Furman University
University Controller
Greenville, South Carolina
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University Controller
Furman University
Greenville, SC
Furman University, a top private liberal arts university, seeks nominaons and applicaons for the
posion of University Controller, the principal accounng, tax, and nancial reporng ocer of
the University. The next University Controller will serve as a strategic business partner to the AVP
for Finance, Human Resources, and the VP for Finance and Administraon at a me of strength
and stability at Furman. The University Controller serves as a vital partner across campus and
supports various commiees and working groups at Furman, the Audit Commiee of the Board,
and other external constuents.
About Furman University
Furman University is one of the naon’s premier liberal arts universies, oering degree-granng
programs, professional cercaons, and enrichment programs that meet the needs of the
broader community. The core of the educaonal experience is the residenal undergraduate
program, where about 2,400 students are enrolled. The program is characterized by the
engagement of students in internships, faculty-mentored research, and study away from campus.
The University’s commitment to housing all students on campus for four years underscores a
commitment to a close-knit student body and seamless connecon among their academic, social,
and co-curricular lives that enhance scholarly acvity, personal growth, and leadership
development.
Founded in 1826, Furman is South Carolina’s oldest private university, disnguished by modern,
sophiscated academic buildings that are complemented by comprehensive NCAA Division I
athlecs, recreaonal, and social facilies. The Furman Libraries, the intellectual center of the
campus, provide a collecon of more than one million resources, including books, e-books,
journals, lms, music, images, and electronic databases.
The University’s vision, The Furman Advantage, promises students an individualized four-year
pathway facilitated by a team of mentors and infused with a rich and varied set of high-impact
experiences outside the classroom that include undergraduate research, study away, internships,
community-focused learning, and opportunies to engage across dierences.
Furman recognizes its community of learning is enriched by the wide variety of experience of its
students, faculty, and sta, and has made an instuonal commitment to pursue community
equity and campus diversity. The University’s Strategic Diversity Plan commits to expanding
pracces that culvate an environment that encourages the success of all community members.
Furthermore, Furman arms the view that creang and maintaining inclusive excellence is the
responsibility of everyone in the community. Faculty and sta connually work on developing,
evaluang, and rening iniaves to foster equity and inclusion.
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Furman alumni have gone on to become governors, state aorneys general, members of
Congress, and military leaders; they have received appointments by Presidents of both pares to
important execuve and cabinet posions; they have become CEOs of publicly traded companies
and have disnguished themselves as educators, physicians, aorneys, musicians, athletes, and
leaders of nonprot organizaons. Furman alumni are extremely loyal, with more than 70
percent giving in the last capital campaign.
Furman is based in the city of Greenville, which has experienced a cultural and economic
renaissance, making it one of the naon’s best places to live. Its downtown is a major desnaon
for business and tourism and businesses in the greater Greenville area provide a variety of
internships, research, volunteer, and career opportunies for Furman students and graduates.
Within close reach of the Appalachian Mountains and the Atlanc beaches, the area abounds
with recreaonal and outdoor acvies and direct ights by major airlines from Greenville-
Spartanburg Internaonal airport are just 35 minutes from the Furman campus.
Learn more about Furman University on their website.
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Campus Leadership
Elizabeth Davis became Furman University’s 12th President on July 1, 2014. Under her
leadership, the University has instuted The Furman Advantage, a disncve vision for higher
educaon that combines learning with immersive experiences outside the classroom, creang a
personalized pathway that prepares students for lives of purpose, successful careers, and
community benet. The groundbreaking eort was launched in October 2016 with a $47 million
grant from The Duke Endowment.
In September 2018, the Naonal Society of Experienal Educaon recognized President Davis’
eorts to launch The Furman Advantage by selecng her as the recipient of the William M. Burke
Presidenal Award for Excellence in Experienal Educaon. The annual award recognizes a sing
college president who has made “signicant contribuons to experienal educaon.”
President Davis is a member of the Council of Presidents, an advisory group of college and
university chief execuves who provide guidance to the Associaon of Governing Boards of
Universies and Colleges on issues of governance in higher educaon. She is also a member of
the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) Board of Directors.
Dr. Davis serves on the Board of Directors of the Greenville Chamber of Commerce and is an
honorary member of the Board of Governors of the Commerce Club. She is a member of the
Greenville Rotary Club, American Council on Educaon’s Women’s Network Execuve Commiee,
and the South Carolina Higher Educaon Tuion Grants Commission. She has been recognized by
Greenville Business Magazine as one of Greenville’s “50 Most Inuenal People.”
Dr. Davis has addressed numerous organizaons in the Upstate since arriving at Furman, and she
has also spoken throughout the U.S. on issues involving higher educaon, university leadership
and nancial management. She has been quoted in naonal media, wrien op-eds for The
Greenville News, University Business, and other publicaons, and done many interviews on radio
and television on higher educaon.
Before coming to Furman, Dr. Davis spent 22 years at Baylor University in Texas, where she most
recently held the posion of Execuve Vice President and Provost. In addion to being a member
of the accounng faculty at Baylor, she also served as Vice Provost for Financial and Academic
Administraon, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Business Programs, and Acng Chair of the
Department of Accounng and Business Law. Before beginning her higher educaon career, she
spent three years at Arthur Andersen & Co. in New Orleans.
Dr. Davis received her Bachelor of Business Administraon degree from Baylor in 1984 and
earned her Ph.D. from Duke University in 1992. She and her husband, Charles, have two children,
Chad, and Claire.
Susan A. Maddux joined Furman University as Vice President for Finance and Administraon in
November 2018. She came to Furman from Presbyterian College, where she had served as vice
president for nance and administraon and chief nancial ocer since 2013.
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As Furman’s chief nancial and administrave ocer, Maddux oversees all nancial planning and
execuon, accounng operaons, debt management and the endowment, as well as the
departments of Budget and Resource Management, Facilies and Campus Services, Human
Resources, Informaon Technology Services, and the Police Department.
Before joining Presbyterian College, Maddux spent 19 years in the nance and administraon
oce at Converse College. She inially served the college as controller (1994-2005), and then as
vice president for nance and administraon and chief nancial ocer (2005-2013).
Prior to her career in higher educaon, Maddux worked as a cered public accountant at Ernst
& Young in Spartanburg (1991-1994). She is a graduate of Converse College and received a
master’s of professional accountancy from Clemson University.
Maddux served on the board of the Naonal Associaon of College and University Business
Ocers for four years (2019-2023) and served as President on the Southern Associaon of
College and University Business Ocers for two years (2020-2022) and as a board member for
seven years (2016-2023). She serves as a volunteer coach with the Special Olympics and on the
David’s Table advisory board.
Dawn Durham joined Furman University as Associate Vice President for Finance in September
2021. She came to Furman from Presbyterian College, where she served as Controller since
2013.
As Furman’s AVP for nance, she assists the Vice President for Finance and Administraon in
developing and implemenng strategic nancial plans for the University. She supervises the
University Controller, Director of Budget and Resource Management, the Financial Systems
Manager, and the Director of Auxiliary Services. She monitors and evaluates all University
business operaons.
Before joining Presbyterian College, Durham spent 8 years at Converse College as the Controller.
Prior to Converse, Durham was the Assistant Business Manager at the Spartanburg Day School for
5 years and a Sta Accountant in a public accounng rm for 4 years.
Durham is a graduate of Converse College with a BA in Accounng and Business Administraon.
She received a Master of Business Administraon with a concentraon in strategic leadership
from Winthrop University. She has also received cercaon from the College Business
Management Instute from the University of Kentucky. For the past three years, Durham has
served on the planning commiee for the Women’s Leadership Forum with SACUBO.
Greenville, South Carolina
An award-winning city of innovaon and development, Greenville is the cultural and
entertainment center for the Upstate including an award-winning downtown, a major performing
arts center, a 17,000-seat arena, a 340,000-square-foot convenon and exhibion center,
naonally recognized museum collecons, and 39 parks, playgrounds, and recreaon centers.
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Greenville is located only a few hours from two urban hubs, Charloe, and Atlanta, and has easy
access to east coast beaches and charming mountain towns. Naonally recognized for urban
development, sustainability, a growing economy, and year-round sports and outdoor acvies,
Greenville connues to top lists of desnaons to visit.
The region is host to 460
internaonal rms from
34 dierent countries with
Fortune 500 companies
like BMW, General Electric
and Michelin leading the
way. With several hundred
restaurants, music,
theater and arts venues,
Greenville has gained
recognion in various
naonal publicaons such
as CNN Money, which
ranked Greenville as one
of the “Top 10 Fastest
Growing Cies in the U.S.”
Bloomberg named
Greenville the 3rd
Strongest Job Market, and
Forbes named Greenville
the 13th Best City for
Young Professionals. With its convenient Southeast locaon, Greenville's bustling downtown is a
short drive from the Blue Ridge Mountains, beaches, other small towns, and major cies.
The Opportunity
The University Controller is an integral part of Furman University’s Finance & Administraon
division providing leadership for all the accounng funcons of the University. The University
Controller directs nancial audits, ensures compliance with federal and state regulaons, and
provides strong leadership and management skills, and oversees and supervises a team of seven
in the accounng department. The University Controller formulates and implements policies and
controls to ensure the stewardship of assets and works collaboravely with senior leadership and
campus customers to provide core business services vital to accomplishing the University’s
mission and goals. The University Controller has ve direct reports including the Bursar, Fiscal
Operaons Specialist, Accounng Manager, Payroll Manager, and a Senior/Grant Accountant.
Responsibilies:
• Directs acvies performed and maintains quality control in the Financial Services
Department which include general ledger accounng, accounts payable, payroll, cash and
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treasury management, student billing and collecons, accounts receivable, Perkins Loan
program, cash receipts, xed assets, endowments, annuity funds, loan funds,
construcon project accounng, bond accounng, xed assets, investments, restricted
funds, government grants, stock gis, ACH processing, grant accounng and travel.
• Formulates and implements nancial controls, policy and procedures and reporng
systems that provide mely and reliable accounng records and ensure the University
complies with all applicable regulatory requirements.
• Provide consultave assistance to administrave and academic units of the University in
the interpretaon of nancial, budget, and internal control issues.
• Maintains integrity of accounng records through regular reviews and analyses of
nancial reports. Advises Financial Services sta on appropriate classicaon of nancial
acvies.
• Assigns sta responsibility for regular reconciliaons of account balances with supervisory
review. Reviews and approves reconciliaons prepared by accounng managers.
• Reviews and approves submission of all required tax returns and tax forms required by
Internal Revenue Service and South Carolina Department of Revenue.
• Maintains accounng records for Furman University Foundaon. Provides nancial
reports to the Foundaon Board.
• Implements changes to endowment investments as approved by the Investment
Commiee of the Board of Trustees. Moves funds between managers as necessary to
achieve allocaons set by Commiee.
• Establishes and maintains banking relaonships. Monitors cash ow to provide
informaon on daily cash posion and use of resources.
• Negoates terms of agreements for nancial services that are outsourced (if any).
Maintains relaonships with providers and ensures that Furman receives good service.
• Supervises the University’s Bursar and provides guidance to the Enrollment Service
Center.
• Works with the Associate Vice President for Human Resources to ensure that the
University’s rerement accounts are accurately administered.
• Plans annual audits with independent audit rm. Schedules dates for preliminary work
and eldwork. Assigns items on client assistance list to sta and review audit les before
subming them to auditors. Sends leers and forms for asset conrmaons.
Communicates with auditors throughout audit process.
• Supervises the preparaon of the annual consolidated nancial statements for Furman
University. Ensures that reporng complies with generally accepted accounng principles
for private colleges. Resolves all audit issues on the statements with auditors.
• Reviews annual NCAA report and coordinates required audit.
• Coordinates audits of federal programs (A-133 audit) and South Carolina Tuion Grants
program.
• Solicits input from administrators and writes management responses to annual
management leer comments.
• Serves as primary sta support and presents to the Audit Commiee of Board of
Trustees. Develops meeng agendas, prepares resoluons, and records minutes of
meengs.
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• Maintains records as required by internal and external retenon requirements. Regularly
review records storage to minimize unnecessary retenon.
• Responds to requests for nancial informaon for required government reports (E-Z
Audit, Capital Expenditure Survey, IPEDS, etc.), surveys and studies in which Furman
wishes to parcipate (NACUBO endowment study, etc.), and internal requests for history
or analysis.
• Manages the budget for the Financial Services Department. Assesses stang,
equipment, training and other needs and prepares annual budget request for
departmental funding.
• Completes performance review process with supervisor/employees to understand job
performance expectaons and how they t into the department and university goals.
• Pursues professional development and remains acvely involved in professional acvies
that are relave to the posion to keep pace with demands for services and informaon.
• Acvely parcipates in development of team roles to eecvely accomplish departmental
goals. This can involve but is not limited to recruing, training, and evaluang
performance.
• Develop and administer plans, policies, and procedures for compliance and industry best
pracces.
• Parcipate on campus and community commiees that serve to benet the mission of
the University.
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Candidate Prole
Qualied applicants will have a bachelor’s degree (master’s degree preferred) in accounng with
progressively responsible management and leadership experience that includes accounng,
management, supervision, and oversight of complex accounng systems. A CPA (Cered Public
Accountant) cercaon is required for the posion. Higher educaon industry knowledge and
knowledge of the principles and techniques in higher educaon, nonprot, and/or governmental
nancial management pracces and standards is a plus. Strong candidates will oer audit
leadership experience and prociency using Workday.
In addion, the ideal candidate will have the following professional and personal qualies, skills,
and characteriscs:
Movated by Finding the Best Outcomes for Everyone
A reputaon for integrity and the highest ethical standards; sound judgment, enthusiasm for the
mission; creavity in solving problems; collegial style and keen desire to be an integral part of the
Furman community. Knowledgeable about, and open to, business pracces that support the
University in a higher quality and more cost-eecve manner.
Leads with Empathy and Models Excellence
Demonstrated experience at leading, developing, and building a high-performing, diverse team
of professionals, with an emphasis on promong teamwork, supporng professional
development, and fostering a posive environment where people feel encouraged to speak up,
innovate, learn from mistakes, and make posive changes. Demonstrated ability to establish a
culture and expectaon of excellence in terms of both what and how work is accomplished,
connuous improvement, and strong customer service to the university and to external pares
who interact with the oce.
Builds Trust among Constuents
Demonstrated ability and interest to be a trusted leader, ambassador, and catalyst for change in a
fast-paced, dynamic, and decentralized environment, respecng all constuent groups using
current and proven best pracces for eecve nancial operaons. Proven experience in
establishing and maintaining strong professional relaonships. Outstanding interpersonal skills
and demonstrated success in networking and cross-funconal collaboraon.
Communicates Eecvely and Transparently
Able to communicate eecvely with mulple constuents including senior management and the
board of trustees. A sophiscated understanding of how best to communicate policy and
procedures across the University. Ability to present complex nancial issues and ideas eecvely
orally and in wring with well-arculated analyses, reports, and issues appropriate for varied
audiences including senior administraon, department ocers/lead administrators, and the
board.
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Plans and Inuences Decision Making
Provides proacve leadership, ancipang trends and external inuences, aware of implicaon of
decisions, mindful of future opportunies and obstacles. Able to create compeve and
breakthrough strategies and plans. Experience advancing ideas from plan to results with
processes that ensure input and feedback from campus constuents using superb listening and
inuencing skills. Connuously seeks ways to improve organizaonal capability, data informed
decision support and a connuous improvement culture, while building the relaonships and
resources for successful implementaon of new ideas and processes.
Contact
Beth Schaefer, Holly Jackson, and Lisa Solinsky of Koya Partners/Diversied Search Group have
been exclusively retained for this search. To express your interest in this role please submit your
materials on our Talent Portal. All inquiries and discussions will be considered strictly
condenal.
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Koya Partners is commied to providing reasonable accommodaon to individuals living with
disabilies. If you are a qualied individual living with a disability and need assistance expressing
interest online, please email NonprotSearchO[email protected]. If you are selected for an
interview, you will receive addional informaon regarding how to request accommodaon for
the interview process.
……………..
Furman University is an equal opportunity employer strongly commied to diversity within its
community and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of race,
creed, color, age, sex, sexual orientaon, disability, veteran status, naonal origin, or any other
characterisc protected by applicable law.
Furman has both a Diversity Vision and a Diversity Statement, here:
hps://www.furman.edu/diversity-inclusion/instuonal-commitment/diversity-vision-
statement/
About Koya Partners
Koya Partners, a part of Diversied Search Group, is a leading execuve search and strategic
advising rm dedicated to connecng exceponally talented people with mission-driven clients.
Our founding philosophy—The Right Person in the Right Place Can Change the World—guides
our work as we partner with nonprots & NGOs, instuons of higher educaon, responsible
businesses, and social enterprises in local communies and around the world.
For more informaon about Koya Partners, visit www.koyapartners.com.
