Facilities Development announces personnel changes
Facilities Development and Capital Budget (FDCB) Director Rick Benner has announced that the department’s search for a new Assistant Director for Facilities Development (FD) has resulted in the appointment of FD’s own Alexis Blue, currently serving as Project Manager-Civil Engineer. Alexis emerged from a very strong field of candidates and will begin her new position on January 6, 2020, stepping in to support the transition as Associate Director (FDCB) Josh Kavulla leaves Western on Jan. 9.
Josh’s leadership, skills, and sense of humor will be greatly missed, but the team he was instrumental in building is well positioned to make a smooth transition as he moves on to his next adventure. The strength of the team offers flexibility for both interim and ongoing departmental organizational changes, with ample support for major and minor public works projects in addition to campus-wide planning initiatives.
Until the Associate Director position is filled, a number of organizational changes will be in effect. New Residence Hall Project Manager Sherrie Montgomery and Interdisciplinary Science Building Project Manager Mark Nicasio will supervise construction coordinators (Dale Krause, Don White, Stan Wolf and Tom Crawford) on their projects. Assistant Director for Capital Budget, Brian Ross, has agreed to provide support for three Facilities Development architects/engineers (Doug MacLean, Julian Rodgers and Mark Holsman) in addition to his Capital Budget group.
Permanent changes to expand support for campus space modeling and master planning include shifting Project Manager Forest Payne to direct reportage to Rick Benner, with Interior Designer Tristen Byers reporting to Forest. While Forest will lead space modeling and planning teams as the University begins work for a new Campus Master Plan and Institutional Master Plan, Tristen will support these efforts along with current interior design and furniture procurement assignments. Newly appointed Assistant Director Alexis Blue will step in to work with the remaining FD project managers, and a search will begin shortly to fill Josh’s position.