Organizational Update from Richard Cate, Senior Advisor to the President for Operations
The following message was sent from Richard Cate, senior advisor to the president for operations, to all employees in Human Resources, University Information Technology Services, and Facilities Management and Planning on July 8.
Today, I am writing to share some news about an organizational change that will support our ongoing efforts to strengthen university operations.
For those unfamiliar with my background, I have been working in an advisory capacity with President Garimella and university senior leaders since January on special institutional projects focused on finance and operations.
Effective July 14, President Garimella has appointed me as Senior Advisor to the President for Operations. In this new role, I will oversee Human Resources, University Information and Technology Services, and Facilities Management and Planning, working closely with Chief Human Resources Officer Helena Rodrigues, Interim Chief Information Officer Elliott Cheu, and Chief Facilities and Planning Officer Josh Wright.
This strategic reorganization recognizes that your work provides the essential support that makes everything we do at the University of Arizona possible. By bringing together three key operational units under unified leadership, we are building on natural synergies between interconnected functions that impact our entire campus community. Our goal is to strengthen our operational foundation and increase opportunities for more collaboration as we continue to improve how we work with our partners and colleagues across campus. Ultimately, we will create an even more cohesive experience for students, faculty and staff and enhance how we support their success at the U of A.
This unified operational model is one I know well and have worked with effectively. Over the past 17 years as Vice President for Finance and Administration at the University of Vermont, I worked closely with HR, IT, and facilities teams. I also oversaw similar functions during my time as Chief Operating Officer of Education for the State of New York. Through this experience, I have learned that behind every thriving organization are dedicated professionals like you who plan and maintain our physical spaces, manage, enhance, and protect our IT systems, and hire, develop, and care for our people.
Your expertise, institutional knowledge and daily commitment are critical to the university, and I am honored to have the opportunity to work with you.
In the coming weeks, I will be reaching out to connect with teams across all three units. I want to hear about your current projects and understand your challenges. I am eager to explore your ideas for how we can remove obstacles that might be in your way and accelerate our progress in achieving our shared strategic imperatives.
I look forward to our conversations ahead and learning more about your work as we begin our journey together.