Changes announced in Division of Finance and Administration

The Division of Finance and Administration is undergoing major changes this summer.

Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Jeffrey C. Apfel has resigned in order to complete his doctoral program in public administration at Rutgers University, President Jehuda Reinharz announced today.

"Jeff has been a valued member of the senior administration during a fiscally challenging academic year. I appreciate his efforts and wish him well," said Reinharz.

Apfel said, "Brandeis is in a strong financial position moving forward and I'm pleased that I was able to come in and play a role in achieving that. Finishing my dissertation has been a long-time goal, and I've concluded that I need to devote my full energies to that end."

Apfel joined Brandeis prior to the start of the last academic year and was appointed EVP/COO in October 2009. His last day at Brandeis was June 11.  
  
Moving forward, the university is reorganizing the Division of Administration and Finance. While the functions will remain naturally linked and will work together, there will be  two distinct reporting lines to better serve campus communities, the President said. As part of the reorganization, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Frances A. Drolette will be promoted to Senior Vice President for Finance and Chief Financial Officer, and Vice President for Campus Operations Mark Collins will be promoted to Senior Vice President for Administration. Both will join the senior staff and report to the President.

"We're very fortunate to have Fran and Mark available to step in immediately and lead these two critical areas. This is a natural pairing of roles, responsibilities and functions and Fran and Mark will work very well together." said Reinharz.  
  
Mark has been a longtime member of the Administration and Finance team and has held several positions over the past 23 plus years. He was hired in 1987 as Purchasing Manager and was promoted to Director of Materials Management in 1990. In 1998, Collins was promoted to Director of University Services and in 2002 was named Associate Vice President for University Services. Four years later, he was named Vice President of Campus Operations.  

Drolette has almost 20 years of Brandeis experience accumulated during two stints on campus. Beginning in 1976, she worked in various capacities at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the Affirmative Action Department, and in Administration and Finance. Drolette was the Associate Director of Budget and Planning when she left Brandeis in 1991 to become the Budget Director for Babson College.  After 11 years at Babson, and four years as the Associate Dean for Administration and Finance at the Boston University School of Public Health, Drolette returned to Brandeis in 2006 as the Vice President for Budget and Planning.  
Reinharz said further details of the reorganization will be announced by Drolette and Collins as they assume their new roles.

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