Central College President Mark Putnam has announced his appointment of Karen Tumlinson as vice president for finance and administration and treasurer of the college.

Tumlinson is currently the division director of finance and operations (division chief financial officer) for the University of North Texas at Denton. She will begin duties in Pella by the end of May. Since 2019, Tumlinson has been overseeing all finances and administrative functions for digital strategy and innovation, which is responsible for academic information technology, online programs, digital growth and enterprise programs for the institution.

Tumlinson and husband, James, will be relocating from Marana, Arizona. She will replace Central’s current vice president for finance and administration/treasurer, Tom Johnson, who announced his planned retirement last fall. Johnson will assist in the transition and complete his time at Central on May 31, 2022.

Johnson was at the helm during Central’s transition to a new pricing strategy that brought transparency to the market and positioned Central to be as affordable as the state’s public institutions. He helped refinance the college’s long-term debt into an unprecedented low fixed rate through the United States Department of Agriculture, and also saw the endowment grow from $78 million, at the start of his time at Central in 2015, to $91 million in 2022.

Johnson spearheaded Central’s successful $18 million expansion and renovation of P.H. Kuyper Gymnasium, a $2.2 million phase one renovation of Douwstra Auditorium, the relocation and renovation of facilities management offices and workspaces, and various other campus projects, including upgrades and replacement of the college’s steam pipes.