Spies named vice president, special adviser at Brown

Richard Spies GS '72, the University's vice president for finance and administration, has been named executive vice president for planning at Brown University.

Spies will begin his duties at Brown on Jan. 15, 2002.

In a press release announcing Spies' appointment, Brown President Ruth Simmons emphasized the importance of shortand long-term planning for a university.

"At a time when the university is considering significant investments in its academic programs, it is imperative that shortand long-term planning be conducted thoughtfully and coherently," Simmons said.

Spies will also serve as the president's senior adviser, assisting Simmons in overseeing senior officers and coordinating their activities.

"Richard is superbly qualified to help lead Brown's efforts in clarifying goals, monitoring progress, assessing strategies and communicating about the needs, challenges and opportunities of planning," Simmons said.

University President Shirley Tilghman said Princeton is conducting a national search to fill the position that Spies will vacate. She noted that there are both pros and cons to hiring someone new for this job.

"The advantage of having a new person in any position in the University is the opportunity to take a fresh look at old ways of doing things. It is often invigorating for an institution," Tilghman explained. "The disadvantage of losing someone with Dick Spies' tenure is the loss of institutional memory and the loss of someone who has seen everything before and consequently knows the fastest route to a decision."

Likewise, Spies said that though he is excited to begin work at Brown, he will miss the University, where he has spent the past 30 years.

"I look forward to serving under President Simmons, whom I admire greatly and whose vision for Brown has inspired me from our first conversation," he said.

On the other hand, he said the hardest part about leaving Princeton will be the loss of daily contact with members of the University community.

"Princeton is the place it is because of the people who are here, including students, faculty and most of all for me, the staff who do all the little things that make this place as good as it is."

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Looking back on his career at Princeton, Spies said he views his part in the effort to create an atmosphere where individuals feel they can make a difference, as well as his efforts to express the priorities and best interests of the University through policies and decisions as his greatest achievements.

Former University President Harold Shapiro commented on the extent of his colleague's accomplishments.

"I can't think of anyone who, over three decades, has contributed more to the University," he said.

Shapiro expressed confidence that Spies will rise to new challenges at Brown with dedication similar to that which he has shown at Princeton, adding that he believes Spies will help Brown to become an even stronger institution than it is today.

A graduate of Amherst College in 1967, with a B.A. in mathematics, Spies earned his doctorate in economics at Princeton in 1972. Beginning in 1971 with his appointment as assistant to the provost, he has contributed three decades of service to the University.

During these years he advanced from assistant provost to associate and then vice provost. In 1988, he assumed his current title as vice president of finance and administration. As vice president, Spies serves as the University's chief financial officer, overseeing the offices of the treasurer, human resources, facilities and public safety.

In addition to being an integral part of the administration, Spies serves as a lecturer in economics and a thesis adviser.

Outside of the University he is a member of the New Jersey State Investment Council, serving as its chair since 1989, and a board member of the Princeton University Press, the Tuition Plan Consortium and the National Association of College and University Business Officers, for which he also serves as committee chair.

In addition, Spies is a director of the Consortium on Financing Higher Education and an active participant in other professional and civic organizations.