Metropolitan State University of Denver has named Jim Carpenter as the University’s next chief financial officer. Carpenter joined MSU Denver in an interim capacity in January following the departure of George Middlemist, Ph.D.
Carpenter was selected for the permanent role following an external search that began in February. He accepted the position earlier this month and will officially begin in the role on April 1, 2023. He will continue to provide leadership, vision, oversight and strategic and financial planning for the University. In addition to leading the Accounting Services, Business Services, Students Accounts and the Office of Budget teams, he will continue developing the recently formed University Planning and Budget Advisory Committee and the University’s new decentralized budget process.
“In his short time with MSU Denver, Jim has made key strategic recommendations and decisions to drive the University toward even greater financial stability and long-term success,” said Larry Sampler, chief operating officer and vice president for Administration. “He has worked collaboratively across departments, offices and branches to improve and refine budget operations and processes, and already has delivered results and created value for the University.”
Prior to joining MSU Denver, Carpenter served in several roles as deputy and chief financial officer. He spent the past 4½ years with Denver Public Schools, where he served as CFO and Deputy Superintendent of Operations. Before joining DPS, he was with New America School, a system of local charter schools and the American School of Doha in Doha, Qatar. He was also employed as the resident budget advisor for the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Technical Assistance, where he provided technical support to government finance offices in Paraguay and Guatemala.
Carpenter, a Colorado native, comes from a long line of public-school teachers and workers. His grandmother, mother, sisters and wife have all served as public-school teachers, and his grandfather retired from DPS after a career in Facilities.
He earned his master’s degree in Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and his bachelor’s degree in History from the University of California at Berkeley.