Welcome to the Office of the Vice President for Finance and Operations (VPFO). This administrative unit is responsible for the health, safety, operations and financial well-being of Michigan State University.
Dr. Fred Poston serves as vice president for finance and operations and treasurer for Michigan State University, and president of the Michigan State University Foundation. He served as interim Vice President for one year before being named vice president in December of 1999.
His responsibilities include oversight of 11 administrative units including business operations (contracts and grants – post award, controller, mail, purchasing, stores, risk management, licensing, surplus and recycling, and investments and financial management), campus administration and planning, campus sustainability, residential and hospitality services, human resources, land management (including on- and off-campus properties), police and public safety, and physical plant. The areas of libraries, computing, and technology, planning and budgets, and the University physician are jointly reporting units with the provost office.
During his tenure, he has led the development of an overall financial plan and framework that ensures for the long term health of the University, despite declining state resources and a depressed economy. He has kept student housing costs among the lowest in the Big Ten while pursuing an aggressive plan to update its facilities, reduce energy consumption, and revitalize campus development over the long term. He has directed efforts which have made Michigan State University a leader in environmental stewardship, building a state-of-the-art Recycling and Surplus Center and achieving a marked reduction waste destined for the landfill. Poston reduced significantly the deferred maintenance of the campus infrastructure and established an on-going process that directs timely corrective action on developing and future needs. He has also facilitated the enhancement of the University’s financial and human resource systems through the Enterprise Business Systems project.
With experience as an instructor, bench scientist, and administrator, Poston understands the land-grant principles necessary to manage the multiple facets of MSU’s finance office. Prior to his current position, Poston was vice provost and dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. In that role, he guided the $74.2 million Revitalization of Michigan Animal Agriculture project to completion, created the $6.2 million Project GREEEN (Generating Research and Extension to meet Economic and Environmental Needs—a program to revitalize Michigan’s plant agriculture industries), and developed the Partnership for Co-System Research and Management with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Great Lakes Fishery Commission. He also oversaw the construction of seven new facilities and raised more than $47 million for the college.
Poston received his bachelor's degree from West Texas State University and his graduate degrees in entomology from Iowa State University.
