ORANGEBURG, S.C. – South Carolina State University budget analyst Melvin Felder Jr. has been selected to participate in the Emerging Leaders Program of the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO).
From a large group of applicants, Felder is among 73 high-potential business officers selected for the yearlong program. Together, they will work to enhance their personal leadership skills, examine the impact of the business office and cross-campus relationships, and gain a better understanding of the present state and future of higher education.
Participants represent 58 institutions and 27 states. Some of these business officers hold roles in academic or auxiliary business units, in addition to officers in central administrative roles.
“My goals for this program are to gain the toolsets to enhance my critical thinking skills to better understand the impact of my decisions,” Felder said.
Felder, who is from nearby Bowman, joined SC State in November 2019. Prior to coming to the university, he worked for the Town of Bowman for 10 years and served as the town clerk for the last five of those years.
He received his bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in accounting from Claflin University in 2012. In 2014, he completed his master’s in accounting, and in 2017, he completed a master of public administration — both from Strayer University in North Charleston, South Carolina.
Applicants for the Emerging Leaders Program were asked to demonstrate a commitment to furthering their careers in higher education finance and strong potential for advancement. The new program reflects NACUBO’s organizational priority to strengthen and diversify the chief business officer pipeline and is generously supported by TIAA.
“We are thrilled to add the Emerging Leaders Program to NACUBO’s suite of professional development offerings for promising business officers,” said Susan Whealler Johnston, NACUBO president and CEO. “We strongly encouraged candidates from under-represented groups in higher education leadership to apply, and this explicit focus on diversity comes at just the right time for the business office, as new perspectives are needed to help the entire sector continue to evolve.”
