Scott Kelley, West Virginia Universitys vice president for administration, finance and human resources, will leave the post he has held for the past nine years to become executive vice chancellor for business affairs for the University of Texas System, President David C. Hardesty Jr. announced. Gary W. Rogers, associate vice president for finance, has been appointed to fill Kelleys position on a permanent basis.
At the University of Texas, Kelley will oversee business affairs for 15 campuses with 177,000 students at a combined annual budget of $7.8 billion. He will begin those duties July 19.
“Scott has been an outstanding leader and administrator for the past nine years,”Hardesty said.”He was my very first administrative hire, and weve been through many challenges and achieved muchfrom budget reductions and reallocation to the refinancing of bonds to build major campus facilities and renovate others. Through it all, Scott has been the quiet, but steady hand that guided us through these business plans.
“He is a true visionarya person that sees what needs to be done and finds a way to make a difference,”Hardesty added.”Right now, he is looking at ways to fund pay raises for our employees through reallocation, cost savings and consolidating business contracts. I admire him personally and professionally and will miss him, but wish him and his family well as they begin this new venture.”
As WVU s vice president, Kelley spearheaded a $300 million facilities master plan that includes a new life sciences building, downtown library complex, student recreation center, resident faculty leader residences, enhanced library depository, renovated Evansdale library and a new computing center in White Hall.
He also was instrumental in helping to facilitate growth at athletic and health sciences facilities, and has been involved in community partnerships to build or lease space at One Waterfront Place and various extended housing facilities.
Most recently, he helped put together a comprehensive, 10-year $40 million housing master plan that addresses WVU s growing student enrollment and again facilities.
Several years ago, Kelley helped oversee the merger of the WVU Institute of Technology into WVU and is currently assisting with the integration of Potomac State College as an academic division of WVU .
He also guided the implementation of an Oracle enterprise solution for WVU s financial and human resources systems.
He has been active in various community planning efforts, including the Chamber of Commerces Vision 2000 and Vision 2020 projects and various Riverfront and Sunnyside development efforts.
He serves on the boards of directors of WVU Hospitals Inc. and the WVU Research Corp. and is a bishop in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Kelley earned a doctorate in higher education administration from Harvard, a masters degree in business administration in finance from Oklahoma City University and a bachelors degree in economics from Brigham Young University. He came to WVU in 1995 from the University of Toledo.
“WVU has been extremely good to me, and Im especially grateful to David Hardesty,”Kelley said.”I am proud to have been part of a team over the past nine years that has moved the University forward. Its hard to leave, but the University of Texas gets me closer to family and creates opportunities for me to continue to expand my challenges.”
WVU s new vice president, Gary Rogers, came to WVU in May 2002 from the Oregon University System where he served as director of financial accounting and reporting. Prior to that position, he was associate director of business affairs at Oregon State University in Corvallis and business manager of Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College.
“I am very pleased that Gary has agreed to assume this very important position for WVU ,”Hardesty said.”He will be stepping into familiar territory when he takes over responsibility for the financial and administrative operations of the University. Hes been very involved in WVU s financial reporting, budgeting, planning, auditing and other leadership areas for the past two years, and I look forward to working with him.”
A native of Welch, Okla., Rogers earned a doctorate and masters degree from Texas Christian University and a bachelors degree in accounting from Oklahoma State University.
“Im very excited,”Rogers said.”When I came here two years ago, I was looking for a university that exemplifies leadership, competency and integrity, tempered with a sense of humor. I found that and continue to find it. The moniker �€~Where Greatness is Learnedtruly fits, and Im honored to be able to serve WVU in this role.”
WVU officials say a national search to fill the associate vice president for finance position will begin this summer.