Editor’s note: The Cavalier Daily conducted this exit interview with Colette Sheehy prior to former University President Jim Ryan’s resignation.
Colette Sheehy, senior vice president for operations and state government relations, retired in June, concluding more than 40 years working at the University. During her career and in the 10 years she worked in her most recent position, Sheehy oversaw several major construction and renovation projects, as well as worked to pass legislation to benefit the University in the Office of State Government Relations.
Sheehy’s role involved overseeing the work of around 2,500 University employees, including custodians, architects and engineers. She said some of her favorite memories revolve around celebrations of her staff and their commitment to the University.
“They are very talented, and they are so dedicated to this institution,” Sheehy said. “When you have [employees] who have to come in all hours of the night and day, weekends, when something happens … they respond, and they deserve a lot of credit for that, and they really love the place.”
After working in the University’s budget office for 11 years, Sheehy was appointed vice president of management in 1993, becoming one of the first two women to hold a vice president position. Sheehy expressed gratitude towards former Chief Operating Officer Leonard Sandridge and former President John Casteen III for their aim to diversify the senior leadership of the institution.
“At the time, there were only two [vice presidents] who were women,” Sheehy said. “For a long period of time, I was the only woman. I was in a lot of meetings where I was the only woman in the room.”
In 2015, Sheehy was promoted to the position of senior vice president for operations and state government relations. This office provides primary operational and administrative support to the University via several different units, including Facilities Management, the Office of the Architect and Business Services.
Sheehy said that despite the current environment in higher education being challenging, it is important to continue to make decisions for the long-term benefit of the University rather than what might be expedient now. She also said she is proud of her team for working to keep the University running.
“I really take pride in the fact that my team, even though we’re behind the scenes, we’re making everything work,” Sheehy said. “I’ve always felt that that’s an equally high calling.”
One achievement that Sheehy detailed during her time as vice president of management was the passing of the Restructuring Act by the Virginia state government in 2005. The act allowed for institutions of higher education to have more autonomy regarding their financial and administrative operations. Tuition and fee responsibility was transferred from the state to the Board of Visitors of each university, which Sheehy said made the process more efficient. Sheehy said the act increased operations in sectors such as construction, property acquisition and other financial areas.
“It really was a very, very major piece of legislation that changed the relationship between higher education institutions and the Commonwealth,” Sheehy said. “This piece of legislation brought that autonomy locally to the institutions, and we really were able to increase our efficiency by leaps and bounds.”
Another major development that Sheehy oversaw was the acquisition and construction of properties along Brandon Avenue and the Ivy Corridor. During her time in the positions of vice president of management and senior vice president of operations, both of these locations saw major construction projects that added several new spaces to Grounds.
Specifically during the latter role, Brandon Avenue saw the opening of Bond House, the new Student Health and Wellness building and the Gaston and Ramazani residence halls. In addition, Ivy Corridor experienced the opening of the School of Data Science building and the construction of several other projects, including the Virginia Guesthouse hotel and the new building for the Karsh Institute of Democracy, both of which are set to be complete in 2026.
While speaking to the challenges faced in an evolving career in higher education, Sheehy specifically mentioned working with many different members of the Board of Visitors as a challenging but rewarding aspect of her job.
“I work pretty closely with the chair and vice chair of the Buildings and Grounds Committee,” Sheehy said. “[Different members] have different priorities, so you have to adjust to those, but I’ve really enjoyed working with all the Board members.”
July 1 marked Sheehy’s final day at the University. The University announced July 9 that Lois Stanley, vice president for campus planning and operations at Brandeis University, will step into Sheehy’s former position August 18.
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