UVAFinance Welcomes David Nelson as Assistant Director of Payables

David and his family

I was interested in this role at UVA for a number of reasons,” David Nelson said when asked what attracted him to his new role as Assistant Director of Payables. 

“From a career perspective, this was an opportunity to step further into a leadership role and have increasing levels of responsibility.”

Nelson’s previous position was at the non-profit Simons Foundation in New York, NY.  At SF, he performed technically focused initiatives as a Senior Accountant and Systems Administrator. In his current position in UVAFinance, he wants to shift to a more strategic approach with an advocacy mindset for his fellow team members and what will make them successful:

“I always like to keep in mind the mantra ‘when you shine, we shine.’ From a Payables perspective, my vision for the future is to create cohesion so that the team can better communicate and collaborate with other departments in UVAFinance so that we all benefit. I am excited to see what contributions I can make to this great organization and to partner with people to ensure that everyone has a chance to share their knowledge and ideas, and have their voices heard.”

As Assistant Director of Payables, Nelson currently works most closely with Jenn Glassman, Addie Coe, Alita Salley, and the rest of the Procurement and Supplier Diversity Leadership Team. Though he has a strong vision for the future of Payables at UVA, he acknowledges that he still has much to learn from Jenn, Addie, Alita, and others.

David's children, Frankie and Reuben

From a personal perspective, Nelson and his wife of 11 years, Suzanne, wanted to come to Charlottesville because they were looking for a healthy change that would benefit their growing family and allow them to establish strong roots. The couple has two children, a 3-year-old daughter named Frankie and a 9-month-old son named Reuben, and they also have a dog named Gherkin. For Nelson and his wife, who used to live in Charlottesville before moving to New York City in 2014, moving back to Virginia with their family was a calling that was hard to resist.

In his free time, Nelson makes the most out of living in Virginia. First and foremost, he loves spending time with his family. He also enjoys getting outdoors and hiking the numerous trails near Charlottesville. When possible, he enjoys traveling with his family and has a spoon and magnet collection from all the places he has visited.