Two departments to merge to form Office of Campus Planning, Space, and Real Estate
With the forthcoming retirements of University Architect Scott Hurst and Elizabeth Reed, director of Real Estate Management, Virginia Tech will merge the offices of Real Estate Management and the University Architect to form the Office of Campus Planning, Space, and Real Estate.
The new department will be headed by an assistant vice president for campus planning, space, and real estate and will report to Sherwood G. Wilson, vice president for administrative services. The university has begun a national search for this position. Jack Davis, dean of the College of Architecture and Urban Studies, will chair the search. It is anticipated that the position will be filled during the fall semester.
Both Hurst and Reed will retire by the end of June.
"Elizabeth and Scott both brought a high level of professionalism and expertise to their respective offices," said Wilson. "Over the past two decades, Virginia Tech has experienced tremendous growth. Scott led the development of the current campus master plan and the design standards that preserve and promote the aesthetics of our campus buildings and landscaping. Elizabeth has enabled us to be responsive to the changing needs of the campus by enhancing available space through off-campus leases, which has given us the flexibility to quickly respond as new programs and initiatives emerged."
The new assistant vice president will provide leadership in matters of campus aesthetics and the preservation of Virginia Tech's architectural heritage; development of space management policies and standards; and identification of strategic property acquisitions to advance the university's mission and future growth needs.
Staff in the new Office of Campus Planning, Space, and Real Estate will provide guidance through the professional disciplines and core competencies of architectural design, campus planning, land planning/landscape architecture, space programming and analysis, geographic information systems, integrated sustainable planning, and real estate management.
Effective July 1, Lynn Eichhorn will become acting assistant vice president to serve until the new assistant vice president is hired, at which time she will assume a new role in the Office of Campus Planning, Space, and Real Estate. She currently serves as the executive director of university planning, design, and construction, and brings a strong architectural background and familiarity with many aspects of the functions that will be part of this new organization. Jim McCoy will provide leadership to University Planning, Design, and Construction while a search for the executive director for that department is conducted.
