Perkins focusing on USC Assistant Vice President role

On July 1, 2018, Jeffrey Perkins, CPA, CIA, CHFR, MBA, relinquished his roles as chief of staff and associate dean for administration and finance for the School of Medicine to focus his attention on his role as USC associate vice president for business & finance and medical business affairs (AVP).

Based on the recommendation of an advisory committee and a review of his qualifications, Executive Dean Les Hall selected Derek Payne to fill the new position of assistant dean for administration and finance. Payne previously served as the executive director of accounting, budgets and finance for the USC School of Medicine and the USC School of Medicine Educational Trust.

“With every success, Derek has demonstrated that his hard work and determination have been the key, and he deservingly earned this promotion to assistant dean,” Perkins says. “He will bring a professional manner coupled with a spirit of enthusiasm to his new role.”

The assistant dean for administration and finance serves as the chief business officer, chief financial officer and chief administrative officer for academic support functions for the School of Medicine.

Payne joined the executive team at the USC School of Medicine Columbia in 2016. As assistant dean, Payne will oversee the day-to-day financial/budget operations of the School of Medicine and its facilities’ operations. He also will advise the executive dean regarding financial and business affairs. Additionally, he will continue to serve as the executive director for the USC School of Medicine Educational Trust and work with the USC associate vice president for business and finance and medical business affairs. 

“With his past experience in the Greenville Health System and his last few years here, Derek has added tremendous value to the School of Medicine, and I am confident he will continue to provide strong leadership in his new role,” School of Medicine Executive Dean Les Hall says.

Perkins joined the executive team at the USC School of Medicine in 2007. He holds the academic rank of clinical assistant professor in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine.

In his evolving role as USC AVP, Perkins will continue to advise the executive dean and others. He also will serve as an operational finance liaison between the School of Medicine and USC leadership. One of his continued roles will be to work on the new Health and Biosciences Campus.

“Even though I accepted the role of USC AVP during the 2010-2011 academic year, for the most part, beyond certain special projects over the past few years, I was still performing my tasks as the chief of staff and the associate dean for administration and finance for the USC School of Medicine Columbia,” says Perkins. “With the recruitment of new finance leadership team members and the reorganization and reallocation of work, I am now able to dedicate more of my time to USC global issues.”

Perkins will maintain a presence at the VA campus and the Trust Offices, and will continue to serve as the secretary and treasurer for the USC School of Medicine Educational Trust. 

“Over the past ten years, Jeff has helped establish a stable financial foundation for the School of Medicine,” Dean Hall says. “We are very thankful for his past and continued service.”