Don Skeen, the Director of Internal Audit at UNCG, will retire on Feb. 1 after 37 years with the university.
Skeen, a CPA who earned his Master’s degree in Accounting from UNCG, went to work for the university in 1984 when an audit function was first established to provide an independent, objective analysis of UNCG’s governance, risk management, and internal controls.
“Don has been committed to thoroughly evaluating the myriad accounting and reporting, internal control, and operational and compliance-related activities at UNCG,” Chancellor Frank Gilliam said. “His work has served to protect the integrity of the university.”
The audit function evolved significantly during Skeen’s tenure, and he worked with the Board of Trustees to develop the university’s first audit charter in 2006.
Skeen also worked closely in 2017 with the Board and the Office of the General Counsel to refine and expand the Board’s standing audit committee, creating the Compliance, Audit, Risk Management, and Legal Affairs Committee. Known affectionately as “CARL,” the work of the committee with Internal Audit remains critical to the university’s success in achieving compliance and staying on course to meet its mission.
Skeen hosted the last in-person annual conference of the UNC System Auditors Association in 2019.
“Audit is one of those fundamental wide-ranging functions that doesn’t get a lot of attention, but quietly keeps us on track behind the scenes,” Gilliam said. “We’re grateful to Don for his dedication and professionalism, and for the strong position the university is in as a result. We wish him all the best in this much-deserved next phase, and know his wife Nancy and his children and grandchild are thrilled.”
University Communications staff report
