University searches for new vice chancellor for finance

As the state legislature prepares to finalize budget cuts to the UNC system, the search continues for a key faculty member who will oversee the cuts at the University.

The search committee charged with finding the next vice chancellor for finance and administration began reviewing applications May 15.

But the search has gone slower than expected, said Dick Mann, the current vice chancellor for finance and administration.

Mann, who said earlier this year that he planned to retire at the end of June, will stay until a replacement is found, instead of finding someone to hold the position on an interim basis, he said.

“Because of all these budget issues, I’d prefer to have a smooth transition,” he said.

Issues surrounding the shrinking budget will figure prominently in the job, said Bill McCoy, chairman of the committee and former vice president for finance for the UNC system.

“We want somebody who can think creatively and be out of the box, looking at ways to minimize the negative effects of the budget cuts,” McCoy said.

The search committee has received applications and is quickly working to review them, McCoy added.

“We do have a lot of interest and we will definitely have finalists, no question,” he said.

McCoy would not comment on the number of applications the committee received or the search’s schedule.

The vice chancellor for finance and administration is one of the four members of the University Priorities and Budget Committee, said Bruce Carney, executive vice chancellor and provost, who is also a member.

“(The budget committee) is the group that generally meets to discuss how to handle the budget additions, which I have no experience with, and cuts, with which I’m becoming increasingly familiar,” Carney said.

He said Mann’s replacement will not only need to spend time with Mann to learn about the office of finance and administration, but also with many other departments because of the office’s key role across campus.

The office oversees the finances of the University and does the accounting, Carney said.

“The new person will spend quite a bit of time with me, understanding how our two offices intersect,” he said, adding that both offices deal with ConnectCarolina and information technology governance.

“It’s going to be a pretty steep learning curve,” Carney said.

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