The Catholic University of America has named Michael Zeleny as its new senior vice president and chief financial officer after a nationwide search. When he reports to the Washington, D.C., campus on September 9, Zeleny will bring with him over 25 years of experience in higher education leadership and administration.
In his previous role as Vice Chancellor for Business and Finance for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Zeleny led all financial, administrative, HR, operations, and public safety functions. The flagship campus of the University of Nebraska system, UNL has an overall budget of $1.6 billion and total enrollment of 23,600 students.
“I am thrilled to have Mike joining our leadership team,” said President Peter Kilpatrick. “He embodies the values we look for in leaders at The Catholic University of America: professional excellence, a collaborative and ‘can do’ spirit, and unwavering commitment to our Catholic mission.”
As CFO and COO, Zeleny will lead Catholic University’s budget and finance, HR, institutional research, treasury,and technology services departments, and will report directly to the president.
“Catholic University’s mission to integrate faith and reason in pursuit of the truth resonates deeply with me,” said Zeleny. “As a lifelong Catholic and an ardent believer in higher education, I am inspired by the opportunity to lead the financial strategy of the Church’s national university.”
Zeleny holds a bachelor of science in accounting and an MBA with a finance concentration, both from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
