John Loonan
Vice Chancellor, Finance and Administration
Finance and Administration
Email Address: jfloonan@uncg.edu
Bio
A seasoned higher education executive with more than 25 years of leadership experience across public higher education, research enterprises, government, and the private sector, Loonan brings deep expertise in financial stewardship, strategic planning, capital development, and organizational leadership.
Most recently, Loonan served as Executive Vice President for Business Affairs and Chief Financial Officer at the College of Charleston, where he has been a key member of the President’s executive staff since 2020. In this role, he has overseen the institution’s combined operating budget and provided executive leadership for budget and financial administration, human resources, facilities management and capital projects, auxiliary enterprises, public safety, internal audit, and procurement. He led the implementation of performance-based budget management and campus master planning initiatives and has played a central role in advancing employee success strategies as part of the institution’s strategic plan.
Previously, Loonan served as Vice President for Administration and Finance at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania and as Vice President for Finance and Fiscal Management at the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (SUNY Polytechnic), where he led financial operations supporting a rapidly expanding, $200+ million research enterprise and managed complex public-private partnerships and capital financings exceeding $200 million. His earlier career includes senior financial leadership roles with the New York Army National Guard and Affiliated Computer Services, Inc., where he managed large-scale budgets, contracts, and operational systems.
Loonan holds an M.B.A. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a B.B.A. in Accounting from Siena College, and completed the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Institute for Educational Management. He is a Certified Defense Financial Manager and a retired member of the New York Army National Guard, where he served for 23 years in both enlisted and officer roles.