After 24 years at the school, University of Minnesota Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer Richard Pfutzenreuter will retire in June, according to an email President Eric Kaler sent to faculty and staff on Thursday.
During his time at the University, Pfutzenreuter worked with four different University presidents across a handful of positions.
Pfutzenreuter initially served as an associate vice president for budget and finance from 1992 to 2004. He started working as the University’s chief financial officer in 1998 and the treasurer in 2000. Pfutzenreuter was appointed to the vice president position in 2004.
Pfutzenreuter played a key role in bringing the football program back to campus, financing the Biomedical Discovery District’s research buildings and funding construction for the University of Minnesota Health Clinical and Surgery Center, which will open later this month, according to the email.
Throughout his 40-year public service career, Pfutzenreuter held various positions with the State of Minnesota, including fiscal staff director of the Minnesota House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee.
“Fitz never shied away from a tough task, never ran from a question and always took the time to help students, faculty and staff understand the finances of the University,” Kaler said in the email. “Somehow, he was always able to make what seemed complicated into something we could all understand.”
He will officially step down on June 30, the email said.