UNC withholds finalists for Vice Chancellor of Finance post

The chancellor’s office is close to offering the University’s top finance post to one of the search’s finalists.

The list of names that person will be picked from, however, remains unknown.

The search for vice chancellor of finance and administration has narrowed to four candidates, but University officials have elected to keep the candidates’ identities private.

Chancellor Holden Thorp said the search committee has chosen to withhold the names because each of the candidates has another job. By having their identities protected, he said, the candidates will be more likely to continue with the process.

“One of the candidates is from within the University,” said Bruce Carney, executive vice chancellor and provost.

“The other candidates hold the same or similar positions at other schools,” he added.

The University has enlisted the assistance of search firm Witt/Kieffer to help with the hiring process, said University spokesman Mike McFarland.

McFarland said the cost of the firm’s service is currently unavailable.

The current vice chancellor for finance, Dick Mann, has been in office since November 2006. Mann announced his plans to retire in January but agreed to remain in office until a new vice chancellor is hired or until November of this year.

“I have met with the candidates and spoken to Chancellor Thorp about the search and the candidates, but otherwise my involvement has been very limited,” he said.

The search committee, whose chairman is former vice president for finance for the UNC system Bill McCoy, began reviewing applications for the position May 15.

The School of Journalism and Mass Communication, which began reviewing applications for its dean in February, conducted its search more publicly. It announced the names of the four finalist candidates and held public hearings with each of them.

“People might be reluctant to apply if colleagues or supervisors at their home institution or place of business know that they are looking elsewhere, which could affect the depth of the applicant pool,” wrote Jan Yopp, a member of the journalism search committee, in an email.

Contact the University Editor at university@dailytarheel.com.