| Messages
Dear Colleagues, I am pleased to inform you about some important organizational changes that I believe will help position Northeastern for continued success. These changes will go into effect immediately. At his request, Bob Cunningham will step away from day-to-day responsibilities of running the advancement operation to focus exclusively on cultivating major gifts for the university. As Senior Vice President and Special Advisor to the President, Bob will work directly with me in identifying and building relationships with major gift prospects. Bob played a critical role in the major gift that was announced last week and I fully anticipate that his proven leadership and expertise in this area will yield great results for Northeastern going forward. George Triantaris will assume responsibility for day-to-day management of the Advancement division including Development, Alumni Relations and Corporate Relations. As interim Senior Vice President for Advancement, George will report to me and will meet regularly with me and the other senior vice presidents. George’s deep knowledge of Northeastern and his experience in all aspects of the Advancement operation will be excellent assets as we move ahead with plans to engage the deans and colleges much more directly on our fund raising efforts. At his request George will not be a candidate for the permanent Senior Vice Presidency. A nationwide search for that position will commence immediately. Mark Putnam has been appointed as the Chief Planning Officer for the university. Mark’s strategic counsel and skill in applying research and analysis to critical decisions will be paramount as the university embarks on a long-term strategic planning process. Reporting to me and participating on the senior vice presidents team, Mark will lead university-wide planning efforts and prepare high-level policy analyses and recommendations related to key decisions. In this capacity he will also work closely with me as we interact with the Long-Range Planning Committee of the Board of Trustees. I am fully confident that Mark’s leadership in this expanded role will create strong alignment in our budgeting and planning activities and accelerate our efforts to develop a comprehensive roadmap for reaching our goals. The Office of Government Relations and Community Affairs, under Vice President Bob Gittens will report to Vincent Lembo. Bob and Vin will work closely together to advance the urban mission of the university, including strengthening our relations with community leaders and elected officials, leading our master planning efforts with the city and actively promoting the university’s interests with the state and national congressional delegations. These are critically important areas for the university because we have and will continue to play a vital role in Boston and the region. I expect Vin and Bob to help us cement Northeastern’s reputation as a model for other urban universities to follow. Also, Deanna Jantzen and The Office of the Board of Trustees will now report directly to me as part of the President’s Office. The Board is the governing entity of our university and is entrusted with its long term future. Deanna’s in-depth understanding of Northeastern’s history, her wide-ranging skills and her unparalleled knowledge of every aspect of the governing boards will be indispensable to me as we seek to more actively engage them in support of the university. I am truly excited to be working with each of these individuals in their new or expanded roles as together we chart our course for the future. | |