By Brian Brown
Business Manager
The College is currently on a national hunt to fill the position of treasurer in light of Former Treasurer Lloyd Ricketts stepping down after working at the College for nearly 24 years.
Ricketts served as the associate treasurer of the College from February 1999 until December 2010 when he was promoted to treasurer, the position he held until September 2022.
In an email from the president of the College, Kathryn Foster, she stated, “This is a critically important position at the college, with the incumbent serving on the president’s cabinet, overseeing the Division of Finance, and guiding college leadership and all units in matters of strategic finance.”
Valarie McDuffie currently serves as the interim treasurer. McDuffie served as the director of operations and administration at Temple University for over 11 years, where she then acquired the position of senior associate dean for business services at Rutgers University, a position she held for over five years.
The role of the treasurer is to work with members of the Management Committee, which includes the controller, assistant controller and director of budget & fiscal planning, to oversee all aspects related to the financial management of an institution.
Some aspects of the treasurer's financial responsibilities include raising funds and promoting sales, financial planning and budgeting, culminating financial reports, book and record keeping and overseeing the institution's fixed assets and stock.
Given command of these responsibilities, the treasurers work as a reference point for the chair and members of the Board of Directors; communicating key financial highlights, legal requirements and the current financial status of an institution.
Foster has formulated a search committee of 16 individuals to evaluate and select the next Treasurer, with Provost Jeff Osborn serving as the committee chair.
Foster has also stated in an email that, “Through a selection process, we have identified Larry Ladd and Julie Staggs of AGB Search to assist the committee with its work.”
The committee, with the consultation of Ladd and Staggs, held a meeting over winter break to gain greater insight into what the faculty, staff and students look for in a treasurer.
Committee Chair Jeffery Osborn stated in an email, “The next step in the committee's process is the creation of a search prospectus/leadership profile, a valuable tool that will be used to solicit nominations and recruit candidates nationally.”
To ensure that all members of the community are able to provide their perspectives on this critical position, the search committee released a survey which they will use to help develop the previously mentioned profile.
This is a task that takes months of planning and execution to ensure that the prospectus treasurer is not only qualified to hold the position but is someone who routinely practices the values held by the College community.
Osborn stated in an email, “The search is off to a great start. Thank you for your support.”
