Department of Administration and Finance

Holley acts as the university’s chief financial officer, overseeing a broad range of financial, facilities, business, and administrative activities. His responsibilities also include strategic planning, policy formulation, budgetary decisions, and offering financial counsel related to institutional decisions. He oversees a divisional budget of $92 million in a division with almost 500 full-time employees as well as 300 contract workers. As the chief business officer, Dr. Holley is responsible for the $750 million all sources budget of the University of Mississippi.

Holley’s career spans over 30 years in both the private sector and higher education. Before joining Ole Miss, he was the Vice President for Finance and Administration and Treasurer at the Claremont Colleges. He also served as the Vice President and Chief Business Officer at Abilene Christian University. His earlier roles included CFO and Treasurer at Del-Nat Tire Corporation, and various financial positions at Federal Express, Coca-Cola Enterprises, and Price Waterhouse LLP.

A native of Wheeler, Mississippi, and a first-generation college student, Holley earned his associate degree in applied sciences from Northeast Mississippi Community College in 1989. He later received a bachelor’s degree in accountancy in 1990 and a Master of Accountancy in 1992, both from the University of Mississippi, and is a certified public accountant. Holley received a Master of Psychology from Arizona State University in 2023 and a Doctor of Education in Organizational Change and Leadership from the University of Southern California in 2022.

Holley is active in several professional organizations, including the National Association of College and University Business Officers and the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities. He has served on multiple boards of nonprofit organizations and has consulted on various higher education topics. His personal interests include reading, exercising, traveling, and supporting Ole Miss football.