Carnegie Mellon University

May 19, 2016

Dear Carnegie Mellon University Staff Members,

I am delighted to inform you that Dr. Rodney P. McClendon has been appointed vice president for operations, effective July 1.

In this reconfigured and critically important role, Rodney will lead the university’s work in key areas of human, physical, and technological infrastructure and services, including human resources, facilities management, enterprise risk management, computing services, campus services, environmental health and safety, real estate services, campus design and facilities development and university police. These are key ways in which we support our students, faculty and staff, and Rodney will be an important ally in helping to enhance the Carnegie Mellon University experience.

Rodney comes to us with more than two decades of leadership experience in higher education administration, much of it in the Texas A&M University System. There, as vice president for administration from 2011 to 2013, he led a division with more than 1,500 employees in 12 units that included facilities services and coordination, utilities and energy services, transportation services, university dining, environmental health and safety, enterprise risk management, university police, aviation services, conference center and sustainability.

Rodney also served as senior vice president for operations and senior associate vice president for administration at the University of North Texas. He currently serves as strategic partner for Forward Motion, a consulting firm that advises universities and not-for-profit organizations. From 1995-2009, McClendon served in various roles for Texas A&M University, including acting vice president and CEO, executive associate vice president and COO at Texas A&M-Galveston; and as chief of staff to the president, assistant provost, interim assistant director and coordinator of student retention and development in the Department of Multicultural Services, at Texas A&M-College Station.

Rodney received a bachelor’s degree in banking and finance from Morehouse College, a law degree from Emory University and a doctoral degree in agricultural leadership, education and communications from Texas A&M University.

The vice president for operations position was posted when Michael Murphy, vice president for campus affairs, announced in December that he would step down from administration to focus on teaching, after serving Carnegie Mellon in senior management for more than a quarter century. At that time, I also announced that Dean of Students Gina Casalegno would take on an enhanced role in the leadership team as vice president for student affairs, in addition to her role as dean.

Finally, I would also like to recognize the hard work of the search advisory committee and thank the members: Romayne Botti, CFO/COO and Associate Dean, College of Engineering; Josh Centor, Director of Athletics, Physical Education and Recreation; Mary Jo Dively, Vice President and General Counsel; Provost Farnam Jahanian, chair; Cathy Light, Director, Office of the President; Everett Tademy, Assistant Vice President Diversity and Equal Opportunity Services/University Ombudsman; Keith Webster, Dean, University Libraries and Director of Emerging and Integrative Media; Laurie Weingart, Senior Associate Dean, Education, Tepper School of Business.

Please join me in welcoming Rodney to Carnegie Mellon University.

Sincerely,

Subra Suresh
President
Henry L. Hillman President’s Chair
Carnegie Mellon University