Dear IC Community,
As we get our spring semester fully under way during this first week of classes, I wanted to provide you with a brief update on the transition plan for our Division of Finance and Administration.
As I shared with you earlier this month, Bill Guerrero, Vice President for Finance and Administration, will be leaving the college on Friday, Feb. 26. We are very close to launching a search for his successor, and in the interim, Bill and I have worked closely with his team to develop a transition plan for this critical area.
Because of the incredible depth of staff talent we have at IC and, in particular, in finance and administration, I have decided not to hire an interim vice president. Instead, three members of our community will be stepping up and into leadership roles to ensure that we don’t miss a beat managing our finances or the many critical services that fall within the purview of this division.
Beginning March 1, Tim Carey, Associate Vice President, Facilities, will lead the administrative side of the division, working closely with Dave Prunty, Executive Director, Auxiliary Services, and Dave Weil ’87, MS ’89, Associate Vice President, Information Technology, to coordinate the efforts of these offices.
Marc Israel ’05, who currently serves as Assistant Provost, Finance and Administrative Operations, will be moving out of the provost’s office and into the business and finance office, where he will serve as Associate Vice President for Business and Finance. The position in the provost’s office will not be filled, and Marc’s role as a member of the Division of Finance and Administration will continue beyond the hiring of a new vice president. Marc’s deep experience and knowledge in academic affairs will contribute richly to the business and finance office, in addition to the collaborative work that is well established between the Office of the Provost and the Division of Finance and Administration.
Beth Reynolds, our current Controller, will transition to the role of Budget Director and, together with Marc, will be leading the business and finance function. Sean Kanazawich, currently Director of Financial Services, will assume the role of Controller and report to Marc, drawing upon Beth’s guidance and mentorship.
I am tremendously grateful to have Tim, Marc, and Beth at the helm during this critical time at the college.
Speaking for Bill and myself, we want to thank the staff in finance and administration for their thoughtful collaboration in creating this interim plan. I have full faith in the leadership, talent, and expertise that Marc, Beth, Tim, Dave Prunty, and Dave Weil bring to this important transition—and I have full faith in the dedication, work ethic, and student-centered orientation that all members of this wide-ranging division bring to their efforts every day.
I want to also give you a brief update about our search for a new Vice President for Finance and Administration. The college is once again partnering with search firm WittKieffer. Odalys Diaz-Piñeiro, Chief of Staff in the Office of the President, will chair the search committee, joined by committee members:
- Susan Bassett '79, Associate Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreational Sports
- Michael Conover '81, Ithaca College Trustee
- Shana Gore, Executive Director, Student Financial Services
- Marc Israel '05, Assistant Provost, Finance and Administrative Operations
- Grace Madeya ’23, student representative on Institutional Effectiveness and Budget Committee (IEBC)
- Chris McNamara '81, Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Physical Therapy; Director, Occupational Therapy/Physical Therapy Clinic; and Chair, Faculty Council
- Jim Yaggie, Professor and Director of the Human Anatomy Laboratory, Department of Physical Therapy
I want to thank these members of our community who are dedicating their time and effort to serve the college and help us find our next vice president.
As this search gets into full swing, stay tuned to your inbox and Intercom for updates on our progress from Odalys.
I want to close by thanking the members of this Ithaca College community for your patience and heart, as we walk through this time of great change.
All my best,
Shirley M. Collado
President