Steve Poppen begins his 10th season with the Vikings in 2008 as Vice President of Finance. He joined the Vikings as Director of Finance in 1999 and was promoted prior to the 2000 season to his current position. A native of Watertown, SD, Poppen spent eight years before joining the Vikings as a Certified Public Accountant in the business assurance group of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in Kansas City.Poppen is responsible for all financial aspects of the team including business planning, budgeting, day-to-day financial and administrative operations, human resources, information technology, facilities, new stadium project financing and is the team liaison with the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission. In 2006, Poppen participated in the NFL-Stanford Program for Managers at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, a program developed by the NFL to promote growth of leaders within the League. Poppen helped engineer the dramatic renovations to Winter Park during the 2006 off-season that featured a total remake of the locker room and equipment facilities and upgrade of the athletic training areas.Poppen received his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Evangel University in Springfield, MO, in 1991. An active member of his community, Poppen serves on the board of Minnesota Teen Challenge and recently completed a 3-year term as the treasurer and working on the executive committee. Teen Challenge is a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program for Minnesota adults and teens.Poppen serves on the board of the Minneapolis Downtown Council, an organization promoting business development in downtown Minneapolis, and holds a position with the Minnesota State Fair Foundation board of directors. The State Fair Foundation was created to preserve and improve the historic Minnesota State Fair buildings and grounds and support State Fair educational, scientific and agricultural programs.Poppen and his wife, Christy, who holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Evangel, have four children, Natalie, Andrew, Nathan and Avery. The Poppen family resides in Chanhassen.