Four finalists selected for campus visits in search for associate vice president and chief facilities officer
Sherwood Wilson, vice president for administration at Virginia Tech, and the search committee chair for the Associate Vice President and Chief Facilities Officer announced that four finalists have been selected for campus visits.
Reporting to the vice president for administration, the associate vice president and chief facilities officer will provide leadership for the university’s growing facilities enterprise including the offices for the following functions: facilities operations; university building official, university design and construction; deputy chief facilities officer; and the office of university planning.
Overseeing the care, maintenance and development of Virginia Tech’s campus spanning more than 2,600 acres, with 125 buildings and an airport, the associate vice president and chief facilities officer will have responsibility for the $150 million capital project program and approximately 450 staff members.
The associate vice president and chief facilities officer is responsible for all university facilities assets on the main campus and off campus including the development and maintenance, operation, planning, construction and renovation of space serving faculty, staff, students and visitors. The associate vice president and chief facilities officer is also responsible for Virginia Tech Electric Services, the operation of a Hokie Stone quarry, and the administrative oversight of the Virginia Tech Climate Action Commitment.
In addition, the associate vice president and chief facilities officer is responsible for the delegation and administration of the university building official, capital outlay program, and real estate functions. The associate vice president and chief facilities officer is a highly visible role that interacts with top-level administration of the university in strategic planning, long range physical planning and development, and development of the capital outlay program for the future benefit of the university.
As part of the interview and selection process for the position, Wilson invites all members of the campus community to meet the candidates selected for a campus interview. University and community members are invited to attend the candidate open forum presentations followed by a brief question and answer session. Candidates and the information on their presentations are
Stephen Wood
Col. Stephen Wood currently serves as vice commander of the 72nd Air Base Wing at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City. Wood has more than 24 years of progressive responsibility and experience in leadership and management; engineering and construction; facility maintenance and operations; emergency management; and energy and sustainability.
His command and management responsibilities include the supervision of nearly 1,700 military and civilian personnel who provide base operating and service support, security and direct operational support for more than 45 units. He also represents Tinker to a group of local government, community action and civic organizations.
Prior to this assignment, Wood served as chief, asset management and operations division and deputy chief of staff, logistics, installations, and mission support, Headquarters Air Force where he led 35 personnel providing environmental, energy and asset management policy, and oversight supporting the Air Force’s $263 billion installation management portfolio.
Wood has a master’s degree in engineering management from Mercer University, and is a licensed professional engineer in Virginia.
- Open Forum: 9:15 to 10 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 16 in the Alumni Assembly Hall of the Holtzman Alumni Center at The Inn at Virginia Tech
David Duncan
David Duncan is currently corporate vice president of facilities and support services at UMass Memorial Health Care System, HealthAlliance Hospitals in Leominster, Mass., where he has served since 1990. Duncan is a senior facilities and operations management professional with more than 30 years of progressive engineering, facilities, and support services management and organizational leadership experience.
He has led complex, multi-site operations for a top-tier, award winning healthcare corporation; been recognized for his ability to devise strategies and lead teams through multimillion-dollar construction and growth initiatives; and specializes in the development and implementation of cost-cutting measures that preserve financial resources while improving efficiency, ensuring adherence to high service and quality standards, and promoting collaboration across all organizational levels to support immediate and long-term goals.
Duncan has a bachelor’s degree in industrial technology from Central Connecticut State University, and is a licensed construction supervisor in Massachusetts.
- Open Forum: 9:15 to 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 21 in the Alumni Assembly Hall of the Holtzman Alumni Center at The Inn at Virginia Tech
Raymond Alexander
Raymond Alexander currently serves as executive vice president and chief engineer for engineering, energy and environment at Professional Project Services Inc. (Pro2Serve) in Oak Ridge, Tenn. Alexander is a senior engineering and facilities management professional with more than 37 years of progressive engineering, design, construction, facilities/project management, and leadership experience, including commercial nuclear and fossil power, new and existing laboratories, city planning/construction and quality management.
He has extensive experience in the operating large engineering design departments and managing large projects as well as performing technical reviews on highly complex facilities. His is a licensed professional engineer in numerous states as well as a certified professional manager of projects.
Alexander is retired from the U.S. Navy where he achieved the rank of rear admiral in the Civil Engineering Corps.
- Open Forum: 9:15 to 10 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 23 in the Alumni Assembly Hall of the Holtzman Alumni Center at The Inn at Virginia Tech
Christopher Kiwus
Christopher Kiwus currently serves as commanding officer of the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast in Jacksonville, Fla. Kiwus has 29 years of professional experience as a senior leader, manager, and engineer in charge of navy facilities planning, engineering, maintenance, construction contracting, and support service contracts.
He has extensive experience leading large, complex engineering services and facility maintenance organizations; including direction of both large in-house shops work forces as well as professional and technical staffs. He has a successful record of managing large budgets and as an innovative leader maintaining client focused-goals.
Kiwus has a master's degree in civil engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Ph.D. in civil and environmental engineering from Rutgers University. He is a graduate of the Advanced Executive Program, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, and is a registered professional engineer in Florida.
- Open Forum: 9:15 to 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 11 in the Alumni Assembly Hall of the Holtzman Alumni Center at The Inn at Virginia Tech
The search committee encourages all participants to submit feedback via the online surveys that will be posted on the Office of the Vice President for Administration website.
