Michael Strine’s resignation earlier this month from his position as the University’s executive vice president and chief operating officer means the University starts the academic year without a chief operating officer or a chief financial officer, as former University CFO Yoke San Reynolds retired in May.
As the search begins to replace Reynolds and Strine — the latter of whom left with an $847,308 severance package — students will be served by a University financial staff at half-power.
The University administration did not comment when asked whether the depleted staff would impact administrative efficiency.
In a letter to the University community posted on her website on Aug. 15, University President
Teresa A. Sullivan said the University has made arrangements to function while the search for a new chief operating officer continues. Until then top administrators, including the heads of human resources, management and budget and the Medical Center, will report directly to Sullivan instead of to the chief operating officer.
Leonard Sandridge, the University’s former chief operating officer and current special advisor to the president, has also stepped in to take over some of his old responsibilities. Sandridge served as executive vice president and chief operating officer before retiring from his post in December 2010.
University Chief of Police Michael Gibson and Director of Emergency Preparedness Marge Sidebottom will report to Sandridge, who deferred to Sullivan’s office for comment. Gibson isn’t expecting the change in leadership to impact departmental effectiveness.
“Operations of the department will not change during the interim,” Gibson said in an email.
“University [P]olice have worked with Mr. Sandridge for many years and look forward to working with him in this temporary role.”
Commerce School Dean Carl Zeithaml is leading the search for a new executive vice president and chief operating officer.
The search committee was the same one that chose Strine in 2011, University spokesperson Carol Wood said. She added that the committee has suggested Sullivan should expand the pool of candidates from those examined during the previous search.
Despite a summer fraught with tension over her role in Sullivan’s ouster, Rector Helen Dragas publicly expressed her confidence in Sullivan’s ability to replace Strine and Reynolds.
“The Board looks forward to supporting President Sullivan as she initiates a national search for a new financial leader,” Dragas said in an Aug. 7 University press release.
Strine stepped down Aug. 7, a little more than a month after Sullivan’s reinstatement and just before the Board of Visitors held its two-day mid-August retreat in Richmond.
As executive vice president and chief operating officer, Strine managed the University’s financial operations and capital deployment. He was also the top budgeting, business and funding advisor to the president, the provost and the Board.
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