New Colorado State University president fills 3 leadership roles with familiar faces

New Colorado State University President Amy Parsons quickly filled one position on her cabinet and two others on her leadership team with people who had previous ties to the university, but said she national searches will be conducted to fill five other key roles.

A search is already underway for new vice presidents of human resources and university advancement, and national searches will soon begin for a new provost and executive vice president, and vice president of research, Parsons wrote in a statement released Thursday.

Parsons said she is eliminating the vice president for strategy position, which is currently vacant.

National searches for key leadership positions at large public universities generally take several months or more to complete.

“My preference is to conduct searches for key positions, and I’m grateful to everyone in our community who is helping to serve on and contribute to these search processes,” she wrote.

“Given the number of positions we have open, I am also delighted to report that I have been able to make three direct appointments that will add depth of experience and diversity to my senior leadership team. All three of these hires are seasoned leaders with strong ties to our campus, and they will be able to hit the ground running over the next few months.”

Who are the new hires?

Kyle Henley, vice president for marketing and communications

Henley, a member of CSU’s marketing and communications team from 2011-15, will begin his new role as a member of the president’s cabinet May 1. He is currently the senior VP and chief communications officer for the University of Southern California and previously served as VP for university communications at the University of Oregon. He is a former Coloradoan reporter.

“He knows our campus, our mission and our values, and he’s the right person to lead out efforts to build reputation and awareness of the exciting work happening here,” Parsons wrote.

Greg Luft, a professor in CSU’s department of journalism and mass communications, has been filling that role on an interim basis since July 1.

Rico Munn, chief of staff

Munn, a former member of the CSU System Board of Governors, will begin his new role July 1 with the start of the new fiscal year. He has been superintendent of Aurora Public Schools since 2013 but recently announced he would resign at the end of the current school year.

Albert Bimper, a former CSU football player and associate dean in the College of Liberal Arts, has been serving in that role on an interim basis and will become interim director of the School of Education.

The chief of staff, Parsons wrote, oversees the operations, budgets and staffing for the president’s office, leads special projects and represents the president in key meetings and discussions that the president is unable to attend.

Munn previously served as executive director of the Colorado departments of higher education and regulatory agencies. He was an elected member of the Colorado Board of Education, which oversees K-12 schools, from 2003-07 and served on the CSU Board of Governors from 2013-20.

“Rico and I have worked together for many years, and I have enormous trust in his judgement and experience,” Parsons wrote. “He brings a deep understanding of state policy and Colorado education at all levels that will be invaluable as we seek to strengthen our commitment to educational access and equity. He also has considerable experience leading large teams of people in a complex organization, and that managerial strength will help us keep all of our university priorities and goals on track.”

June Greist, director of presidential and administrative communications

Greist, who held leadership positions in CSU marketing and communications from 1997-2005, is returning March 6. She has been the communications director for the Bohemian Foundation since 2014.

“Those who work with June have great respect for her knowledge, her calm and her thoughtful approach to complex issues — which combined with her passion for education, expertise as a communications strategist and deep commitment to access and equity — make her a great fit for this role,” Parsons wrote.

What about the interim cabinet members?

Rick Miranda, who served as interim president for seven months through the end of January, is serving as the interim executive vice president until a new provost and executive vice president is hired, Parsons said previously. That is a single cabinet position, although two different people are filling the role on an interim basis.

Miranda is also chief academic officer for the CSU System, which also includes CSU-Pueblo and CSU Global, and a mathematics professor on the Fort Collins campus. Jan Nerger, on temporary leave as dean of the College of Natural Sciences, a position she’s held since 2013, is serving as interim provost.

Brett Anderson, a special advisor to the president and chancellor, is serving as VP for human resources on an interim basis.

Kathay Rennels, a former Larimer County commissioner, will continue serving as interim VP for engagement and extension, while CJ Mucklow will stay on as interim director of operations for engagement and extension into the next fiscal year until the search for a new VP is completed, likely in the spring of 2024.

Karen Dunbar, the university's assistant VP for gift planning, and Rudy Garcia will continue to serve as co-interim vice presidents for advancement.

Doesn’t CSU already have a VP for research?

Alan Rudolph has been CSU’s VP for research since 2014 but recently announced plans to retire later this year.

A national search to fill that cabinet-level position will be launched soon after the searches for an executive vice president and provost begin, Parsons wrote.

Reporter Kelly Lyell covers education, breaking news, some sports and other topics of interest for the Coloradoan. Contact him at kellylyell@coloradoan.com, twitter.com/KellyLyell or facebook.com/KellyLyell.news. 

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: New Colorado State President Amy Parsons fills 3 key leadership roles