William Nelson

Executive Director of Academic Finance and Administration

William C. Nelson, Jr. joins VCU as Executive Director of Academic Finance and Administration in the Office of the Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs. Prior to joining VCU, Nelson served as the Associate Dean for Finance and Administration at the David A. Clarke School of Law at the University of the District of Columbia, where he managed the day-to-day financial and administrative operations of the Law School related to planning, budgeting, controlling, accounting and reporting, working closely with the Dean and the University Administration. Additionally, Nelson had a broader role in the University under the direction of the Chief Operating Officer as the Chair of the University Budget Committee with the responsibility of leading the University’s annual budget development process.

Prior to his appointment as the Associate Dean, Nelson worked in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer for the District of Columbia and was assigned to the position of Director of Financial Operations at UDC, where he focused on budget formulation and forecasted spending plan execution for the overall University budget, including reviewing, coordinating and developing the capital budget plan. He also provided timely financial updates and analyses to the Office of the Chief Financial Officer and other key UDC senior management and its Board of Trustees. For a short time during this assignment, Nelson also supported the District’s Office of the Chief Technology Officer as the Financial Manager where he analyzed and interpreted the financial impact of new legislation on the agency’s annual budget and forecast. Nelson’s professional and community affiliations include the Government Financial Officer Association, the National Forum for Black Public Administrators and Concerned Black Men of Richmond, of which he was a former president. A native of Washington, D.C. Area, Nelson earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Virginia Union University.

"As I near the end of my first six months at VCU, I must say it has been a dynamic experience - New Institution, New Position, New Colleagues, New Team and oh yes Covid-19. In the face of all that, my transition has been a fantastic journey. My colleagues at VCU have made me feel at home. With so much uncertainty, it is good to feel at home. I look forward to meeting more of the VCU family and to the experiences to come."