Aaron Mitchell

Dr. Aaron Mitchell, PhD, MPA, CPA, brings two decades of experience, including more than 15 years in financial leadership roles in higher education and municipal government organizations. He has held executive roles at public research universities, managing multi-million-dollar budgets, leading cross-functional teams, and guiding long-term financial strategies.

Most recently, Dr. Mitchell served as Senior Vice President for Administration, Finance, and Operations at Wichita State University, where he oversaw nine departments and more than 600 employees, including finance, human resources, IT, facilities, and campus safety. Prior to that, he was Associate Vice President for Financial Services at Montana State University, providing financial oversight across its four-campus system, including responsibility for accounting, accounts payable, procurement, shared services, treasury management, debt financing, and student accounts.

Earlier in his career, he served as a municipal finance director in rapid growth environments in both eastern and western North Dakota and as the controller in the North Dakota University System’s Office of Core Technology Services.

Dr. Mitchell earned his PhD in Education, Health, and Behavior Studies and a Master of Public Administration from the University of North Dakota, as well as a Bachelor of Science with majors in Business Administration and Accounting from North Dakota State University. He is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in both Montana and North Dakota and a NACUBO Fellow.