Bob Broyden named interim vice president for campus planning, infrastructure, and facilities at Virginia Tech
Bob Broyden, associate vice president for campus planning and capital financing at Virginia Tech, will become interim vice president for campus planning, infrastructure, and facilities effective Nov. 10, 2023.
His appointment follows the announcement that current Vice President for Campus Planning, Infrastructure, and Facilities Chris Kiwus has accepted the position of vice president for facilities, real estate, and planning at Wake Forest University, a private liberal arts university located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina with a campus size of 340 acres and a student population of nearly 9,000 graduate and undergraduate students.
“Over his 10 years of service, Dr. Kiwus has been instrumental in not only overseeing significant growth of the university’s physical assets, but also maintaining and improving the campus infrastructure that supports each one of us on a daily basis. Among many of Chris’ legacies will be the strong leadership team he has built during his tenure with the university,” said Amy Sebring, executive vice president and chief operating officer. “Bob has been an integral part of that team, and I am delighted he has agreed to step into the interim role.”
Broyden’s 30 years of service to Virginia Tech include progressive leadership roles in financing and financial management, capital outlay, campus planning, real estate management, business practices, and commercial partnerships. In his tenure, he has orchestrated the strategy and development to drive over $2 billion of new funding which more than doubled the size of Virginia Tech in the last 30 years. Additionally, Broyden has a proven track record leading strategic initiatives that engaged the Virginia Tech Foundation, Inc., community leaders, private partners, corporations, and the Commonwealth of Virginia on behalf of the university.
In this interim role, Broyden will lead a team of more than 500 university employees and provide direction to the university’s campus planning, construction, space management, real estate and leasing, facilities operations, sustainability, energy management, and utility operations, including the Virginia Tech Electric Service. The team strategically stewards Virginia Tech’s 2,600-acre main campus in Blacksburg; its physical presence across the commonwealth, including the Innovation Campus in the Washington, D.C., metro area, the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke, and sites in Newport News and Richmond; educational and research facilities across the state; a study-abroad site in Switzerland; and a 1,800-acre agriculture research farm near the main campus.
“Chris’ trademark consistency, team-first orientation, and compelling urgency set a standard that empowered the facilities function to flourish," said Broyden. “I am deeply honored to continue my service to Virginia Tech in this interim role. I look forward to navigating this transitional journey and building upon our strong foundation."
At Virginia Tech, Kiwus has installed thoughtful and responsive organizational changes to align with campus growth and unify service delivery. A major example is the High Performance Cross Functional Team established in 2020 and led by Broyden that now advances collaboration, transparency, and continuous improvement across all stages of the capital project lifecycle and real estate activities. Other transformative and innovative changes include the establishment of a university arborist role, an ADA pathway enhancement crew, a Hokie Stone maintenance crew, and a revised in-house renovations project management team, among others.
Kiwus and his team have been instrumental in ensuring the university’s award-winning campus master plan moved from concept to reality. In lockstep with the ambitious six-year capital outlay planning process, his tenure coincided with what could be considered Virginia Tech’s most substantial construction campaign in its over 150-year history. Projects like the Data and Decision Sciences Building, the Undergraduate Science Laboratory Building, the Innovation Campus Academic Building I, the Virginia Tech Carilion Biomedical Research Expansion, and so many others will catalyze learning and innovation for years to come.
Through development of the 2020 Climate Action Commitment, the Division of Campus Planning, Infrastructure, and Facilities helped the university’s sustainability programming solidify itself as a global leader. The university continues to make strides as evidenced by the latest Times Higher Education Impact rankings released in late-September.
“Chris’ knowledge and expertise have been invaluable during the past decade as we launched some of our most ambitious capital projects to advance the university’s vision for the future,” said Virginia Tech President Tim Sands. “I especially appreciate the spirit of service that he brings to every leadership role and wish him great success in this new endeavor.”
A defining construct of Kiwus’ legacy is his triangulated leadership approach to facilities management. Kiwus’ team is familiar with his directive: “Our goal is to take care of three things every day: First, our customers, the people in the facilities. The facilities themselves. And the facilities team. Do that daily and we’ll make Virginia Tech a better place!”
“As I bid farewell to our incredible team at Virginia Tech, I am reminded of the remarkable journey we’ve embarked on together over the past decade. It has been an honor to serve this institution, to build and improve our campus environments, and to witness the growth and transformation that has occurred and will continue,” said Kiwus. “Change is an integral part of growth. It’s important to remember that our impact is not measured by the buildings we construct or the infrastructure we manage, but by the lives we touch and the futures we inspire. I look forward to joining the Wake Forest community, but I will always carry with me the distinct Hokie ‘Ut Prosim (That I May Serve)’ spirit and a passion for higher education’s impact ignited during my time in Blacksburg.”
Virginia Tech will launch a national search for its next vice president for campus planning, infrastructure, and facilities. Frances Keene, Virginia Tech’s vice president for student affairs, will chair the search to fill this critical leadership role.
