Minnesota State Mankato Names Anne Gillespie Vice President for Finance and Facilities
Mankato, Minn. – Minnesota State University, Mankato President Edward Inch announced today that Anne Gillespie has been named vice president for finance and facilities at Minnesota State Mankato, effective Jan. 2, after a national search.
Gillespie is currently the vice president for business and finance and a cabinet member at Mount Mercy University in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, a position she has held since September 2018.
Inch said Gillespie’s experience demonstrates a powerful ability to create a culture of financial and administrative health and maximizing institutional assets.
“Anne brings with her a wealth of experience providing direction to operational and financial areas, as well as a passion for innovation and strategy,” said Inch. “I believe she will be a great addition to our University.”
As Minnesota State Mankato’s vice president for finance and facilities, Gillespie will serve as a member of the president’s cabinet and be responsible for the management of the University’s budget, financial and business affairs. She will oversee offices and units within Finance & Facilities, Business Services, Student Financial Services, Budget and Contracts and Facilities Management, and she will also serve as liaison to University Dining Services.
Gillespie joins Minnesota State Mankato after serving higher education institutions in finance, administration and business services positions for nearly 30 years.
In her current position at Mount Mercy University, Gillespie is responsible for fiscal oversight of a $35 million annual operating budget, $34 million endowment and additional restricted funds. Her responsibilities include ensuring the fiscal integrity of the institution, leading campus operations and advising the president and board on financial results and trends.
While serving as vice president for business and finance for the past five years, Gillespie has also served as Mount Mercy’s acting CIO (January 2019 to present) and interim vice president of enrollment and marketing (June 2020-September 2021).
Prior to her current position at Mount Mercy University, Gillespie was campus/market president from 2015-2017 for Kaplan University/Kaplan, Inc., in Indianapolis.
Gillespie served the University of Phoenix/Apollo Group, Inc., in various positions from 1994-2013, including three vice president positions in Indianapolis from 2006-2013.
Gillespie earned Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Business Administration – Finance degrees from the University of Iowa.
Gillespie will succeed Rick Straka, Minnesota State Mankato’s current vice president for finance and administration, who announced in June that he will retire Feb. 6 from the University. Straka has served in his current position at Minnesota State Mankato since 2006, and he has served the Minnesota State system since 1987.
Minnesota State Mankato, a comprehensive university with 14,635 students, is part of the Minnesota State system, which includes 30 colleges and seven universities.
