Kimberly Kiernan has been appointed vice president for facilities and operations. Her appointment was approved at the Oct. 16 Board of Regents meeting.
Kiernan brings over three decades of experience at the university to her role, most recently as co-interim associate vice president for facilities and operations. She provides strategic direction and operational planning for the university’s physical properties while managing administrative operations for the entire F&O organization.
Her responsibilities include overseeing the operating and capital budgeting processes, business strategy, forecasting, and workforce planning. She has held key leadership roles in F&O, the School of Kinesiology, the University Library, and the Office of the Provost.
Geoffrey Chatas, executive vice president and chief financial officer, recently announced her appointment to members of the campus community in an email.
“Kim’s deep institutional knowledge, commitment to operational excellence, and collaborative leadership have been invaluable to F&O,” Chatas said. “She has consistently demonstrated the steady and thoughtful approach we need to support our campus community and the essential functions that enable the university to operate efficiently. I am grateful for her leadership and service.”
Kiernan will continue to serve on the EVPCFO’s senior leadership team. She will manage all physical properties for the university, including 37 million square feet of space on the Ann Arbor campus, as well as managing large-scale construction projects for Michigan Medicine and the Dearborn and Flint campuses.
This highly complex and visible role has a significant impact on campus land-use strategy, policy and organizational effectiveness. The VPFO leads and provides strategic direction for an organization of approximately 1,700 employees across a wide range of departments.
The position is appointed as vice president, non-executive officer. Employees with this title report directly to an executive officer or the president. They are not executive officers and do not have the same authority or responsibilities.
Kiernan earned an undergraduate degree from U-M and a Master of Business Administration in accounting from Eastern Michigan University.
