Ringing the infamous bell at the New York Stock Exchange is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The chance to close the markets for Tracy Clifford will happen on Wednesday. Along with being a finance adjunct professor in the College of Charleston’s School of Business, Tracy is the CFO of Pernix Therapeutics Holdings, Inc. She will join Cooper C. Collins, the Company’s CEO, who accepted an invitation from the NYSE Amex to ring the closing bell on January 12, 2011 at 4 p.m.
Tracy joined the School of Business in 2007 when she accepted the position to design and manage the curriculum for the Department of Economics and Finance’s internship program. As a 1991 alumnus of the College, Clifford is an avid Cougars fan. She enthusiastically volunteers for various efforts in support of the Cougar baseball program and attends as many basketball games as possible.
“The School is fortunate to have such experienced financial professionals as Tracy on our faculty. She brings her wealth of perspective in working for a publicly traded pharmaceutical company to the classroom in ways that truly benefit our students and peer faculty,” says Kent Gourdin, associate dean of undergraduate studies in the School of Business.
As a busy mom with a young family, Clifford enjoys the advantages a virtual corporate headquarters that Pernix has adopted. It’s a cutting edge workplace environment and infrastructure that hires the best people who fit into the corporate culture.
“Working for Pernix is an invaluable experience. The CFO position of a public company is challenging but also rewarding. Since I am originally from Charleston, I am thrilled that after having built my career in Miami and Atlanta that I could come back and enjoy the quality of life here in Charleston but still enjoy the benefits of a challenging career,” says Clifford.
Tune into CNBC or other live media that broadcasts the closing bell to see Clifford at the podium this Wednesday.
