Ruth Lown Turman

Ruth Lown Turman, of Columbia, South Carolina, is a senior sales operations manager for Optum Serve of UnitedHealth Group. Her career has spanned the banking, technology, and health insurance industries, with roles in systems analysis and design, product delivery, business process consulting, and proposal leadership. In her current role, she supports executive decision-making by leading reporting, process optimization, and business development life-cycle governance. Turman holds a Proposal Practitioner certification from the Association of Proposal Management Professionals, is a Professional of the Academy of Healthcare Management, and has earned a Certificate in Project Management from Furman University. She was named a Fellow of the Association of Proposal Management Professionals in 2014 for her service to the profession.

Turman is dedicated to mission-driven organizations and the communities they serve. Her volunteer roles have included leadership at Ebenezer Lutheran Church, support for development initiatives at Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, and conference engagement for the Association of Proposal Management Professionals. She is also a Melvin Jones Fellow of Lions Clubs International, reflecting her ongoing commitment to service.

A 1996 Bachelor of Science graduate in Management Information Systems from Excelsior University (then Regents College), Turman remains deeply committed to advancing the Excelsior mission. She has served on the Alumni Leadership Council since 2023 and has held several leadership positions, including chair of the Alumni Engagement and Legacy Committee. A member of both the President’s Circle and the Purple and Gold Society, she is committed to academic philanthropy and to building and recognizing the legacy of Excelsior University and its alumni while helping to strengthen alumni identity, engagement, and institutional support.