Melvin E. Barnette
Erskine Hires New Vice President For Business And Operations
Erskine College and Seminary President Dr. John Carson announces the appointment of Melvin E. Barnette as vice president for business and operations.
Barnette started work Monday and replaces Ed Troublefield, who resigned.
Born in Anderson County, Barnette graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics with a minor in economics and sociology from Clemson University, then received a master’s degree in industrial management from Clemson.
Barnette has been owner, president and principal in charge of Melvin E. Barnette & Associates Inc. in Pendleton, doing management consulting and legislative lobbying. He has owned the company since 1986.
He said there was no single factor that made him decide to take the position at Erskine after years of owning his own business.
“I thoroughly enjoyed my management consulting work, but I also miss the day-to-day challenges of the college/university setting,” Barnette said. “The extensive travel with my consulting business was getting a little more tiresome than it used to be. Also, meeting the president and the vice presidents at Erskine made the job attractive.”
Before opening his management consulting company, Barnette was vice president for business and finance at Clemson from 1977-86. He was chief fiscal officer for the university and was responsible for the financial planning of all phases of the administration at Clemson.
He also served as assistant vice president-budgets and systems, budget director, supervisor of grants and contract accounts, and an accountant for the university.
Barnette said he thinks his experience at Clemson will be beneficial to Erskine.
“I think that my experience at Clemson University – 30 years in jobs from junior accountant to vice president for business and finance, plus the 17 years engaged in management consulting assignments -- primarily in higher education, have provided extensive experience that will benefit Erskine,” he said. “Having dealt with a myriad of challenges and problems, I believe that, in most cases, I can call on actual previous experiences to deal with similar situations at Erskine.”
Barnette said the challenges faced at a public university such as Clemson are comparable to those faced at a private institution such as Erskine.
“In both cases, the positions are mainly the challenges of managing people and resources,” he said. “Management of people and resources are quite similar in both settings.”
The operation of a public university compared with a private institution of higher learning is different on a number of levels, Barnette said.
“There are considerable differences, all of which I believe I am equipped to handle,” he said. “One of the biggest differences is the absence, or lesser amount of, laws, state regulations, restrictions, etc., that are prevalent in public institutions. However, with lesser restrictions and greater freedom in managing a private institution comes a greater responsibility to do not only what is right, but also the avoidance of what might only appear to be improper management operations.”
Barnette said the decision to come to Erskine was difficult, but he said one of the mitigating factors that influenced him to make the change was the “positive feeling” he had about working with the leadership of the college.
Barnette and his wife, the former Frances Copeland, have two grown children – Susan, who lives in Rock Hill, and Todd, who resides in Anderson.
The Barnettes have four grandchildren.
Barnette is a retired member of the U.S. Army Reserves, having served two years on active duty as a member of the Signal Corps and 18 years on reserve duty.
He is a member of the National Association of College and University Business Officers, Southern Association of College and University Business Officers, National Association of Accountants, Reserve Officers Association and National Exchange Club.
Barnette is a member of First Baptist Church in Clemson and a past member of First Baptist Church in Pendleton, where he served as part-time minister of music for 25 years.
