UNC Greensboro today announced that Bob Shea, currently Vice President for Business, Finance and Technology at Elon University, will become the University’s new Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration beginning May 1. At UNCG, Shea will lead an organization of more than 560 people spanning a wide range of University operations, including all financial functions, Facilities, Campus Enterprises, Human Resources, Risk Management, Emergency Management, and Campus Police.
Shea joins UNCG after spending three years at Elon University in North Carolina. There, he was in a similar role as a member of the president’s senior staff, responsible for finance, administration, auxiliary enterprises, risk management, information technology, human resources, planning and construction, and campus police.
“Bob stood out in a very strong national field because it was clear to all of us that he brings the kind of strategic thinking, creative problem-solving, and rock-solid financial acumen to UNCG that is essential – especially right now in this most complex, challenging environment,” said Franklin D. Gilliam, Jr., Chancellor of UNCG. “Bob has shown repeatedly that he can lead major projects and complex organizations and throughout his career – in the Navy and in higher education – he has proven himself to be a strong, creative, and committed leader. We are pleased that after a national search, the ideal candidate was someone who already has a presence in North Carolina and has an appreciation for what makes UNCG so vital to our region, and so unique on the higher education landscape.”
While at Elon, Shea helped spearhead the university’s 10-year “Boldly Elon” strategic plan, leading the resource allocation and analysis effort. Shea also played a major role in several transformative campus expansion projects. These include construction of the 10,000 sq. ft. LaRose Student Commons, opened in the fall of 2019; renovation of Virginia residence hall; and construction of the Elon Inn, an 80-room on-campus hotel offering high-quality lodging and conference facilities. Shea has also guided strong financial performance at Elon, delivering an annual operating surplus while managing more than $900 million in total assets and helping the Elon endowment reach a record $291 million (as of December 2019).
Prior to joining the leadership team at Elon, Shea was senior fellow for finance and campus management at the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO), the professional association of CFOs in higher education, where he led the Higher Education Economic Models Project and the Endowment and Debt Management Forum. Prior to NACUBO, he was the Vice President for Business Affairs (CFO) at the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) system, a four-year public institution with 18,000 students and 1,200 employees. Concurrently, Shea advised the Rhode Island commissioner of higher education on strategic and financial issues for CCRI, Rhode Island College, and the University of Rhode Island, an $800 million enterprise.
A veteran, Shea retired in 2007 from the U.S. Navy as a captain. He served for 25 years with postings around the United States and the world, culminating his naval career with three years on the faculty at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. He holds a Master of Business Administration from the College of William & Mary and a Master of Arts in Strategic Studies from the Naval War College. Shea lives in Burlington, North Carolina, with Tracey, his wife of 34 years.
This role at UNCG has been filled on an interim basis by Charles Leffler since October, and was most recently held on a permanent basis by Charlie Maimone, who now has a similar role at North Carolina State University.
