Mary Messina Remmler, senior vice president and chief financial officer (SVP-CFO) at the University of Delaware, has resigned, UD President Dennis Assanis announced today. 

“During her nine years at UD, Mary Remmler has played a significant role in our financial operations and long-term strategic planning,” Assanis said. “Her leadership has been instrumental in the success of several key initiatives, as well as the effective management of the University’s budget and finances, even during periods of great uncertainty. We are grateful for Mary’s many contributions and commitment to this institution, and we wish her continued success in her next chapter.”

Units reporting to the SVP-CFO include Accounting, Treasury Services, Investments, Procurement, Risk Management, Taxation and Tax Compliance, Auxiliaries, Budget, Planning and Analysis, Institutional Research and Effectiveness, and Decision Support. With the departure of the SVP-CFO and the earlier announced departure of the EVP, the finance and operations portfolios will be consolidated under a sole EVP that will be identified through a national search.   

A member of the University’s senior administration since 2016, Remmler has served as SVP-CFO since 2022. Her expertise in strategic planning and analysis has been key to helping the University navigate significant budgetary challenges. “While I am stepping down from my role as Senior VP, I am incredibly proud of the contributions I've made and the progress we've achieved together, and grateful to President Assanis and the Board of Trustees for their continued support,” Remmler said. “I am confident that the team is well-positioned to continue this success, and I am excited to see what the future holds for the University of Delaware. My family and I will always be Blue Hens.”

Throughout her tenure at UD, Remmler has managed the University’s strategic, budgetary and financial resources. She played a key leadership role in several critical areas, particularly connecting the University’s strategic plan with needed financial resources. She has led institution-wide initiatives to develop multi-year, multi-fund financial plans and forecasts, annual budgets and appropriate financial reporting.

Remmler helped develop a multipronged approach to enhance fiscal transparency and foster a culture of operational excellence, with an emphasis on proactive response to budget challenges while still meeting educational priorities. These included balancing cost mitigation with revenue growth; minimizing cost and risk; and optimizing facilities use.

Working closely with the president, provost, executive vice president and other senior leaders, she integrated multi-year enrollment strategies and plans for revenue generation with multiyear budget projections; streamlined UD’s capital planning and financing procedures; reimagined administrative spaces and repurposed several student support spaces; and enabled a fresh look at organizational units and staff hiring plans.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Remmler worked to ensure the University’s academic continuity while addressing the accompanying financial challenges by developing cost-cutting and containment strategies.

Remmler came to UD in 2016 as vice president for strategic planning and analysis, with responsibility for identifying emerging trends and implementing data-driven strategic initiatives.

Previously, she served as associate vice president for academic budget and financial planning at Stony Brook University, where she held several administrative and financial planning posts over 26 years. 

She holds an undergraduate degree in history and a master of science degree in management policy, both from Stony Brook.