January 2025
The year 2025 is off to a frigid start, so let me begin with a huge thanks to our teams that have spent many hours managing the snow and ice on our campuses these past few weeks! Winter has been in full force, but our dedicated employees have made it possible for us to access campus and our facilities safely as we returned to work after Winter Break.
As I look ahead to warmer days, I remain focused on the work that each of us does to provide the university’s “enabling infrastructure.” You’ve likely heard me use this phrase as a way to capture simply the complexity of the work we do in University Operations. Enabling infrastructure refers to the people, processes, and resources that form the operational core of the university and allow our campus community to advance Virginia Tech’s strategic objectives. Our impact on the university's teaching, research, and outreach missions is elevated by understanding how our contributions support this enabling infrastructure and by enhancing our operations.
Through our shared commitment to enhance the operational environment for all stakeholders, we have developed key strategic focus areas for University Operations: 1) improving business processes, 2) stewarding resources, 3) fostering a thriving community, 4) building research resiliency and capacity, and 5) driving data-informed decisions that are impactful to the achievement of the Virginia Tech Advantage and Virginia Tech Global Distinction. With a focus on these five areas, we will strengthen our operations and the impact we have on the university.
That impact can be felt in big and small ways. It may not always create headlines or make a splash, but our work is critical to achieving our mission. Recognizing that contributions may be big or small, over the next few editions of this newsletter, we will focus on our teams through a series of “Unsung Heroes” stories. Please take the time to read about the Parking Services team below and look for more of your colleagues in upcoming newsletters. Give them a shout out for the great work they are doing to enable us all to be successful.
The start of a new year brings opportunity for new beginnings. As we’re welcoming new employees to University Operations, we’re also celebrating a few who have announced their upcoming retirement. Thank you to Melinda West and Mike Mulhare who will retire later this year! Both have dedicated years of service to Virginia Tech, and I am grateful for their many contributions.
Lastly, we have a new look to the EVPCOO website. We’ve worked to improve the navigation and highlight information that is important and relevant to you. Please check it out and visit often for news specific to University Operations.