Myron Frans, U of M’s CFO, COO, to resign in March

The University of Minnesota will lose one of its top leaders this spring.

Interim President Jeff Ettinger announced Tuesday that Myron Frans is planning to step down from his role on March 1. Frans, who came to the U of M in 2020 after serving as the commissioner of Minnesota Management and Budget, is currently the senior vice president for finance and operations, chief financial officer, treasurer and chief operations officer.

Ettinger says Frans has agreed to serve as a senior advisor to the president in a part-time role focused on clinical partnerships related to academic medicine after he resigns.

“Myron has been our point person for academic health negotiations and I deeply appreciate his willingness to continue leadership in this realm over the next several months to ensure the best possible conclusion on this important effort. Related, Myron will continue to serve on the Fairview Health Services Board of Directors as a University designee during his role as Senior Advisor to the President,” Ettinger’s message to students, staff and faculty said.

Frans, like Ettinger, was one of four finalists for the university’s interim president role after Joan Gabel left last spring.

Ettinger says the university will launch a search for Frans’ successor “in the near future” but named Julie Tonneson, the university’s vice president and budget director, as the interim senior vice president for finance and operations, and Mike Volna, the university’s associate vice president and assistant chief financial officer, as the interim vice president and interim chief financial officer.

“I am confident in Julie and Mike’s ability to work as a team to ensure that all activities and responsibilities of the SVP Office are covered and am grateful for their willingness to take on additional responsibilities,” Ettinger said, adding that the U of M’s department of public safety and its health, safety and risk management units will temporarily report directly to him.