The Florence Unified School District has appointed Kruze Mingus as its new chief finance officer of operations.

Mingus comes from the Queen Creek Unified School District, where he served as the transportation director for the past two years.

During his tenure at QCUSD, he played a role in expanding the transportation department in response to the district's rapid growth. He worked to ensure that students had access to opportunities during and after school by supporting educational and extracurricular engagement, according to a FUSD press release.

“With his extensive experience and innovative approach to school leadership, I am confident that Kruze Mingus will excel as our new chief finance officer of operations,” FUSD Superintendent Chris Knutsen stated in the release.

Prior working at QCUSD, Mingus spent a year as the director of operations at Desert Choice Transport, where he oversaw operations in the East Valley, including for FUSD, while also expanding the business's scope in the West Valley and Southern California.

Mingus holds an MBA with an emphasis in marketing and finance from Arizona State University, where he graduated in 2020. He also earned a degree in psychology from the University of Oregon in 2016. Originally from Bend, Oregon, Mingus moved to Arizona in 2018 while completing his master’s degree.

He has also coached varsity football at several East Valley schools over the past four years. Mingus lives in San Tan Valley with his wife, Kelsey, and their 2- year-old daughter, Kollins.

I am very excited to be part of FUSD and contribute and assist eucators in teaching and growing our youth," Mingus stated in the release. "I love being involved in school business because I feel what we do makes a difference every day in children's lives. I have always been drawn to school business because it is always evolving and presents new challenges every day that require your best."