John Thelen of MSU’s Office of the Controller has been selected to participate in the 2025-26 cohort of the National Association of College and University Business Officers, or NACUBO, Emerging Leaders Program.
Targeted at finance and business professionals in higher education, the Emerging Leaders Program provides tools, resources and frameworks to enhance leadership, financial stewardship and strategic planning skills. As one of 78 participants in the program’s fifth-year cohort, Thelen will not only deepen his skill set but will have the invaluable opportunity to build connections with members representing 68 other NACUBO-member institutions.
“I am thrilled to announce the selection of assistant controller John Thelen to NACUBO’s Emerging Leaders Program,” said Lisa Frace, MSU senior vice president, chief financial officer and treasurer. “MSU Finance has been fortunate to have one or more team members join this prestigious program since its inception in 2021. The learnings and connections developed throughout directly contribute to our unit’s ability to be innovative and forward-thinking in how we support the university’s financial success.”
John Thelen serves as assistant controller, providing oversight and strategic direction for the Accounting, Financial Reporting, Tax Services, Travel and Finance Business Application Support functional teams. As a certified public accountant with more than 20 years of experience in the Office of the Controller, Thelen emphasizes a focus on data-driven financial decision making, backed by comprehensive analytics and forecast reporting. His role also oversees the year-end financial reporting and audit of the university’s annual financial report, in addition to ensuring compliance with generally accepted accounting principles, tax laws, regulations and federal record-keeping and reporting protocols on behalf of the university.
The 2025-26 NACUBO Emerging Leaders cohort, representing 69 higher education institutions across 31 states and Washington, D.C., will run through April 2026. The program is a key component of NACUBO’s ongoing professional development offerings for higher education finance and business professionals.
“It is wonderful to see so many aspiring business leaders committing to our immersive professional development program,” said NACUBO President and CEO Kara D. Freeman of the 2025-26 cohort. “We look forward to helping these Emerging Leaders grow in their leadership capabilities to take back to their institutions. The future of higher education is bright!”
