By MEGHAN MENDEZ
Staff Writer
Cumberland County College would like to introduce the Vice President of Finance, Dr. Mark Harris. As vice president, his responsibilities are to govern the financial and administrative departments of the college. He has the responsibility to approve or deny any curricular activities that are done on campus. He oversees the human resource department, financial budgeting, institutional research and data collections. Dr. Harris correspondingly examines the conference center events. Additionally, he deals with catering events, theater productions, security and maintenance. His responsibilities are to ensure that Cumberland County College is a fiscally stable college environment.
He describes working a Cumberland County College as very rewarding and a diverse work place. He came from the private sector which is a faster-paced atmosphere and more focused on profit versus student success. The benefits of working on campus are being introduced to more strategic ideas and the levels of education his fellow employees share.
Dr. Harris graduated from Wilmington University with a Doctorate Degree in Business Administration and Business Management. The qualifications for this position are a Master’s Degree in Business Administration and being exposed to or involved with financial markets, mergers and acquisitions, financial operations, and financial investments. In any career and work place it is good to have communication skills and work well with people. Harris does not intend to change anything in the financial department. Plans are to reevaluate how the processes works and to achieve the goals they have set out for this school year.
To get to know Dr. Harris on a personal level, he is a huge soccer fan and loves to bake, especially cake. Besides baked goods, his favorite dishes are Mexican and Jamaican. Harris’s cherished season is Fall and his favorite holiday is Thanksgiving because “It provides an opportunity to have my dearest family come over and enjoy a sit down meal,” he says. Mark Donovan Harris is married and has three children.
His favorite movie is “ Shawshank Redemption.” His favorite song is “Till the Sun Turns Black” by Ray LaMontagne. His favorite book is “Strategic Finance.” He shares, “I am passionate about being informed about the continued evolution of financial instruments that are used to provide better management reporting to all sorts of institutions.”
It is apparent how open-minded he is. He wishes to get to know the students on a more personal basis and listen to what they have to say. He does not want to change the whole campus, but to evaluate and make the campus flourish. Every decision he makes is in consideration of students’ success. Harris is committed to this college and committed to continuously improving this institution for students.
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