Linfield University President Miles K. Davis announced Monday that Michael Wenz has agreed to become the university’s vice president for finance and administration and chief financial officer starting Nov. 1.
Wenz has served as the executive director of university budgets at Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU) since 2019. Wenz holds a Ph.D. in economics from University of Illinois at Chicago and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Miami University.
At Linfield, he will oversee a $60 million budget, as well as financial services, environmental health and safety, facilities administration, human resources and information technology services.
“I’m very happy Dr. Wenz has agreed to join our leadership team,” said Linfield President Miles K. Davis. “His academic and professional experience, not to mention depth of understanding about higher education, will be invaluable as we navigate an exciting future full of change and opportunity.”
As executive director of university budgets at NEIU, Wenz provides leadership and oversight to more than $150 million in university spending annually. In addition, Wenz is an associate professor in the NEIU Department of Economics. He teaches courses in micro- and macroeconomics.
“Linfield combines an extremely strong tradition with a recognition that student demographics and higher education are changing rapidly,” Wenz said. “I see a real opportunity to connect that strength and tradition with new generations of students and former students looking for lifelong-learning opportunities. Making those connections requires a strong financial plan and efficient operations, and I am excited about the chance to make an impact.”
Prior to NEIU, Wenz was an assistant professor of economics at Winona State University. He has held visiting academic appointments at the Warsaw School of Economics, Czestochowa University of Technology and University of Illinois at Chicago.
Wenz’s academic research revolves around the economics of casino gambling, sport and education. He has written more than a dozen articles published in academic journals, and contributed chapters to multiple books.
Before entering higher education, Wenz worked in the private sector as senior financial analyst at STATS Fantasy Sports and a regional financial manager at a security company.
He will be joined in Oregon by his wife, Kristy and two children.
Linfield University is an independent, nonprofit university with two physical campuses in McMinnville and Portland, Oregon, and an eCampus. Since 1858, Linfield has connected a traditional liberal arts experience with practical education through 57 majors, including wine studies, sport management and nursing. Linfield also offers interdisciplinary graduate degrees in business, nursing, education and sports sciences. For three years running, U.S. News & World Report magazine has named Linfield one of the top liberal arts colleges in the nation when it comes to social mobility. Thirty-two percent of Linfield students are first-generation college students, and more than one-third are U.S. students of color. Linfield competes in the NCAA Division III Northwest Conference. Learn more at www.linfield.edu.
