Chris Viton has spent nearly 20 years connected to UNLV in one way or another. He joined the university as deputy controller in 2006, became controller in 2010, and went on to serve as associate vice president for Financial Services and controller from 2018 to 2023. He then moved to the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE), where he guided budget and finance strategy and navigated higher education funding issues for all of Nevada’s public colleges and universities.

Now, as UNLV’s chief financial officer and vice president for Business Affairs, he’s stepping back onto campus with a broader perspective than the one he left with. “There’s a tendency for people to think every institution should be doing all things,” Viton says, “but we don’t need to do that. We work better when campuses understand their strengths and work together instead of competing.”

He’s not the only one who thinks that way. Viton notes the shifting mindset reflected in the evolving discussions about funding models at the system level. Previous models incentivized competition among institutions, but in current discussions, Viton sees more collaboration and clearer distinctions in how campuses can serve students and communities differently. 

Viton’s broader systems perspective is also helpful as it arrives at a complicated national moment for higher education. He cites the challenges that universities across the country are facing in navigating enrollment shifts, questions about affordability, changing levels of federal support, and growing scrutiny over the value of higher education itself.  

“UNLV has actually been performing very well compared to [other higher education institutions] in general,” he says. “We’re well-positioned, but part of my job is making sure we’re building resilience and preparing for potential changes before they happen.” 

Viton says a great deal of his focus since stepping into the role has centered on helping UNLV prepare for uncertainty while maintaining momentum.

Much of that work happens behind the scenes: budget planning, legislative preparation, long-term forecasting, and coordination across the many operational units that fall under Business Affairs. But Viton is careful not to frame financial leadership as balancing numbers on a spreadsheet.

“I’m always concerned that people think because I’m the finance person, everything is about money for me,” he says. “That’s not how I think.”

Instead, he describes his decision-making philosophy as people-centered and long-term, especially when navigating difficult tradeoffs around resources, staffing, and student costs.

“Higher education is a balance,” he says. “Access and affordability matter, but quality matters too. The lowest cost can’t be the only factor. Students need support systems, services, and opportunities that help them succeed. Otherwise, why are we here? I’m always trying to think about what positions people for long-term success.”

That approach also shapes how he thinks about leadership inside Business Affairs itself.

The division touches nearly every aspect of campus life, from facilities and construction to financial services, technology, purchasing, safety, and operational support. Much of that work is only noticeable when something goes wrong. “If we’re doing our jobs well, people don’t really notice us,” Viton says, laughing. “But that doesn’t mean the work isn’t important.” 

The reality, he says, is that every college, department, classroom, and student-facing service depends on a large network of operational support functioning reliably in the background. When systems work well, faculty can focus on teaching, researchers can focus on discovery, and students can learn without obstacles. For Viton, that behind-the-scenes support makes UNLV’s mission possible.

Since returning, he has spent much of his time visiting departments, meeting with staff, and learning the day-to-day realities of teams across the division. Even with his long history at UNLV, he says he has intentionally tried not to rely too heavily on what he already thinks he knows.

“I’m approaching things as if I’m learning them for the first time,” he says. “I don’t want to miss something new or assume I already understand everything, because I don’t.”

Viton describes himself as someone more interested in understanding why a process exists before rushing to replace it. "I’m not a wrecking ball person," he says. “I don’t believe in changing things just because they look strange to me at first glance. If something looks odd, I ask why first. Usually there’s a reason someone thought it was necessary. I’m going to make changes that make sense, and I’m going to see them through and own the outcomes,” he says. 

He repeatedly returns to the idea of continuous improvement instead of dramatic overhauls. UNLV is a large and complex institution, he notes. When departments understand each other’s challenges and work toward the same outcomes, Viton says, the university functions more effectively as a whole. Problems get solved faster, and people spend less time working around barriers and more time focusing on the real work.

“I want people to feel like Business Affairs is their partner,” he says. “That we’re on the same team. One UNLV.” 

For Viton, leadership at UNLV is also personal. He has called Las Vegas home for more than two decades, and in that time, he has made real friendships and watched the institution grow. “The people here are what drew me back. For me, this was less a career move and more a way to come full circle.” 

Asked what success would look like a few years from now, Viton doesn’t mention rankings, expansion, or major announcements. Instead, his answer is simpler.

“In my time here,” he says, “I want to leave UNLV better than I found it."