Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Brett Padgett serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. In this role, Padgett oversees the financial well-being of Syracuse University, working closely with Chancellor Syverud to proactively position the University to navigate a dynamic financial landscape, optimize resources and investments, and align the budget model in support of the University’s core mission of academic excellence.
Prior to joining the University, Padgett served as Associate Vice President for Finance at the University of Chicago. In this position, Padgett was responsible for accounting and financial reporting, financial planning and analysis, payroll and human resource services, procurement and payment services, and treasury. While at the University of Chicago, he also served as Interim Vice President and Chief Financial Officer from July 2021 to April 2022.
Prior to his career in higher education, Padgett was an investment banker for more than two decades, handling complex municipal financings throughout the Midwest and Pacific Northwest. He worked with clients in higher education, transportation, water and sewer, public power, stadiums and arenas, convention centers, hotels, chemical plants, and public-private partnerships. During this time, Padgett was employed at Citigroup and JPMorgan/Banc One Capital Markets, and he previously served in the U.S. Navy as a lieutenant in Special Operations.
Padgett earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame and a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.
Cynthia Carnahan is the Assistant Vice President, Budget and Planning, a role she took on in an interim capacity in September 2021. She had previously served in the interim role from June 2016 to February 2017. She is responsible for managing the University’s resources, leading the annual budgeting process, and collaborating with leaders to set the University’s overall financial strategy.
Cyn’s career at Syracuse University began in 1999 in the Comptroller’s Office as the Manager of Financial Reporting. After three years in that position, she moved to the Office of Budget and Planning in 2002, where she has now spent 20 years in various roles. Prior to her appointment as Interim Assistant Vice President, she had been named the department’s Executive Director in 2021.
Cyn earned a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Syracuse University and a Bachelor of Science in accounting from LeMoyne College.
Real Estate and Asset Management
Joe Fetter is the Associate Vice President for Real Estate and Asset Management. The real estate unit is charged with all administrative and management duties and record-keeping functions relating to Syracuse University-owned and leased real property, administration of the Live Local program, coordination, and payment of property taxes, filing of appropriate real property tax exemption applications, and renewal forms, and provides oversight of the management of University-owned Marshall Square Mall, local University-owned residential rental properties, the Phoebe’s Restaurant property at 900 East Genesee Street, and the ground leases for private student housing ventures.
Joe joined the University in 2019 as the Associate Director for Real Estate and Asset Management. Prior to his time at Syracuse, Joe was a vice president at Corvias, where he worked with higher education clients to structure complex public-private partnership infrastructure solutions to address the particular needs of each campus.
Jean Gallipeau serves as the University’s Comptroller. Her department supports the University’s mission of teaching, learning, and research by providing proper stewardship of its assets with focus on effective accounting systems and processes to monitor and assess the financial position and internal controls of the University and its affiliates. She oversees a wide range of departments within finance including Accounts Payable, Construction Accounting, Financial Reporting, Financial Systems Management, General Accounting, Purchasing, Payroll, Restricted Gift Accounting, Sponsored Accounting, and Tax Reporting.
Prior to her appointment as the University’s Comptroller in 2014, Jean served as the Associate Comptroller for the University for two years. Jean’s prior experiences also include Senior Audit Manager for KPMG, Finance Director for Central New York Regional Transportation Center, and Controller for Carrier United Technologies Corporation. Jean holds a CPA license, as well as a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Maryland and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from LeMoyne College.
Scott Kemp is the Treasurer at Syracuse University, and is responsible for the areas of Debt Management, Capital Planning, Cash Management, Investment Administration and Accounting, and Endowment Management. The staff in the Treasurer’s Office works closely with various University constituencies to support the academic mission of the University by providing superior treasury and operational services to the campus community.
Scott first joined the Office of the Treasurer in 2009 as assistant treasurer and has served as associate treasurer since 2014. He earned a B.S. in Accounting from SUNY Geneseo and an MBA from LeMoyne College. Scott is a certified treasury professional (CTP), certified public accountant (CPA), and certified management accountant (CMA).
Institutional Risk and Audit Services
Utibe Offiong is the Associate Vice President and Chief Risk Officer of Institutional Risk and Audit Services and began her tenure at Syracuse in May 2019. Her work includes evaluating and improving the overall effectiveness of the University’s risk management and controls process, and advising senior management and the Audit Committee of the Board of Trustees on the adequacy and effectiveness of the University’s systems and controls. As the University’s executive for internal audit, Utibe is additionally responsible for developing and overseeing an annual internal audit plan aimed at: 1) Systemically assessing internal controls in the University and its corresponding units, and 2) Mitigating risks through audits and recommendations of best practices.
Offiong comes to Syracuse from Brown University, where she served as Chief University Auditor for 11 years. Utibe earned her MBA in business administration from Northeastern University, and holds a BS in Business Administration from the same university.
Campus Facilities, Administration and Services
Pete Sala is the Vice President and Chief Campus Facilities Officer and serves as the Managing Director of the Carrier Dome. Pete is responsible for planning, design, construction, and renovation of the University’s facilities; Housing and Food Services maintenance; Physical Plant operations; Grounds maintenance; Custodial Services; Energy Systems and Sustainability Management, Steam Station, and Chilled Water operations; Mail and Materials Distribution Services as well as oversight of the day-to-day operations of the Carrier Dome. He distributes a Monthly Construction Communication Update to provide the campus community with timely information regarding facilities planning and progress.
Pete began his career at the University in 1982 after attending Morrisville College and the University of Massachusetts.
Christine Stallmann is the University’s Chief Compliance Officer. She is responsible for oversight and coordination of the University’s compliance program. She works in close coordination with the University’s Internal Audit and Enterprise Risk Management teams to provide the University with a comprehensive risk assurance program. Christine is tasked with assessing the University’s current institutional compliance initiatives and leads the establishment of a comprehensive and enterprise-wide compliance program for the University.
Stallmann received a bachelor’s degree in safety science from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a master’s degree in Hazardous Waste and Management from Southern Methodist University. She holds certificates from Carnegie Mellon University and the Harvard Kennedy School of Business. She began her career at Syracuse in 2023.