Tracy Claybaugh, a former executive of finance for Plymouth State University in New Hampshire, will be appointed as Point Park’s senior vice president of finance (CFO) on Dec. 1.
Current CFO Bridget Mancosh “made the decision to retire,” Lou Corsaro, a university spokesperson, said. Mancosh did not provide comment. Claybaugh was recruited to fill her position after a national search.
Mancosh’s departure caps nearly two decades of financial leadership with the university.
She notably headed finance through the COVID-19 pandemic’s financial upheaval, and most recently led the department’s gross of roughly $10 million in investment profit last year.
That profit kept Point Park’s revenue out of the negative for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020.
Mancosh was also one of the highest-compensated heads at Point Park, appearing among the university’s top 3 paid officials since at least 2015, according to public Form 990 filings.
President Chris Brussalis lauded Mancosh for her “outstanding” contributions to Point Park’s finance board, adding that Claybaugh “has big shoes to fill.”
Brussalis said that Mancosh initially planned on retiring prior to his own appointment as president in 2023.
“When I became president, I begged and pleaded with her to stay on for at least two more years to help me in my transition,” Brussalis said. “And she did; she gave over two years . . . She really helped me out.”
In a press release announcing Claybaugh’s appointment, Brussalis said he looked forward to her coming contributions to the university’s finance office.
“We are excited to have Tracy join our leadership team at Point Park,” Brussalis said in the release. “Her experience and leadership will be valuable assets as we continue to navigate a future of growth and opportunity,”
Claybaugh has roughly 20 years of experience leading other universities’ financial offices, according to the press release. Prior to her time at Plymouth State, Claybaugh headed Penn State Behrend’s financial office in Erie.
She will oversee Point Park’s financial strategy, contracted services, facilities and information technology.
Claybaugh, originally from Charleroi, graduated from Waynesburg University, at that time Waynesburg College, with a bachelor’s in business administration and accounting.
She said both her family and Marlin Collingwood, vice president of enrollment management — who’d connected with her at Plymouth State — encouraged her to apply for and take the job as Point Park’s CFO.
“I’d like to give back to the community that gave to me as a kid,” Claybaugh said.
At Plymouth State, Claybaugh said her priority was to be “student-focused.” In particular, she touted the building of a new dorm hall, Merrill Place, and TRIO, an academic and mental health support system, which Claybaugh said had a “96% retention rate” among participating students.
And Claybaugh said she hopes to bring the same priorities to Point Park.
“I plan on doing listening sessions, talking to the faculty, staff and students about the process,” Claybaugh said. “How they see it, how we can make it better, more collaborative; just starting at ground basics.”
