To: Faculty, Staff, and Students
From: President Ashish Vaidya
Date: 12/07/21
Subject: Announcing the Interim Vice President for Administration & Finance/CFO
It is my pleasure to announce Mr. Benjamin Figueroa as the interim Vice President for Administration & Finance/CFO effective January 1, 2022.
Given Mike Hales’ departure this month, it was important to have an interim appointment in place to guide the critical resource and budget development that lies ahead in the spring semester. Ben’s appointment is for sixth months while we conduct the search for a permanent Vice President for Administration & Finance/CFO.
Ben has over 30 years of experience in higher education finance in the California State University System office, Cal State LA and more recently at Hartnell Community College District as their Vice President for Administrative Services and Chief Business Officer. He also worked at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles– a teaching hospital of the University of Southern California as the Associate Vice President of Research Administration overseeing compliance requirements, pre-award proposal submissions, fiscal post-award, research facilities development and maintenance and intellectual property requirements. As Financing and Program Manager in the CSU System Chancellor’s Office, he was responsible for bond financing for the construction of new campus facilities, and oversight for University auxiliary organizations (501c3 organizations) created for the purpose of serving campuses such as Foundations, Student Union Associations, Child Care Centers, Housing Corporations and Food Enterprise Activities, among others. He recently retired from Hartnell College and has since been doing consulting work, most recently facilitating a start-up, helping with patent development, and leading the dissolution of a 501 (c)(3) organization.
Ben and I worked together when I was Provost at Cal State LA where he served as my Director of Academic Finances/Resources directing the administration and finances of the Academic Affairs Division, including 6 colleges and the University Library.
Ben resides in Pasadena, California with his wife of 30 years, Marion Chew Figueroa. They have 3 adult children. Kevin is currently pursuing his doctorate in applied physics at the University of Arizona, his sister Samantha recently completed her Master’s in medical devise engineering at Keck Institute, and her twin sister Emily is now finishing her Master’s in education at George Washington University.
Ben was a first generation college student completing his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Cal State LA and a Master’s in Public Administration from Cal State Long Beach. He has also completed the Institute for Educational Management program at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education and the Stanford University/ Western Association of College and Universities Business Officers (WACUBO) Executive Leadership and Management Institute.
Please join me in welcoming Ben Figueroa to NKU.
Sincerely,
Ashish Vaidya
