuition strategy and financial modeling as he balanced revenue considerations with a wide range of expense pressures and priorities. He embraces transparency and communication in financial decision-making and strives to make data accessible and meaningful across diverse audiences.
Mr. Gustafson said, “I'm grateful to President Aceves for this opportunity, and I'm excited to join a university that so genuinely embraces its Jesuit mission and commitment to the whole student. I have long believed that financial leadership in higher education is about more than dollar figures, so I look forward to helping USF continue its outstanding legacy of academic excellence in the heart of such a dynamic city."
He will provide leadership and oversight of all financial functions — including financial planning, budgeting, cash management, accounting, investments, and debt management — and lead scenario analyses to anticipate emerging challenges, assess potential opportunities, and shape proactive strategies. This forward-looking approach will ensure that financial decisions are informed, resilient, and aligned with the university’s long-term priorities.
I’d like to personally thank the VP/CFO Search Committee and its co-chairs, Claudio Chiuchiarelli and Jaci Neesam, who together advanced the three final candidates for the VP/CFO role from among an initial pool of 75 applicants. And I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to Interim Vice President for Business and Finance Stacy Lewis, who faithfully and carefully stewarded our institution during the search. We are fortunate to benefit from the talents and dedication of a community that cares so deeply about our future.
The Gustafson family includes Brent's wife, Trina Niemi Gustafson, and their adult sons: Andy, 22, who lives and works in San Francisco, and Evan, 20, who is a student at the University of Oregon. Please join me in warmly welcoming them all to the USF community.
Kindly,
Salvador D. Aceves ’83, EdD ’95
President