Tony Wagner, Clemson University’s executive vice president for finance and operations and chief operating officer, announced that he is leaving Clemson to take a new position at the University of Utah.
Wagner’s resignation, which will go into effect on May 1, was announced in a press release published Feb. 5.
Wagner has been named chief financial officer at the University of Utah, where he will take the place of Cathy Anderson, the current chief financial officer, and will work together with Jeff Labrum, the University of Utah chief operating officer, according to an article by Upstate Today. The reason for his departure from Clemson is currently unknown.
Wagner has been a faculty member at Clemson for the past six years and has worked alongside Clemson’s executive leadership team and the University’s business systems to improve its finances. He played a large role in Clemson’s advancement to the strongest bond rating, an AA+ from the S&P Global bond rating scale, according to an article by Clemson News.
Additionally, Wagner currently serves as a deacon at Saint Andrew Catholic Church in downtown Clemson.
Wagner has worked to implement numerous contributions at Clemson, including successful financial strategies and the strengthening of business infrastructure for Clemson’s long-term plans, amounting to over $1 billion in facility development.
He also played a large role in handling the University’s current expenditure management mode, which has assisted in maintaining the freeze on in-state tuition rates for the past five years, Wagner told The Tiger in a previous article. Facilitated by Wagner, this expenditure management mode is currently focused on “mission-critical” projects, specifically to make room for the growing number of students at Clemson, as The Tiger previously reported.
Wagner is originally from Franklin County, Pennsylvania, and earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Pennsylvania State University, as well as a master’s degree in educational leadership and policy at Temple University.
Later, he held faculty positions as the chief financial officer at Temple University and the executive vice president of finance at Augusta University. Wagner then took a job as the deputy secretary of budget and deputy state treasurer for Pennsylvania’s state government. He also worked as a deep-sea diver for the United States Navy, also mentioned in Clemson University’s division of finance and operations website.
Wagner provided an update on new financial plans, such as a possible enlargement project for the fire department with a value of $4.8 million and tuition amounts for Clemson’s veterinary school, to the board of trustees on Feb. 6.
The University expressed its appreciation of Tony Wagner’s impact at Clemson and wished him the best in his future endeavors at the University of Utah.
