Horne retires, Young hired

After seven years as Student Activity Fund Office director, Debbie Horne was toasted by co-workers and students at a retirement party Monday.

Horne, who has worked at the University for 33 years, also has a son who is a systems analyst for Information Technology Services and a daughter who is assistant director for scholarships and aid.

But Horne said she is breaking those ties to be closer to another daughter in Wilmington, who lost her husband after only six months of marriage.

In a video tribute created by her co-workers, Horne received praises for her vivacious personality, sense of humor, compassion and her infamous knack for “stirring the pot.”

And at the retirement party former Student Body Treasurer Jordan Myers said he’s learned things from Horne that he’ll always remember: “It’s OK to speak your mind. It’s OK to stir the pot. And it’s OK to be yourself and remember where you came from.”

The Student Activity Fund Office manages the finances of student organizations on campus. The office makes sure groups’ money is spent appropriately, makes sure they are living up to their missions and offers them guidance.

A search committee composed of four students and four faculty members interviewed 63 applicants this summer to find a new director.

Kelly Young, a former assistant accountant for the UNC General Administration, started as new director last Monday.

“Our goal was to find someone who knew accounting and knew the University and also works well with students,” said Don Luse, director of the Carolina Union and a committee member.

Young is a certified public accountant with degrees in business management, economics and accounting. She’s worked with General Administration, which is the governing body of all 17 UNC-system campuses, for 11 years.

Young said she did some soul searching and felt that internal auditing, a major facet of her previous job, wasn’t the occupation she was meant to have.

She said she’s very excited about the opportunity to interact with students.

“A challenge I’m excited about is being able to help someone without an accounting background to have an ‘aha’ moment where they say, ‘I get it now,’” she said.

Even though Young went to N.C. State University, she said she has always loved the Tar Heels.

“When I was in the seventh grade, I was up here getting Phil Ford’s signature,” she said.

And after a week on the job, Young said she feels like it’s a good fit for her and that she’s excited to move forward.

“Kelly’s going to do great things in here,” Horne said. “She’s got a lot more years to go — I’m a decade older than she is. She’s going to bring a lot of fresh ideas to SAFO.”



Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.