State budget director takes job with UNC system

Perusse will become vice president for finance for the 17-campus system sometime before March 1, succeeding Ernest Murphrey, who is retiring.

“I am convinced that Charlie Perusse is the right person to assume this critically important role,” UNC President-elect Tom Ross said in a statement. “He has devoted his entire professional career to serving the state of North Carolina in key finance positions, and along the way, he has earned the trust, respect and confidence of state leaders and legislators on both sides of the aisle.

"He understands this (university system’s) growing impact on North Carolina’s economic future, and he has the broad financial and administrative expertise needed to help us meet the challenges and opportunities that lay ahead," Ross continued.

As the UNC system’s chief financial officer, Perusse will oversee a $7.4 billion budget and will work with the UNC Board of Governors, Ross and other senior staff members in developing university policies and programs.

Perusse served as senior fiscal analyst for the state House in the late 1990s, where he coordinated appropriations subcommittees in developing the state budget, analyzed the governor’s proposed budgets and prepared 10-year budget forecast models.

He was named the state's deputy budget director in 2002 and was promoted to budget director two years ago. As director, he oversees development of Gov. Beverly Perdue's recommended budget, monitors spending and revenue to maintain a balanced budget, updates bond-rating agencies and supervised development of the state's six-year capital improvement plan.