Roughly three weeks into P. Kelly Tompkins’ tenure as Cleveland State’s interim CFO and vice president for business affairs, we now know how much he’s making – nearly $26,000 per month or about $310,000 annually, according to records reviewed by Signal Cleveland.
That’s about the same base salary former CFO David Jewell made –- and will continue to make even after resigning May 29. He’s officially continuing on remotely until the end of September as a special projects advisor. His salary and benefits will remain unchanged until then unless he gets a new job.
Jewell left no resignation letter. His personnel file did include a December 2023 note from President Laura Bloomberg, though. That memo highlighted Jewell’s accomplishments during what Bloomberg called a “challenging and productive year” before awarding him a $30,000 bonus as outlined in his 2021 offer letter. Former president Harlan Sands brought Jewell on from the University of Wyoming, and Jewell stayed after Sands’ ousting the following year.
As for Tompkins, he was recently a member of the university’s board of trustees until resigning to take this role.
“My willingness to accept this role was predicated on not only my passion for and commitment to CSU, but also my familiarity with the many talented members of the Business Affairs team,” Tompkins said in a news release announcing his hire last month.
Cleveland State is officially employing him as an independent contractor. His contract runs through the end of the year unless he’s terminated before then. Bloomberg told faculty and staff the university plans to launch a national search for its next CFO. All of this is happening as the university sits at a pivotal point as it eyes both faculty and program cuts.
