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| Randy Howard |
Ball State’s top money manager will leave later this year to return to his first passion — aeronautics.
Randy Howard, vice president for business affairs and treasurer, accepted a position as senior vice president and chief financial officer at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
Embry-Riddle is a non-profit private university specializing in aviation and aerospace with two campuses, one in Florida and one in Arizona. The Florida campus, which is where Howard is headed, has approximately 4,600 undergraduates.
One of Howard’s most pertinent jobs as head of business affairs is working with Ball State’s president to make sure the university continues to receive funding from the state that helps keep tuition low.
With Howard leaving and incoming President Paul Ferguson starting Aug. 1, Ball State’s future for grants is somewhat uncertain.
But Howard doesn’t see his role as terribly important to the process.
“At the end of the day, [Gora and I] may have been the two that were talking, but we were talking about what Ball State is doing great,” he said. “Sure, the new people will have the learning curve, but they will have the same great story to tell.”
During his time as treasurer, Ball State was the victim of a fraud scheme that totaled $13 million in university funds. Howard said neither the fraud nor the publicity that followed had an effect on his decision to leave.
Howard’s move to Embry-Riddle on Sept. 2 returns him to his original life career, which began with the United States Air Force.
“I was just interested in how something that big could fly,” he said.
He broke into higher education when he worked as the chief financial officer at the Air Force University.
“I have always viewed finance as not the end game, [but] the way you use resources to achieve a mission,” he said. “And I like the mission of higher education.”
Rick Hall, Board of Trustees chairman, said in a statement that he appreciated Howard’s work cutting costs and work to create the university’s geothermal project that recently replaced Ball State’s coal fire boilers.
“I want to thank him for his service and wish him the best in his new endeavor,” he said.
Howard skirted the compliment, saying the project and much of the work he is praised for were collaborations between several people.
“Business affairs, like the entire university, has a lot of really good people working for it,” he said. “And I appreciate the things they have done that make me look good when really, it is them.”
As the search for someone to fill his place begins, Howard said he hopes Ball State will continue along the trajectory that has allowed it to become the university it is today.
“It is great to see places that are focused on transferring and creating new information,” he said.
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