J. Michael Gower Receives Top National Honor

J. Michael Gower, executive vice president, chief financial officer, and university treasurer at Rutgers

Rutgers' Financial chief named NACUBO 2024 Distinguished Business Officer

J. Michael Gower, executive vice president, chief financial officer, and university treasurer at Rutgers, was awarded the top honor for university chief administrative and financial officers by the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO).

Gower received the 2024 Distinguished Business Officer Award on Sunday in Chicago recognizing his extensive contributions to higher education at the annual meeting of NACUBO, the nonprofit professional organization representing chief administrative and financial officers at more than 1,700 colleges and universities across the United States.

"This award is NACUBO's highest honor recognizing an exemplary leader whose work has had significant positive impact on advancing business and finance administration in higher education and on our association," said Kara D. Freeman, NACUBO president and chief executive officer.

Gower, who joined Rutgers in 2013, is responsible for the university's financial management, planning, procurement, strategic administrative systems initiatives, enterprise risk management, university enrollment operations and ethics and compliance. He oversees human resources and information technology through the respective senior vice presidents.

In announcing the award, NACUBO cited Gower's leadership in the large-scale integration of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey into Rutgers in 2013 and his reputation as a thought leader in higher education.

"I am grateful to be honored by my peers who share the challenges in this highly rewarding field as we work to advance the economic vitality of our higher education institutions so they can fulfill their vital missions to students and society," Gower said.

Prior to Rutgers, Gower was vice president for business affairs and chief financial officer at Yeshiva University, vice president for finance and administration and university treasurer at the University of Vermont, and a higher education management consultant for PricewaterhouseCoopers. He held earlier accounting and financial management roles at Cornell University and Duke University.

"This national recognition of Mike Gower is well-earned," said President Jonathan Holloway. "Rutgers is fortunate to have Mike's unmatched expertise and longtime leadership to help us chart a financially sustainable future as we continue to provide an exceptional education for our students."

Gower has served on the NACUBO Board of Directors and as chair for the regional association EACUBO, the Eastern Association of College and University Business Officers, among many other leadership roles in the past 25 years. He was the former chair of the Research Universities Council for NACUBO, was a member of NACUBO's Board of Directors and chaired its Committee on the Effective Use of Analytics. He was the recipient of NACUBO's Professional Development Award in 2008 and EACUBO's Distinguished Service Award in 2019. He was a member of TIAA's Advisory Council and he is currently a member of the Scholar Rescue Fund Selection Committee of the Institute for International Education.

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