Narvel G. Weese, who has served as the interim vice president for administration and finance at West Virginia University since September, has officially been appointed to the position by WVU President David C. Hardesty, Jr. following a national search.

Weese has worked at WVU for the past 25 years, including the past 15 in senior budgeting and finance positions.

“Narvel is seen as a person with great integrity, technical competence and wonderful interpersonal skills,Hardesty said.He emerged as the clear choice for WVU at this time, and I have every confidence in Narvel’s commitment to this University and to its students and employees.”

Weese has been an integral part of the administration and finance team that implemented $600 million of facilities improvements, earned excellent external bond ratings, received clean audits, facilitated enrollment growth, and managed the University through several financial challenges, Hardesty said.

In his most recent position as assistant vice president for planning, he coordinated implementation of WVU ’s more than $600 million budget; helped secure and manage the issuance of $225 million in revenue bonds; refinanced outstanding debt to save $2.5 million; developed a business intelligence function as an integral tool for the University’s strategic planning; secured funds through bank-qualified, lease financing transactions to support capital improvements; established a scholarship management system; and coordinated development of numerous University-wide salary improvement packages.

He has also been an active leader in WVU ’s Budget Planning Committee, Capital Planning Committee and Enrollment Management Council. He was a key architect of the financial plan to support WVU ’s 2010 strategic plan.

“Narvel is a great example of a West Virginian who has worked hard and made a tremendous difference here at WVU ,Hardesty said.He has had a direct, and often behind the scenes, impact on much of the success we’ve had at WVU over the past decade. He has worked at many levels of the organization and his experiences managing our budget and planning functions give him a deep understanding of the complexities of WVU .”

The vice president for administration and finance serves as the University’s chief financial officer and is the principal steward of the University’s resources. The administration and finance division has a staff of about 500, with major departments in finance, facilities and services, planning, public safety, human resources and environmental health and safety.

Among some of the vice president’s specific duties are development and monitoring of the University’s annual operating and capital budgets, ensuring sound financial condition of the institution, providing institutional leadership on financial matters while ensuring timely, accurate and transparent financial reporting, and serving on the boards of the West Virginia University Hospitals and the West Virginia University Research Corporation.

In accepting the position, Weese said,”I am very proud to serve as the vice president of administration and finance at one of the nation’s great flagship universities. I am committed to developing an administration and finance team focused on service in support of the University’s land-grant and research mission, and minimizing obstacles to our success while caring for the University’s assets.”

Weese was chosen following a national search, led by the search firm Witt Keiffer, that began last fall. The Screening Committee interviewed six of the more than 40 applicants for the position before bringing three individuals to Morgantown for more extensive campus-wide interviews.