Pacific University Selects Jim Langstraat as Vice President for Finance & Administration
Pacific University President Lesley Hallick announced today that Jim Langstraat has been selected to lead the university's Finance & Administration division as vice president.
Langstraat has spent the past six and half years at Portland Community College, including the last three as its vice president of finance and administration.
At PCC, Langstraat has led all facets of the college's fiscal and administrative management, including investments, debt management, accounting, budgeting, business strategy, information technology, facilities management, risk management, public safety and auxiliary services.
"On behalf of the university and our Board of Trustees, I am delighted to welcome Jim Langstraat to Pacific," Hallick said. "Jim's administration style and vision strongly align with our values of financial sustainability, shared governance and social justice here at Pacific. His demonstrated ability at PCC to lead by simplifying complex information for a diverse group of stakeholders set him apart from a truly outstanding pool of candidates."
Langstraat has served on the President's Cabinet at PCC, where he helped navigate the college's educational, economic, political and social environments. Additionally, he co-chaired both the college's Facilities Plan Committee and its College Policy Advisory Committee and has also chaired the Strategic Investment Council.
As Facilities Plan Committee co-chair, Langstraat has provided guidance to PCC's long-term physical and operating needs for a changing educational environment that spans four comprehensive campus locations and many additional locations.
Additionally, he has also consistently delivered a balanced biennial budget in a time of declining overall enrollment. He has developed five-year financial plan and established a framework for long-range planning, and restructured outstanding debt that saved the college an estimated $10 million.
Langstraat has written several PCC policies on investing, debt management and operations, and has been responsible for the college's recently improved bond rating of Aa1 from Moody's to AA+ from Standard and Poor's.
Among many other accomplishments are his successful formation of unit change teams to promote a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion, and their incorporation into the college's strategic and planning goals and budget planning processes.
Langstraat has led successful search committees for several key position openings at PCC in the areas of financial services, facilities, public safety and risk management. Additionally, he has implemented successful plans for technology infrastructure enhancement and improved food service offerings with an emphasis on local and healthy products. He has also delivered a plan for managed print services that has resulted in an estimated annual savings of more than $750,000.
Prior to his time at PCC, Langstraat served as chief financial officer for the North Clackamas School District (2006-2012). He came to Oregon from Waterloo, Iowa, where he served as executive director of administrative services and board treasurer for the Waterloo Community School District (2002-2006). Prior to that, he completed a six-year stint as finance director for the Norwalk Community School District.
Langstraat entered the education sector in 1991 as an accounting manager for the Cedar Rapids Community School District after serving as a senior auditor for the State of Iowa for seven years.
He holds an MBA from the University of Iowa and earned his bachelor's degree in accounting from Central College in Pella, Iowa. His professional credentials include that of certified public accountant (inactive), certified managerial accountant (inactive) and certified government finance manager (inactive).
Langstraat's main activities outside of work are spending quality time with his wife, Lisa, and their extended family, cooking, gardening, traveling, and enjoying their dogs. He competed in wrestling as a student-athlete at Central College and collegiate wrestling remains his favorite sport.
Langstraat begins his appointment at Pacific on Monday, Oct. 1.