Dr. Burnett has 34 years of professional experience in business affairs and operations, of which 30 years were spent in higher education.
Columbia, SC, September 14, 2023, Today, Benedict College announced Dr. Sharron Taylor Burnett as the new Chief Financial Officer (VPFO). Burnett has an impressive record as a distinguished higher education leader. She will assume her new role as the College’s new VPFO on September 25, 2023.
In this role, she will serve as a senior leader, cabinet member, and a direct report to the president of Benedict College. She will be responsible for managing the business and financial services of the College. As the college’s VPFO, Burnett will be responsible for ensuring the short and long-term fiscal health of the College as well as overseeing the business practices of the College and ensuring that the budget is linked to and supports the College’s strategic plan. She will also serve as the primary point of contact to external constituents on financial and business matters and represent Benedict College on matters related to business operations, budget, and finance.
Burnett will have oversight of the following divisions, Business and Finance, Physical Plant (facilities and maintenance) along with Transportation and IT. She will oversee and participate in financial activities including developing fiscal and budgetary policies and ensure the College’s operations comply with established law, rules, and regulations. Additionally, she will provide hands-on support for the facilities team in the management of major constructions and renovation projects, energy performance contract projects, water management, and roof replacement, as well as the regular ongoing operation of facilities across the campus.
“I welcome Dr. Burnett who has an impressive record in higher education,” said Benedict College President and CEO, Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis. “She has served in the role of an Executive Vice President at both Lane College and Tuskegee University where she also dually served as the university’s Chief Financial Officer. I am confident that her passion for education and her ability to provide leadership, vision and direction will enhance the transformative vision we have for the College.”
Burnett is a native of Tennessee and earned a Bachelor of Science in business administration with a concentration in accounting from Lane College. She also holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Tennessee at Martin and a doctorate in Higher Education Administration from the University of Memphis. She is also a Certified Public Accountant licensed in the state of Tennessee.
She has previously served as Vice President for Fiscal and Administrative Affairs at Langston University as well as Assistant Vice President for Administration and Finance at Meharry Medical College. She has served as the interim Vice-President in student affairs and institutional advancement. Burnett has provided executive oversight of accounting, budgeting, human resources, business office services, physical plant services, campus bookstores, student activities, housing, sponsored programs, and alumni affairs.
Institutions where Burnett has served with distinction include Edward Waters University, Tuskegee University, Dyersburg State Community College, Langston University, Meharry Medical College and at her alma mater, Lane College. She also has experience in public accounting, internal auditing, and banking.
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About Benedict College (benedict.edu)
Founded in 1870 by a woman, Bathsheba A. Benedict, Benedict College is a private co-educational liberal arts institution offering 26 competitive baccalaureate degree programs and two master’s degree programs. The Midlands HBCU welcomes students from all 46 counties in South Carolina, 30 states across America, and 26 countries around the world. The College also has a diverse faculty deeply engaged in teaching, research, and service.
Benedict College has been highly regarded and exceptionally ranked for its programs by several academic and traditional publications. Benedict College received the 2019 ACE/ Fidelity Investments Awards for Institutional Transformation and was named the HBCU of the Year by HBCU Digest. Benedict College was listed among the top half of ranked HBCUs in the 2022 edition of Best Colleges by US News and World Report.
Benedict College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award baccalaureate and master’s degrees. Five of the College’s degree programs hold national accreditation: Social Work Program, Environmental Health Science Program, Environmental Engineering, Studio Art, and the Tyrone Adam Burroughs School of Business and Entrepreneurship.
