New Staff Members Join Finance and Business Affairs Division (07/16/24)

July 16, 2024

HIGHLIGHTS

• Jennifer Lewis is the new associate vice president for fiscal services/controller and comes to the institution with more than 16 years in audit experience.
• Gary Peeples has started work as the new director of procurement and insurance, while Kirsten Auger is the new finance and business affairs coordinator.

ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA - Three new employees recently joined Winthrop University's Division of Finance and Business Affairs in key roles.

Jennifer Lewis, the new associate vice president for fiscal services/controller, comes to the institution with more than 16 years in audit experience, most recently with Bank of America in their Business Controls division. She holds a master's degree in accountancy from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

As associate vice president, Lewis will oversee nearly 25 employees who work in budget services, student financial services and cashiers, procurement and insurance, accounting services and payroll. Her experience and enthusiasm are the perfect mix to lead and improve business operations at Winthrop, said Kevin Butler, interim CFO and vice president for finance and business affairs.

Gary Peeples has started work as the new director of procurement and insurance. He will be responsible for creating a best-in-class purchasing operation that complies with all applicable state laws and regulations. He joined Winthrop in the middle of June, just in time for the wrap-up of the state's procurement audit. "The audit should provide Gary with a deep insight into our purchasing operations and how we can strengthen our processes," Butler said.

A Navy veteran, Peeples has more than 15 years of experience in government contracting, most recently with the City of Charlotte Aviation Department. He earned an MBA in operation management from American InterContinental University.

Kirsten Auger has joined the team as the new finance and business affairs coordinator. In this new role, she will provide high-level administrative and budget/financial support for the division. With 11 years of management experience and a proven background in process improvement, Auger previously worked at Spectrum, Kohl's and Sam's Club. She holds a bachelor's degree in marketing from Concordia University-Wisconsin.

For more information, contact Judy Longshaw, news and media services manager, at [email protected].