Roseanne Thornton ('96 Accounting)

2026 Distinguished Achievement Award

Roseanne Thornton is a 1996 graduate of Penn State University’s Smeal College of Business and brings nearly three decades of leadership experience in finance and accounting across complex public, private, and missiondriven organizations. A proud New Jersey native, she spent a decade in the Washington, D.C. area before settling in Atlanta in 2007.

A CPA by training, Roseanne began her career at PricewaterhouseCoopers, rising to senior manager before transitioning into corporate finance. She has held senior roles and led diverse teams for domestic airlines and international manufacturing companies in Virginia and Georgia.

Over the past decade, Roseanne has focused her expertise on mission-oriented organizations. She served as AVP for Finance & Administration at CARE USA, traveling extensively across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East to support global operations. In September 2024, she joined The German Marshall Fund (GMF) as Chief Financial Officer. GMF is a nonpartisan American public policy think tank dedicated to strengthening transatlantic cooperation through research, convening, and civil society support on issues such as security, democracy, and technology.

Roseanne has also contributed to her local community as a board member, Treasurer, and Chairperson for an Atlanta-based charity. She credits Penn State for providing the strong accounting foundation and lifelong network that shaped her career, and she firmly believes that accounting is the universal language of business.