Dear USF Community,
The ßÙßÇÂþ» continues to garner well-earned recognition for the incredible accomplishments of our students, faculty, staff, alumni and community – from inclusion in the Association of American Universities to being named a top 50 public university for five straight years by U.S. News & World Report. Our goals for the future remain ambitious, and to achieve them, we must ensure we are best positioned to realize the excellence outlined in USF’s Strategic Plan.
As we work to capitalize on opportunities across the university, today I am announcing a leadership transition plan for the Office of Business and Finance.
Senior Vice President of Financial Strategy and Administrative Services and Chief Financial Officer Richard Sobieray has served in his role since October 2021, overseeing financial and IT operations, facilities and public safety for all of USF’s campuses, including USF Health. He made great strides working to align the university’s budget allocations with our goals and objectives. Given his health care knowledge and expertise, Rich will now transition his efforts to further enhancing USF’s partnership with Tampa General Hospital. Rich will work closely with USF Health and TGH in the development of a new funds flow model that will ensure our shared success.
The work done over the past two years to develop and implement a new Responsibility Center Management (RCM) budget model at USF will continue. I want to thank Rich for establishing a solid foundation on which we will continue to build, and for his future efforts in his new role.
As part of this transition, I have asked Gerard Solis, Senior Vice President for Legal Affairs and Chief Strategy Officer, to provide strategic direction and oversight of the financial, budget and treasury operations of the university, in addition to facilities, public safety operations and information technology. Our teams across these important areas are top-notch, and the state of our university’s business and financial operations is healthy and strong. Gerard’s impact over the course of his 20-year career at USF cannot be overstated. He consistently provides counsel and guidance fully informed by the university’s mission and strategies, serves as a trusted leadership presence, and brings a deep institutional knowledge that greatly benefits our university.
As we progress toward critical deadlines, Darren Schumacher, PhD, has agreed to serve as a special advisor to manage and accelerate the RCM budget model and advance this process. Darren will work with me, Gerard, members of my executive leadership team, the highly capable team in the Office of Business and Finance, and our partners at Huron.
Darren has 30 years of financial innovation experience and has done an outstanding job in his current role as President and CEO of USF’s Institute of Applied Engineering. Darren has led large organizations and managed multi-million-dollar annual budgets. He has extensive experience with financial management and process improvement. Prior to USF, Darren spent time at Amazon as a member of the executive leadership team for Amazon's project Kuiper, a $10 billion project bringing internet connectivity to underserved communities through the deployment of a constellation of Low Earth Orbit Satellites. He holds bachelor’s, master’s, and his PhD degree from the University of Michigan, as well as an MBA from Regis University in Denver, Colorado.
Gerard, Darren and I will work with my executive leadership team to ensure a smooth transition and funding of our priorities. We will also continue to implement the financial plan for our on-campus stadium project that has been approved by the USF Board of Trustees and the Florida Board of Governors.
To maintain our progress, my leadership team and I will thoroughly and regularly evaluate existing reporting structures to align our resources, strategies and aspirations. I look forward to working together to ensure sustained momentum across the university.
Sincerely,
Rhea F. Law
President