Mary-Ann Ibeziako appointed assistant vice president for utilities
Mary-Ann Ibeziako has been named assistant vice president for utilities at Virginia Tech effective Jan. 25.
In this role within the Virginia Tech Facilities Department, Ibeziako is responsible for direct oversight of campus utility services and infrastructure on the 12-million-gross-square-foot Virginia Tech Blacksburg campus. This includes management of the Virginia Tech Electric Service, the electric utility provider for the Blacksburg campus and about 6,000 residential and commercial customers in Town of Blacksburg; the on-campus central steam plant; the university’s surveying function; and the complex utilities distribution systems supporting campus operations.
Reporting to Associate Vice President and Chief Facilities Officer Christopher H. Kiwus, Ibeziako will lead approximately 100 employees in the utilities unit.
Ibeziako brings more than 28 years of engineering and leadership experience. She joins Virginia Tech from the University of Maryland, College Park, where she served as director of engineering and energy. Among her responsibilities were leading the university’s overall energy and climate action programs; overseeing a multimillion dollar budget; developing the utilities strategic master plan; and providing leadership on behalf of the university at the state level around energy-related issues and legislation.
Ibeziako was director of energy services and sustainability at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University from 2011-14 where she created and deployed the university’s strategic energy management plan and energy conservation program.
Previously, Ibeziako held leadership roles at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, including manager of airport facilities services and chief mechanical engineer.
Ibeziako will work on the infrastructure and utility frameworks highlighted in Beyond Boundaries 2047: The Campus Plan. She will also be at the forefront of bolstering strategic efforts in support of the Virginia Tech Climate Action Commitment.
“Mary-Ann’s extensive engineering, infrastructure, energy, and sustainability expertise, along with her business acumen, will be a tremendous asset for the Facilities Department and the university at large. Partnerships with university stakeholders, faculty and staff, students, clients, and regional leaders are at the heart of this role. Mary-Ann’s deep experiences collaborating with a variety of stakeholders will serve her extremely well as she strengthens existing partnerships and forges new ones on campus and beyond,” said Kiwus.
Ibeziako holds a bachelor and master of science in mechanical engineering from Cleveland State University. She earned a master of business administration from Case Western Reserve University and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering.
Ibeziako is replacing the director of utilities role currently held by John Beach, who is planning to retire in August 2020 after more than three decades of service to the university community.
Written by Alexa Briehl and Christy Myers
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