Dana Harris will join NC State as the associate vice chancellor for finance and university treasurer, leading five departments within the Finance Division responsible for providing financial services and business operations across the university: University Controller’s Office, University Cashier’s Office, Procurement & Business Services, Office of Contracts and Grants, and Foundations Accounting and Investments. Harris starts Jan. 3, 2023.
As leader of the 170-person Finance Division, Harris will partner with colleges and units to oversee $2 billion in financial services and transactions across the university, including managing $560 million in student billing and the university’s investments and external debt portfolios.
“Dana’s commitment to fiscal integrity, accountability and transparency, combined with her focus on customer service, will enable her to quickly become a trusted leader and collaborator across NC State,” says Charles Maimone, vice chancellor for finance and administration. “Dana’s years of proven experience managing financial systems; extensive accounting and audit background; and in-depth knowledge of UNC System policies and State of North Carolina regulations will ensure the long-term fiscal health and financial reputation of NC State”.
Harris brings more than 18 years of public higher education experience to NC State, and currently serves as the associate vice chancellor for finance at UNC Wilmington. In that role, Harris provides vision and leadership to university strategic initiatives, and is responsible for financial and business operations across the university. Past UNC Wilmington roles included senior associate athletic director for internal operations, and director of internal audit. Prior to UNC Wilmington, Harris served as Assistant State Auditor for the State of North Carolina for fourteen years.
“I want to thank the search committee, led by Frank Buckless, Stephen P. Zelnak Jr. Dean, Poole College of Management, for their good work. Dana’s leadership will be a key driver as we roll-out strategic initiatives in support of Goal 5 of our new strategic plan, ‘Improve university effectiveness through transformative technologies, cutting-edge processes and actionable data’ by collaborating with university entities to implement financial best practices throughout all levels of the university.” added Maimone.
Harris holds a degree in Business Administration with Finance Emphasis from Elon University, is a certified public accountant, certified internal auditor and certified fraud examiner.
Although a new NC State employee, Harris is no stranger to the Wolfpack family. Her husband is an NC State alumnus. And two of her three children have graduated from the university, with the third set to graduate in the spring.