Interim Senior Vice President for Finance and Operations Julie Tonneson came to the University of Minnesota in 1993 as a Budget Analyst and was consistently promoted throughout her career at the University to Assistant Budget Director, Budget Director, Associate Vice President and Budget Director, and most recently to Vice President and Budget Director. She will retain these duties as she serves as Interim Senior Vice President while a national search is underway.
Prior to joining the University, Julie served as the Executive Budget Officer for the State of Minnesota Department of Finance (currently Minnesota Management and Budget or MMB) and was responsible for coordinating and monitoring all aspects of Minnesota’s K-12 Education operating and capital budgets on behalf of the executive branch (Governor’s Office).
In her current position at the University, Julie has successfully built a systemwide budget office within the = University’s management structure that has gained the respect of academic and administrative unit leadership across the system. Through transparency and quality analysis, the credibility of the office has grown to enable productive budget processes that advance the strategic goals of the institution. As the nature of the higher education environment has evolved over time, Julie has played abmore visible leadership role and impact across the system, identifying more creativebways to enhance revenue streams and reduce costs. She plays a b critical leadership role at the University - from the annual operating budget, biennial budget request, and the budget model to the management of institutional-level financial activities and the Budget Office.
Julie holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and government from Augustana College in Sioux Falls, and a master’s degree in public affairs from the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota.