Meet Deana Warner, Vice President for Finance and Facilitiles/CFO

Published Saturday, August 22, 2026

Deana Warner

When Deana (DEE-nuh) Warner arrived at Southwest Minnesota State University, she brought nearly three decades of financial leadership experience with her. She also arrived a deep appreciation for higher education and an immediate sense that she had found a place where she could belong and contribute. She began her role as the new Vice President for Finance and Facilities and Chief Financial Officer on August 3. Warner was able to spend her first few days with her predecessor, Deb Kerkaert, who is retiring after more than 35 years of dedicated service to SMSU.

“When I interviewed here, I just felt like I was home,” Warner said. “The people are warm, they are welcoming, and I could tell right away how much they care about this campus and the students.”

That feeling matters to Warner. She knows strong institutions are built not only on budgets, systems, and reports, but on people who share a commitment to the mission. At SMSU, she has already seen that commitment in the Mustang family, from the leadership team to the faculty and staff members working every day to support students as they discover their path, engage in their communities, and prepare to lead.

Warner began her career in finance and accounting in the automotive industry, where she worked for many years before life led her in a new direction. When her youngest son, who has a disability, needed additional support, she stepped away from full-time work and worked part-time. During that season, she also began teaching college courses part-time.

“I fell in love with higher education,” she said. “I really felt I could make a difference by supporting future generations.”

When her son transitioned into high school, Warner asked herself what she wanted to do next. The answer was clear. She wanted to bring her finance background into higher education, where the work connected directly to students, opportunity, and service.

The University of Arkansas gave her that opportunity, taking a chance on someone who had not yet worked in higher education finance or government finance. It proved to be the right fit. Within 28 months, Warner had moved into a larger role at a larger campus. Her experience includes work as Associate Vice Chancellor for Budgeting and Financial Analysis at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, where she helped lead budgeting, reporting, and financial planning for a major university budget.

Now at SMSU, Warner sees the opportunities ahead. She noted that, unlike most universities, SMSU is growing. While she knows there will be budget challenges to navigate, she is optimistic about the university’s future under President David Jones’s leadership and the team already in place.

“I believe that under Dr. Jones’s leadership, and with the team we have here, we’re going to overcome that quite easily,” she said. “I see us growing rather than shrinking in the future.”

Her first days on campus have reinforced that confidence. What has stood out most, she said, is not a process, system, or building, but the people. “This is a fantastic group of people,” Warner said. “They are warm, friendly, affable, and committed to this campus and the students.”

In her first year, Warner said she’ll focus on listening, learning, and building relationships. She wants to understand SMSU’s plans for the future, the connections across campus, and the many pieces that support finance and facilities work. That approach reflects what she already appreciates about SMSU, a campus community where people know one another, take pride in the university, and work together for students.

Looking further ahead, she hopes to help strengthen systems and reporting tools so leaders have the information they need quickly and clearly. One area she is eager to support is Workday. Warner said she has ideas for improving system setup, so reports are easier to access and use. She also hopes to help employees build confidence with tools such as Adaptive, which can support better planning and decision-making when used effectively.

“It’s a fabulous system if you get it set up right,” she said. “My goal is to make sure people have what they need to do their jobs and support the mission.”

Warner is also enjoying getting to know Marshall, a community that already feels like a good fit. She likes small towns and the sense of connection they provide. After living in large cities including Chicago, Washington, D.C., London, and Montreal, she appreciates the safety, pace, and familiarity of a smaller community.

“For a small town, it has a lot of amenities,” she said. “Downtown is so nice.” She has already noticed locally owned businesses, welcoming spaces, and the kind of hometown energy that helps make Marshall and SMSU feel connected.

Outside of work, Warner has a wide range of interests. She enjoys rowing and kayaking, especially when she is near the ocean. She reads often, usually about two books a week, and is currently reading A Private Cathedral, a mystery set in New Orleans. She also writes poetry, including sonnets, haiku, rhymed verse, and free verse. And when it comes to cooking and baking, her specialty is cheesecake.

When asked which person in history she would love to have lunch with, she answered without hesitation: her aunt, Jeanette Cooley. Warner said she was the one person who made a lasting impact on her. Warner describes her as a mentor who helped shape her confidence and determination. Warner explained that Cooley and her husband grew up as cotton sharecroppers in Mississippi. They went on to build a printing business from one employee and one press into the second-largest printing company in the Mid-South.

“She was the one who told me, ‘Never let anyone tell you [that] you can’t do something, Deana,’” Warner said. That lesson has stayed with her throughout her career and continues to guide the way she approaches new challenges.

As she begins her work at SMSU, Warner is looking forward to the traditions and moments that bring the Mustang family together. She is especially excited for move-in day, when new students and their families arrive on campus, and for the first football game of the season. Both, she said, reflect the energy, pride, and promise of a university community.

For Warner, the CFO role is about more than balancing numbers. It is about helping create the spaces that allow people to do meaningful work, that help students thrive, and that position the university to keep moving forward. It is also about being part of a place where people show up for one another. That is what drew her to SMSU, and it is what she hopes to strengthen in the years ahead.

Her message to campus is simple and direct. “I am here to support your endeavors and make this the most successful campus in Minnesota,” she said. For Warner, joining SMSU means joining the Mustang family, and she is ready to help write the university’s next chapter.