Mary Washington hires admin/finance VP

The University of Mary Washington has hired Craig Erwin as vice president for administration and finance, effective Jan. 10.

Erwin replaces Paul Messplay, who retires on Jan. 20.

Erwin comes to UMW from Southwestern University, a private liberal arts college in Georgetown, Texas, where he was vice president for finance and administration and chief financial officer. While there, he oversaw the annual operating budget and was responsible for financial statements, tax returns and related functions. He led more than 100 employees in fields including human resources, information technology, facilities management and finance. He also handled risk management, legal and emergency response issues and facilitated the most recent campus master plan and financial strategic plan.

“Craig’s experience in the private sector can bring added value to UMW as we collectively navigate the university through a time of great change and a challenging market,” UMW president Troy Paino said in a news release.

Erwin majored in biomedical engineering at Louisiana Tech University and received his MBA from Texas Christian University. He also worked for Bellevue University in Nebraska.

“Both the University and Fredericksburg feel like a really good fit,” Erwin said, “a great place and position for the next phase of my professional career and also a wonderful community for my family to fully engage and enjoy life.”