I am happy to announce two important senior leadership appointments, and also a retirement.
Joseph R. Franco, PhD, has agreed to serve as interim provost and executive vice president for academic affairs while a national search is underway for a permanent replacement. He will start in that role on August 4, 2022, after Provost Vanya Quiñones, PhD, departs on August 3.
Joe has served ably as associate provost for academic affairs since December 2021. A member of the Pace faculty since 1987, he is a full professor in the Psychology and Mental Health Counseling Department on the Pleasantville Campus, and he has served as senior associate dean for Dyson College of Arts and Sciences and chair of the Westchester Faculty Council, among many other leadership roles. He has taught on the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels, and he has served as program director and director of clinical field supervision for the master’s of science program in Mental Health Counseling. Last year, Joe was honored with our Jefferson Award for Public Service.
Nicole Thompson Williams has been elevated to the new position of senior vice president for operations, effective July 15, 2022. She was previously vice president for administrative operations and technology. In this new role, she will add Information Technology Services and a new unit, Enterprise Information Systems, to her portfolio, working in conjunction with our academic leadership, while continuing to oversee Safety and Security, Emergency Management and Environmental Health and Safety, Auxiliary Services, University Mail, and Document Services. She will also lead the ongoing CampusWorks effort to modernize and improve our student-facing services.
A graduate of the Seidenberg School who later earned an executive MBA from Lubin, Nicole has held positions of increasing responsibility at Pace since 1993. In addition to effectively supervising a growing number of critical support units, she has also led the implementation of several major administrative systems, resulting in faster and more efficient processes for administrative operations like tax reporting, vendor management, and payroll.
Finally, Paul Dampier, our vice president for information technology and chief information officer, has decided to retire from Pace. He has been a valued colleague, and we thank him for his dedication to the University. Nicole’s new oversight of our technology operations, and the very capable senior team in place there, will ensure a smooth transition as we identify new leadership. We wish Paul all the best in his future endeavors.
Please join me in congratulating Joe and Nicole on these new roles, and Paul on his retirement. I’m excited for us all to continue working together as we execute on our strategic plan, drive greater student success, and live up to our mission of Opportunitas.
