2008 Woodie Awards
Burdette named financial chief
'Clear understanding' helps push candidate above 57 others
By: Garret Ellison
Issue date: 10/24/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
David Burdette impressed University President Michael Rao with his "clear understanding" of university budgeting.
That know-how helped him beat out 57 other candidates for post of CMU's top financial officer.
CMU officials on Monday named Burdette as the new vice president of finance and administrative services.
He will start work at CMU on Jan. 7. He is currently filling an equivalent post at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
"I had very good conversations with President Rao," said Burdette, who first got the news last Wednesday. "Friday and Monday here (at IUP) have been very emotional."
Burdette fills a spot left by George Ross, who was named president of Alcorn State University in Mississippi last semester.
Maxine Kent, associate vice president of human resources at CMU and co-chair of the search committee for the position, said she and interim vice president Barrie Wilkes are creating a transition plan for Burdette.
"Barrie has already asked each of the departments that report directly (to Burdette) to do a short, one or two page summary of where the key things are going on in their department," she said. "Kind of as an introduction."
Burdette will oversee nine CMU departments and manage a budget of approximately $344 million, with more than $100 million in planned capital improvements.
"I am impressed with David Burdette's commitment to CMU's strategic plan," Rao said in a press release.
The selection culminates a several-month-long search that began when George Ross announced his resignation in the spring. Ross will be the president of Alcorn State University in Mississippi beginning in January.
The 57 candidates were interviewed in Detroit during the summer. Three finalists were named in September; Burdette, Gregg Floyd from Indiana State University and Cornelius Wooten from Alabama State University.
Before IUP, Burdette held top financial positions at Radford University in Virginia and in the State University of New York system at Fredonia and Buffalo. His master's and bachelor's degrees, both in business administration, are from SUNY at Buffalo and the University of South Florida respectively.
Burdette visited CMU on Sept. 26 for meetings with the executive team and an open forum presentation. He said the staff meetings didn't delve into specific projects.
"I know the budget's going to be right up there and that's OK," he said. "But we didn't really get into a detailed discussion."
He will be called upon to steer CMU through the troubled waters of dwindling state appropriations upon starting in January.
"I've been around enough budget cuts to know what's real, what's irritable and what's really serious," he said in an interview with Central Michigan Life on Sept. 24. "I think I've been creative to help the four institutions that I've been at through really serious budget reductions that kept programs going."
Wilkes, assisting as interim vice president during the transition, will return to his position as associate vice president of financial services and reporting and controller.
news@cm-life.com
That know-how helped him beat out 57 other candidates for post of CMU's top financial officer.
CMU officials on Monday named Burdette as the new vice president of finance and administrative services.
He will start work at CMU on Jan. 7. He is currently filling an equivalent post at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
"I had very good conversations with President Rao," said Burdette, who first got the news last Wednesday. "Friday and Monday here (at IUP) have been very emotional."
Burdette fills a spot left by George Ross, who was named president of Alcorn State University in Mississippi last semester.
Maxine Kent, associate vice president of human resources at CMU and co-chair of the search committee for the position, said she and interim vice president Barrie Wilkes are creating a transition plan for Burdette.
"Barrie has already asked each of the departments that report directly (to Burdette) to do a short, one or two page summary of where the key things are going on in their department," she said. "Kind of as an introduction."
Burdette will oversee nine CMU departments and manage a budget of approximately $344 million, with more than $100 million in planned capital improvements.
"I am impressed with David Burdette's commitment to CMU's strategic plan," Rao said in a press release.
The selection culminates a several-month-long search that began when George Ross announced his resignation in the spring. Ross will be the president of Alcorn State University in Mississippi beginning in January.
The 57 candidates were interviewed in Detroit during the summer. Three finalists were named in September; Burdette, Gregg Floyd from Indiana State University and Cornelius Wooten from Alabama State University.
Before IUP, Burdette held top financial positions at Radford University in Virginia and in the State University of New York system at Fredonia and Buffalo. His master's and bachelor's degrees, both in business administration, are from SUNY at Buffalo and the University of South Florida respectively.
Burdette visited CMU on Sept. 26 for meetings with the executive team and an open forum presentation. He said the staff meetings didn't delve into specific projects.
"I know the budget's going to be right up there and that's OK," he said. "But we didn't really get into a detailed discussion."
He will be called upon to steer CMU through the troubled waters of dwindling state appropriations upon starting in January.
"I've been around enough budget cuts to know what's real, what's irritable and what's really serious," he said in an interview with Central Michigan Life on Sept. 24. "I think I've been creative to help the four institutions that I've been at through really serious budget reductions that kept programs going."
Wilkes, assisting as interim vice president during the transition, will return to his position as associate vice president of financial services and reporting and controller.
news@cm-life.com
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