Dear WestConn Faculty and Staff,

In the spirit of how I try to communicate with you – clearly, directly, and with appreciation for the people doing the work – I want to share an update regarding leadership in our facilities areas as we continue finalizing decisions about organizational structure and campus leadership.

Effective March 11, Deanna Cibery-Schaab, Interim Associate Vice President for Facilities Management & Planning, will transition back to her permanent role as Director of Access Control & One-Card Services in the WESTCONNect Office. I’m grateful for Deanna’s steady and extraordinary leadership during this interim period. She has, time after time, stepped in when the university needed her most, and she has advanced important work with professionalism, care and a deep commitment to our students and colleagues. The successes she has achieved during her time in this role make WestConn better in many ways. Please join me in thanking Deanna for her service.

In the coming months, we will begin a national search for a new leader of facilities management and planning. In the meantime, to ensure continuity and clear decision-making, I have asked, and want to thank, the following leaders to cover key responsibilities typically handled by this role:

• Bob Berry, Chief of Police & Director of Public Safety — Management-level supervision of the WESTCONNect Office
• Dan Casinelli, Director of Facilities Planning & Engineering — Capital planning, the Facilities Master Plan, and coordination of projects with the System Office
• Fred Cratty, Chief Human Resources Officer — Management-level supervision of Facilities Operations staff (Custodial, HVAC, Trades, Grounds), as well as space allocation

If you need assistance and are unsure who to contact, please reach out to Fred Cratty, and he will help route your request to the appropriate person.

Thank you for your patience and partnership as we strengthen our operations and ensure we have the right leadership structure in place to support the work of teaching, learning, and student success.

Sincerely,

Jesse M. Bernal, Ph.D.
President