Dear Students,
I am pleased to announce that Mr. Fernando Bucaro has accepted our offer to serve as the Chief Financial Officer for Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, effective Feb. 19, 2024. As you may be aware, Mr. James Bedtke, who graciously agreed to serve in the interim CFO role after former EVP/CFO Mr. Ben Murray announced his departure, will be returning to the position of vice president for facilities. This will allow for a seamless onboarding process with Mr. Bucaro this spring. Mr. Bedtke provided reassurance during this transition, and I want to express my deep appreciation for his work and institutional knowledge. During a time of change and adaptation, I was extremely pleased with our ability to pivot and maintain a clear eye on our future. All of you allowed this successful transition, and I want to thank you.
In the midst of significant industry changes and acute financial challenges, I am gratified that, through prayerful discernment, we identified a leader with both the depth and breadth of experience managing financial affairs inside and outside higher education. Mr. Bucaro has come to know Saint Mary’s and believes in our Lasallian Catholic mission. While we were able to engage this process swiftly, we were also able to be intentional and review dozens of individuals, resulting in five highly qualified candidates. These five were taken through an intensive, internal review process of interviews, presentations, and critical question and answer sessions. Those discussions included senior administrators and academic leadership throughout the university.
The feedback from those who met with Mr. Bucaro affirmed the value of his depth and range of corporate and academic experiences. Those who met him were impressed with his financial acumen, extensive background in diverse industries, and desire to collaborate while moving efficiently and decisively. With a deep appreciation and regard for our Lasallian Catholic heritage (having had two children attend a Lasallian high school in the Twin Cities), he has a deep commitment to helping us address what we are facing in the higher education space coupled with a keen desire to understand what Saint Mary’s needs to do and be in terms of innovation and stewardship of resources that will allow us to thrive and flourish. I am ever grateful to Mr. Fernando Rosas and the team in human resources for facilitating this process so well and to the search chair and committee for following an excellent process and bringing a timely conclusion to the search. I also want to express my gratitude to all of our faculty and staff as we work together to engage in the necessary work to ensure a stable and sustainable financial and academic future for Saint Mary’s.
Finally, thank you in advance for warmly welcoming Mr. Bucaro to our Saint Mary’s family.
Live Jesus in our hearts, forever!
Father James P. Burns
