Williams ’84 named acting executive vice president

Assistant Vice President for Safety and Administrative Planning Treby Williams ’84 has been appointed acting executive vice president, the University announced Friday morning. She will begin work in her new role on June 8.

Williams will replace current Executive Vice President Mark Burstein, who is leaving the University to become the president of Lawrence University in Appleton, Wis.

Williams has worked in Burstein’s office since 2007 as the assistant vice president for safety and administrative planning, directly overseeing the Department of Public Safety and the Office of Environmental Health and Safety. Previously, Williams directed the University’s Office of Development Priorities, which organizes fundraising for specific initiatives.

From 1992 to 2004, Williams was an assistant U.S. attorney in the southern district of New York and the district of New Jersey and has also been the chair of the board of Princeton Day School.

“I feel very excited,” Williams said of her appointment. “I’m really looking forward to working to support Chris in his new role as president and to carrying out the EVP responsibilities during this transition.”

Some of Williams’ responsibilities as acting executive vice president will include overseeing human resources, facilities, campus life, Public Safety, University services, and University audit and compliance efforts, according to the executive vice presidency’s website.

Burstein said that the selection of Williams by President-elect Christopher Eisgruber ’83 was “absolutely the right one,” and that he has complete confidence in Williams’ ability.

"I also think that one of her strengths is working across departments and helping departments collaborate, and that is very much the center of the role of being an executive vice president,” Burstein added. "I feel like I have very talented colleagues that will really move the institution forward,” he said of his departure.

Burstein cited Williams’ experience working with the Committee to Strengthen University Management and Resources as one that makes her well equipped to assume the EVP office. SUMAR directs cross-University initiatives that either save resources that can be redeployed, primarily for teaching and research, or strengthen management of the University.

Williams explained that she will begin her acting executive vice presidency by discussing what her priorities should be with the vice presidents on her executive staff. This executive staff includes Vice President for Campus Life Cynthia Cherrey, Vice President for University Services Chad Klaus, Vice President for Facilities Michael McKay, Chief Audit and Compliance Officer Nilufer Shroff and Vice President for Human Resources Lianne Sullivan-Crowley. She will also confer with President-elect Eisgruber.

But Williams added that “there are a number of priorities that, of course, we’ll be continuing.” In her new role, she will continue the expansion of the Lewis Center for the Arts as part of the construction of the new Arts and Transit Neighborhood.

Williams explained that her new role will be challenging in that it will require her to manage many different units at once. According to Burstein, the executive vice president not only has to lead a significant portion of the administration, but also has to work with colleagues in other areas to try to integrate the institution.

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“I think that the challenge of this role is that it encompasses a number of units across the institution,” Williams said. “So a challenge is making sure that we are attentive to the projects that go forward in the way that we need to attend them and that we are working in collaboration across campus with other units … and that we’re working in partnership with the president.”

However, Williams added that she is very excited to collaborate with the president-elect and other members of her executive staff.

“I think it’s going to be an incredible privilege to work closely with the president during this next number of months, and also, I look forward to continuing to work, as I have in the past, but in a slightly different capacity, with the vice presidents who report to the executive vice president,” Williams said.

Williams will spend several months in her new role as Eisgruber and a University-formed committee search for Burstein’s successor, who will be announced in the fall. She said that she is not planning to enter her name for consideration for the permanent executive vice president position.

“I am not planning on applying for that permanent position,” Williams said. “I am really focused on doing my best this year, for the next number of months, to support Chris and to work with the other vice presidents during the transition.”

Williams explained that during the time that she serves as acting executive vice president, no one will be appointed to replace her in her former role as assistant vice president for safety and administration. Instead, the directors of Public Safety and Environmental Health and Safety will continue to report to her, and the executive vice president’s office will continue to rely on its two associate directors for administrative planning, Matt Kinsey and Hilary Parker.

Parker said that she thinks Williams will be able to perform well in her new role.

“I have been so fortunate to work with Treby for the past couple of years, and that time has taught me that she’s really a well-respected, exceedingly capable and creative leader,” Parker said. “She has a real keen understanding of the University and a true dedication to excellence, so I think it is an excellent choice.”

Robin Izzo, who is the director of environmental health and safety and reports directly to Williams, is also enthusiastic about Williams’ appointment.

“I wasn’t very surprised, since Treby has just been such an integral part of the executive vice president’s office, and she’s absolutely terrific,” Izzo said. “[She] really helps people to find more creative ways of dealing with those different issues. She’s a great person to run things by, to help you plan things.”

“I think she’s going to be fantastic in this position,” Izzo added. “I think we’re very lucky to have her.”