Elizabeth Milavec will join the University on December 1 as associate vice president for financial operations and controller. Vice President for Administration and Finance & CFO Holly Crawford announced Milavec’s appointment following a national search. She assumes leadership in Central Finance following Douglas Wylie’s retirement this past summer.
Milavec is coming to Rochester from Pittsburgh where she served as associate vice president for finance and controller at Carnegie Mellon University for the past decade. She joined Carnegie Mellon in 2004 as director of financial reporting and taxation, became associate controller the same year, and two years later was promoted to her most recent position. She was responsible for the development, implementation, communication and enforcement of university financial accounting, policies, compliance, and internal controls, including the preparation of financial and tax statements.
Reporting to Crawford, Milavec will serve as the primary administrative officer responsible for planning, developing, directing and maintaining the University’s systems of accounting, financial reporting and financial internal controls. She will provide oversight and direction to several units in Central Finance, including financial reporting, general accounting, financial systems support, sponsored research accounting and costing standards, payroll and taxes, as well as the bursar’s office. She will be a member of Crawford’s senior financial team and work closely with the University’s external auditors.
“Liz is a seasoned financial professional who will be able to partner with me and the senior financial officers across the institution to bring the finance organization to the next level of stewardship and service,” said Crawford. “She is known not only for her technical expertise, but also for her ability to develop and mentor teams, a collaborative work style, and high levels of integrity, enthusiasm and energy.”
Before moving into higher education, she was a senior manager at KPMG in Pittsburgh for 12 years. She is a CPA and graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Robert Morris University.
