Charles Leffler named Interim Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration

Chancellor Lindsay Bierman has named Charles Leffler the Interim Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration for the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.

Leffler is the Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration Emeritus at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, where he served for more than three decades. He retired in October 2015.

His first official day will be Nov. 1. He replaces Chief of Staff Jim DeCristo, who has been serving as Acting Vice Chancellor for Business Affairs since mid-September.

“Charlie’s vast experience in all aspects of business and finance functions and his work with the state of North Carolina make him ideally suited to lead us through this transition,” said Chancellor Bierman. “His reputation precedes him. He saw a building named after him at N.C. State: the Charles D. Leffler Environmental Health and Public Safety Complex. He was also recognized by the N.C. State Alumni Association with the Honorary Alumnus Award in 2015, citing his longtime dedication to the university’s best interests.”

Charles Leffler was the Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration at NCSU from 2004-2015. He was responsible for financial and operational support management activities for the university, with an annual operating budget in excess of $1.4 billion. As Vice Chancellor, he oversaw departments including Budget and Resource Management, Business Operations, Accounting, Materials Management, Human Resources, Facilities Management, Real Estate, Foundations and Investments, Environmental Health and Public Safety, Retailing and Hospitality Services, and Trademark Licensing.

Charlie’s vast experience in all aspects of business and finance functions and his work with the state of North Carolina make him ideally suited to lead us through this transition.

Chancellor Lindsay Bierman

He also oversaw the development of the Centennial Campus, a 1,300-acre research campus that is the home of 70 private and government partners as well as university departments. He served as Treasurer of the University’s Endowment, and held officer positions in various University-related foundations and affiliated entities. Leffler started at N.C. State in 1984 as the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Business, where he was responsible for support service units of Purchasing, Central Stores, Parking, Transportation, Bookstores, Graphics, Laundry, Telecommunications, Public Safety, Real Estate, and Historic Property. In 1988, Leffler was promoted to Associate Vice Chancellor for Facilities, where he was responsible for management of Facilities and Real Property, including Energy, Fleet Management, Campus Master Planning, and Construction Management.

Prior to NCSU, he worked for the University of Cincinnati, where he served various roles, including Director of Campus Services.

Leffler received a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Cincinnati and also attended the N.C. State Poole College of Management. Other programs completed include the Management Development Program at Harvard University, the Business Management Institute at Stanford University, and the Executive Development Institute at the University of Notre Dame.

Among his honors and awards are the North Carolina Order of the Long Leaf Pine (Governor’s Service Award), the Saunders Award for Significant Contribution to the State from the N.C. Office of Budget and Management, and the Durham and Betty Moore Lifetime Achievement Award from the Tammy Lynn Center for Children with Developmental Disabilities. He is the current chair of the Tammy Lynn Center, treasurer of the Batten Disease Support and Research Association, and founding member of Wake County Parents for Visually Impaired Children.

Chancellor Bierman said in coming weeks he will form a search committee and name a recruitment firm with which the school will partner on the selection process for a permanent Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration.

by Marla Carpenter