Dear UTA community,

As we wind down from a great semester, our efforts to fill vacant leadership positions and build our executive leadership team continue full steam ahead. Today, we are launching national searches for both a Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations and a Vice President for Marketing, Messaging, and Engagement.

At present, UTA’s centralized communications, marketing, and development teams are joined in University Advancement. As I’ve spoken with stakeholders and gotten to know our teams, I’ve come to realize our aspirations are better served by separating the two teams and identifying outstanding candidates to lead them.

The Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations will build upon our commitment to deepening connections with our alumni and broader community by establishing and executing University-wide strategies and priorities for securing philanthropic support. The 12-member search committee for this role is co-chaired by Salma Adem, chief of staff and interim vice president of University Advancement, and Jeff Jeter, vice president of government relations. The search committee is composed of faculty and staff representatives from across UTA and the University of Texas System.

The Vice President for Marketing, Messaging, and Engagement will lead our centralized communications and marketing team with the charge of bringing a dedicated focus to enhancing our reputation and strengthening UTA’s identity in our region and beyond. The 13-member search committee is chaired by Jewel Washington, chief human resources officer, and composed of faculty and staff in diverse roles across campus.

I am grateful to the individuals who have agreed to serve on these search committees and look forward to opportunities to invite the campus community to engage with us on these searches as we strive to build a pool of diverse, forward-thinking leaders with proven experience in complex organizations.

I’m confident this change in organizational structure will allow us to reach new levels of success in these two areas that contribute to the advancement of UTA’s mission. I’m glad to have your support along the way.

I’m also pleased to report that we’ve made substantive progress on the Director of Athletics and Vice President for Research and Innovation searches. The respective search committees are reviewing the diverse applicant pools to select candidates for first-round interviews. Campus visits for finalists in both searches are currently anticipated to take place the week of June 6. We’ll share more information as it becomes available.