On Dec. 4, 2023, Brent Gustafson began his appointment as OSU’s Associate Vice President for Budget and Resource Planning. With nearly twenty-five years of experience in budgeting and financial management in both public and private higher education leadership roles, Brent brings strong analytical and strategic financial skills and experience to OSU. Brent’s collaborative, transparent and inclusive approach to budget policy, strategy and execution is a tremendous asset as the university works to advance its bold new strategic plan.
In his role as vice president for finance and administration at Hamline University, Brent has been responsible for collaborating to develop financial strategies and multi-year budget plans, working with university leadership and its Board of Trustees to navigate the challenges of a private university in the current higher education environment. Previously, he served for ten years as the chief financial officer for the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Minnesota, which has a budget model similar to OSU, where he oversaw a $270 million budget, led 35 finance staff and coordinated with 500 faculty to support nearly 15,000 students.
Prior to his career in higher education, Brent was budget director for Dakota County, Minnesota, the state’s third largest county, where he helped redesign the budget process around County Board priorities and strategic objectives. He also improved financial practices at the county, which helped obtain an upgraded credit rating. Brent also served in leadership roles in both the executive and legislative branches of Minnesota state government, shaping and managing the budget development process and serving as a strategic advisor to state policy makers. Brent earned his Master’s degree in Public Policy at Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government and holds a B.A. in Political Science and Social Studies from Hamline University.