University President Steven Knapp has streamlined his cabinet of senior-level vice presidents in an administrative reorganization announced on Monday, reducing the number of vice presidents from 10 to eight.
Knapp chose not to create the chief human resources and chief information officer positions at the vice president level after Vice President of Human Resources Val Berry resigned and Vice President and Chief Information Officer Ron Bonig retired earlier this year.
The top human resources and information officers will now report to Executive Vice President and Treasurer Lou Katz instead of directly to the president. To help Katz handle his expanding job description, Knapp also announced promotions for three of Katz’s associate vice presidents: Ed Schonfeld will serve as senior associate vice president for administration, Alicia O’Neil will become senior associate vice president for operations, and Dave Lawlor will take on the role of senior associate vice president for finance.
“By creating three strong deputy positions to manage areas that formerly reported more directly to the Executive Vice President and Treasurer, I believe we can streamline the activities of that office and achieve a more effective and efficient management structure,” Knapp wrote in an e-mail to The Hatchet.
In his announcement to the staff, Knapp said he hopes the reorganization will strengthen coordination and simplify administrative processes. The vice presidents are often involved in making key decisions for the University, from recommendations about arming the University Police Department to reviewing the inauguration budget before it is released.
“I meet with the vice presidents collectively once a week, and they also meet separately once a week,” Knapp wrote. “I also have regular one-on-one meetings with each of the vice presidents.”
Dave Steinour will serve as interim chief information officer while the University searches for Bonig’s replacement. Knapp said that the University is also launching a search for the chief human resources position.
