Texas Tech University System Announces New Vice Chancellor

LUBBOCK, TX – James Mauldin has been named vice chancellor and chief financial officer (CFO) of the Texas Tech University System (TTU System), Chancellor Tedd L. Mitchell, M.D., announced Thursday (Nov. 10). Mauldin will begin his appointment on Jan. 2, 2023 

A proven finance and strategic organizational leader of more than 25 years, Mauldin arrives at the TTU System Administration after serving as vice president of treasury management for the Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) International Airport and a tenure at the University of North Texas System (UNT System) as associate vice chancellor for treasury and as interim CFO.

“James is an established leader who brings a dynamic skill set in finance, investments, treasury and debt management with a successful background in higher education, international transportation and municipalities,” said Mitchell. “His diverse experience, servant-leadership mentality and collaborative nature have led to an expertise that is unique and will be greatly beneficial to the Texas Tech University System. We are fortunate to have James join our system family and look forward to his many contributions ahead.”

Mauldin will coordinate the TTU System’s $2.65 billion operating budget and will be responsible for the overall financial strength and stability of the system. He also will oversee multiple offices, services and administrative functions, including Investments, Treasury, Accounting and Reporting, Risk Management, Equal Opportunity and Information Technology.

“It is a sincere honor to join Chancellor Mitchell’s executive leadership team at the Texas Tech University System,” said Mauldin. “I’m excited about and appreciate the opportunity to join a talented work family with a values-based culture, as well as to partner collaboratively with the highly respected CFO leaders across the component institutions of the system and many professionals at the TTU System Administration.” 

Mauldin most recently served as vice president of treasury management for DFW International Airport since 2019, where he was responsible for the defined benefit and defined contribution pension, debt portfolio, grants, banking and investments operations. His team led eight bond issues totaling more than $5 billion during the COVID-19 pandemic and implemented a commercial paper program for the airport, which ranked as the No. 2 busiest airport in the world in 2021 with more than 62 million passengers. 

He served in a critical leadership role during his four-year tenure at the UNT System as associate vice chancellor for treasury and later in the interim CFO position. His notable contributions include centralizing key functions for the university system, generating incremental investment returns and implementing a strategic capital planning model. 

From 2008 to 2015, Mauldin served a pair of municipalities as the director of finance/CFO at the City of Cedar Hill – a suburb in Dallas County – and as treasurer and assistant director of finance for the City of Fort Worth, which is the county seat in Tarrant County.

Mauldin has taught in higher education since 2009 as an adjunct finance professor at Dallas Baptist University, his alma mater, where he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in finance.

He has made significant contributions to volunteer boards and military organizations as a member of the TexSTAR advisory board, Cedar Hill Economic Development Corporation board and six years of service with the U.S. Navy Reserves (logistics).

Mauldin is a certified public accountant (CPA) by the Texas Board of Public Accountancy and is a certified treasury professional by the Association for Financial Professionals.

Mauldin succeeds Gary Barnes, who announced his retirement earlier this year after a 45-year career, which included serving the TTU System as vice chancellor and CFO for more than five years. Penny Harkey, CFO and executive vice president of finance and operations at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, has served as the interim vice chancellor and CFO throughout the search for a permanent replacement since April.