Norman named acting vice president for business affairs

Leah T. Norman, a member of the administrative staff since 1985, is now acting vice president for business affairs. She will be responsible for a wide range of university activities, including budgeting, fiscal planning, purchasing, human resources, physical plant operations, and auxiliary enterprises.

"Ms. Norman is intimately familiar with virtually every aspect of university finances and operations,” said President Donald Zacharias in making the announcement Monday. "She has proven her ability to deal effectively with extremely complex problems, and I am pleased that she will be giving direction to these very important functions."

Norman was promoted last year to director of budget planning and audit. She had been director of internal audit since 1985, and reported directly to the president in both positions. From 1974 to 1985, she held a series of positions in the state Department of Audit, where she was responsible for state audits in north Mississippi of universities and community colleges, including Mississippi State.

Norman said immediate concerns for the Division of Business Affairs include a restructuring of the university's budgeting system, expediting installation of a new administrative computing system, and seeking ways to increase the university's financial reserves.

Zacharias said Norman was selected as chief financial officer on an acting basis in view of her extensive acquaintance with the finances of nearly all university units.

"As internal auditor for the past 10 years, Ms. Norman has had occasion to study the operations of nearly every part of Mississippi State, both from the standpoint of fiscal control and, more recently, with a view to evaluating the effectiveness of units in carrying out their missions," Zacharias said. "I look forward to having her expertise applied on a broader scale."

Norman graduated from Mississippi State in 1972 with a bachelor's degree in accounting. She is active in a variety of professional, civic, and service organizations.

Norman succeeds Dr. George Verrall, who gave up the post of vice president after 15 years to return to a full-time faculty position in the College of Business and Industry.

"Dr. Verrall has worked tirelessly to manage the business affairs of a highly complex institution, and I deeply appreciate his many contributions," said Zacharias.

Commissioner of Higher Education Ray Cleere has announced that his office will conduct a review of the current formula used for distributing state funds among the eight state universities. Mississippi State will need the strongest possible financial leadership in place during that process, Zacharias said.