UNC Asheville Names Bruce W. Barker Vice Chancellor for Budget and Finance

The University of North Carolina Asheville announced  today the appointment of Bruce W. Barker as the University’s next Vice Chancellor for Budget and Finance and Chief Operating Officer (COO).

Photo Caption:  New UNC Asheville Vice Chancellor for Budget and Finance and Chief Operating Officer, Bruce W. Barker.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — July 6, 2026 — The University of North Carolina Asheville announced  today the appointment of Bruce W. Barker as the University’s next Vice Chancellor for Budget and Finance and Chief Operating Officer (COO). Barker joins UNC Asheville from Western Carolina University (WCU), where he has served as Director of Business Operations and Chief Procurement Officer since 2018.

Barker will succeed Josh Lassiter, who has served in the role on an interim basis after the retirement of previous CFO Paul Forte. Lassiter is currently Vice President for Financial Health & Strategy with the UNC System Office. As VC for Budget and Finance and COO, Barker will oversee UNC Asheville’s financial operations, including budgeting, procurement, risk management, and compliance, reporting to the Chancellor and serving as a key member of the University’s senior leadership team.

“Bruce brings exactly the kind of strategic financial leadership and operational discipline UNC Asheville needs as we continue to strengthen our institution,” said UNC Asheville Chancellor Kimberly van Noort. “He has a proven track record of success, from modernizing financial controls, to improving compliance, building resilient and efficient operating units to creating new parking and transportation models. His depth and breadth of experience across campus enterprises will serve our community well.”

At WCU, Barker oversaw procurement, accounts payable, University travel, and parking and transportation operations, leading enterprise-wide initiatives to strengthen financial controls, risk management, and service delivery. He modernized audit and compliance functions through the strategic use of artificial intelligence to flag high-risk procurement and travel-card transactions. He also led multi-year organizational restructuring efforts that established new leadership roles to improve operational resiliency and succession planning, and he partnered closely with senior leadership to align financial operations with institutional strategy.

Barker holds a Master of Business Administration with a specialization in Finance from the University of North Carolina Wilmington, a Master of Science in Human Resources from Western Carolina University, and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Corporate Finance, also from Western Carolina University.

About UNC Asheville

Founded in 1927, UNC Asheville is a proud member of the University of North Carolina System. With award-winning faculty, small class sizes, and 90+ academic programs in the natural sciences, human sciences, humanities, arts, and social sciences, the University is recognized for its robust paid internship programs to prepare students to immediately enter the workforce. In the US News & World Report 2025 edition of Best Colleges, UNC Asheville is ranked No. #9 in Top Public Schools, and No. #7 in Princeton Review’s 2025 Top 50 Guide to Green Colleges. Known as the Bulldogs, UNC Asheville student-athletes compete in 16 NCAA Division I Teams in the Big South Conference. For more information, please visit: www.unca.edu.