Vice President for Finance and Chief Financial Officer

Leadership Profile

Salem Academy and College

Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Link to the Leadership Profile

Overview

Salem Academy and College is pleased to announce the opening of their search for their next Vice President for Finance and Chief Financial Officer (CFO). This is an exceptional opportunity for a strategic and forward-looking financial leader to help shape the future of one entity with two distinctive institutions with deeply rooted histories, ambitious aspirations, and a shared commitment to the education and advancement of girls and women. The CFO will have the rare opportunity to partner closely with institutional leadership in guiding both a nationally recognized girls’ academy and the nation’s only college exclusively dedicated to women’s health leadership, helping to position Salem for continued innovation, differentiation, and long-term success.

Founded with the mission of making education accessible to all, Salem has a rich 254-year-old history and a long-standing track record of educating students who are prepared to make a bold impact locally, nationally and globally through liberal arts education. Today, Salem Academy is an all-girls boarding and day high school offering a rigorous college preparatory curriculum, individualized support, and a nurturing community to educate the whole student. Salem College is the nation’s only college exclusively dedicated to developing and elevating women in health leadership. Both the Academy and College are grounded in a commitment to the liberal arts and  girls’ and women’s leadership. The CFO opportunity will provide key financial leadership and strategy to both parts of the institution, working closely with Salem’s leadership team to advance the priorities of the Academy and the College.

Core Duties and Responsibilities

The CFO will serve as a trusted strategic advisor to the President and a collaborative partner to the senior leadership team, helping advance Salem Academy and College’s mission, long-term sustainability, and strategic priorities. The CFO will help steward the institution’s financial resources in ways that strengthen academic excellence, student experience, and institutional vitality. The successful candidate will be an engaging, transparent, and collaborative leader who communicates effectively with trustees, faculty, staff, alumnae, donors, and external partners. Salem Academy and College is engaged in an important period of financial stewardship and strategic positioning, building upon the significant progress and stabilization achieved since 2019. Institutional leadership is focused on long-term financial sustainability, operational effectiveness, and mission-centered investment to support Salem’s continued growth and future success.

The CFO will oversee the institution’s core financial functions, including budget planning and forecasting, endowment, accounting, cash management, grant administration, debt, banking relationships, contracts, risk management, compliance, auxiliary business operations such as the Academy Hotel initiative, internal controls, and the negotiation, monitoring, and review of all vendor contracts.  The CFO will provide strategic leadership and oversight for investment management, regulatory and financial reporting, liquidity planning, audit and compliance functions, and the development and management of high-performing finance and operational teams. The CFO will provide the President and Board of Trustees with timely, accurate financial information, forecasting, and strategic financial analysis to support informed decision-making and long-range planning. The CFO also will provide staff support to the Finance Committee of the Board of Trustees. The CFO will chair the College Faculty Fiscal Affairs Committee.

Leadership opportunities include:

Advancement of long-term financial sustainability and strategic growth. Salem Academy and College has successfully navigated a period of institutional transformation and financial stabilization and is now advancing into its next chapter of strategic financial stewardship. Building on substantial progress since 2019, the institution seeks to enhance financial sustainability and create a foundation for enduring institutional success.

The CFO will be called upon to work in partnership with all members of the community to ensure thoughtful stewardship of institutional resources, alignment of financial priorities with mission, and sustainable investment in strategic initiatives. Under the leadership of the incoming President and bearing in mind the particular areas of focus of both the Academy and the College, the CFO will be able to provide leadership in the planning of both revenues and expenses, taking advantage, for example, of new partnership opportunities to build revenues and advance strategic resource allocation and investment planning.

Signature program support. The CFO will come into the institution with a new perspective on strategies to further enhance Salem’s signature programs that demonstrate institutional relevance, reputation, and market differentiation.

The Academy Hotel project. The CFO will play a central leadership role in the success of the recently launched project to repurpose the Academy’s original building into a revenue-generating hotel.  With support, the CFO will play a critical role in ensuring the project’s success, both in generating revenues and creating a new niche for the Academy and College to achieve its mission.

Integrated enrollment, capital, and financial planning.  As the College continues to increase its enrollment rebound and the Academy rebuilds enrollment, the CFO will be instrumental in capital planning to align with physical resource needs. The CFO will collaborate closely with institutional leaders to align financial planning, enrollment strategy, and long-term physical and personnel resource needs.

Optimization of contractual arrangements. The CFO will have the opportunity to build upon existing contractual relationships and where appropriate and timely, create new relationships to more fully support the institution, such as finding ways to connect student experiences with current contractors, resource-sharing partnerships, and expanding non-financial support provided by contracting entities.

The Ideal Candidate Will Possess:

• A commitment to the mission and values of Salem Academy and College as a women’s institution.
• A track record of success collaboratively leading financial planning and budgeting processes, including clarifying choices for decision making, and ensuring transparent decision making and clear communication with stakeholders both within and beyond the institution.
• Understanding of the financial relationships with banks, debt holders, contractual partners, and other financial institutions.
• Knowledge and experience with financing options for capital planning and comfort with real estate development projects.
• Strong negotiation skills and the ability to comfortably navigate business opportunities such as corporate partnerships and contractual relationships.
• Expertise in multi-year financial strategic planning and modeling with a diverse team of stakeholders.
• An understanding of the higher education landscape and common issues an institution like Salem Academy and College faces.
• Experience at an institution comparable in size, culture and complexity to Salem Academy and College, preferably in an education setting, or equivalent.
• Prior experience working in support of governing boards or equivalent.
• Professional training in business and finance, or equivalent.

Leadership Attributes

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• An open and collaborative leadership style.
• Adept at distilling complex financial concepts into compelling narratives and strategic insights that engage and inform non-financial stakeholders and drive institutional alignment. Able to see both the big picture and be attentive to detail.
• Creativity and delight in solving complex business problems.

About the New President

Dr. Jill Fleuriet is President-elect of Salem Academy and College and a nationally recognized higher education leader, scholar, and educator with more than 20 years of experience advancing student success, academic innovation, and mission-centered leadership. Her Salem presidency begins July 1, 2026. Most recently, she served as Vice Provost for Honors Education, Distinguished Teaching Professor, and Professor of Anthropology at The University of Texas at San Antonio, where she led a residential Honors College serving more than 3,000 students. She led the Honors College through rapid growth, budget model transitions, reorganization, and budget reductions. A cultural and medical anthropologist by training, her work focuses on health, wellbeing, leadership, gender, and community engagement. Dr. Fleuriet is known for her collaborative leadership style, commitment to experiential learning, and dedication to empowering students to lead with purpose and confidence. She holds degrees from Stanford University, Harvard University, and San Diego State University.

About Salem Academy and College

Salem Academy and College is the oldest continuously operating educational institution for girls and women in the country.  Since 1772, the institution has engaged in transformational change to innovate women’s education.

Salem Academy is a boarding and day college preparatory school with focus on interdisciplinary learning focusing on leadership, wellness, and academic rigor. Salem College is the nation’s only liberal arts college exclusively dedicated to developing the next generation of health leaders. Salem College has more than 35 full-time faculty and over 130 staff members who support approximately 500 students including full-time undergraduates, part-time students and graduate students. Our graduates are committed to making the world a better, healthier and more equitable place.

Salem Academy and College is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, a vibrant college town known as the “City of Arts and Innovation”. Winston-Salem is a lively academic community, home to six institutions of higher education and more than 26,000 students. Winston Salem has a collaborative and engaged academic community with strong private and public schools, excellent healthcare systems, and affordable housing. The Winston-Salem area also offers a rich variety of cultural opportunities and has a vibrant art and restaurant scene. Within a few hours of campus are mountains for skiing, camping, or hiking; rivers for whitewater rafting; and the beautiful ports and beaches of North and South Carolina.

Application and Nomination Process

The Search Committee is currently accepting and reviewing applications until the position is filled.  The deadline for best consideration of applications is July 3, 2026

Candidates Should Provide:

• Letter of interest stating how the candidate’s experiences and qualifications connect with the characteristics and priorities expressed in the position profile.
• Résumé or curriculum vitae.
• Five professional references with emails, telephone numbers and a description of the candidate’s professional relationship with each reference listed (references will not be contacted without prior written authorization from the applicant).

All application materials should be submitted electronically in PDF format through the AGB Search portal system at [link: bit.ly/3PwSboi]. Should you have any questions or encounter any difficulties with the application process, please contact: Salem_CFO@agbsearch.com

The search is being assisted by AGB Search. Please direct any nominations, expressions of interest, or questions regarding the application process to Salem_CFO@agbsearch.com or to the AGB Search team below:

Lawrence R. Ladd

Executive Search Consultant, AGB Search

larry.ladd@agbsearch.com

(508) 274-0910

Margaret “Peggy” Plympton

Principal, AGB Search

margaret.plympton@agbsearch.com

(484) 554-4542

AA/EO STATEMENT

Salem College is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, age, religion, disability status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, pregnancy, or any other characteristic protected by law.