Marshall University President Brad D. Smith announced on October 5, that Matt Tidd will become Marshall’s new Chief Financial Officer effective November 7th. Tidd is a graduate of Hurricane High School with graduate and undergraduate degrees from WVU. Tidd, a licensed certified public accountant, worked for Mylan Pharmaceuticals and Marriott International before joining WVU in 2017 as chief university budget officer.
While at WVU, Tidd was responsible for the implementation of a new budgeting system that replaced a decades-old process across the institution.
The decision to hire Tidd came after a months-long search that brought “a pool of highly qualified candidates,” according to Smith.
“He has implemented a five-year planning model and has helped guide the transition to more incentive-based budgeting approaches,” Smith said. “These experiences are critical as we navigate our next chapters at Marshall University. An agile and enterprising leader, Matt will be a significant and important addition to Marshall’s administration.”
Smith said Tidd’s hiring comes after a national search. Marshall’s chief financial officer provides leadership to multiple offices and services in the Finance Department ranging from managing the budget down to student financial aid.
In a personal note to Tidd, WVU President Gordon Gee wrote, “I received a note from Brad Smith, the President of Marshall, who says he has stolen you from us to become CFO at Marshall. I wanted to first congratulate you and then tell you that yours is a real loss for our university. You have done marvelous work, and, for that, we are truly better, and I am grateful.
“I know this is a remarkable opportunity for you, so if I can be of any help or support to you during this time of transition, please count on me.
“Of course, we expect you to still wear blue and gold on all appropriate occasions at Marshall.”
Tidd replaces Mark Robinson, who informed the university of his decision to retire by the end of 2022. Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, announced in August that Robinson would be its new CFO, effective October 1st.
There, Robinson joins former Marshall University provost and now Lamar University President Jaime Taylor and former Marshall associate athletic director Jeff O’Malley, who is now serving as Lamar’s athletic director.
