Dear Members of the Campus Community,
Please note the following changes and new opportunities for long-serving staff members in the Office of the President.
Liz Collins ’81, P’02, Director of the Office of the President and Community Liaison Officer
As announced by Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Sherry Mondou on March 23, Associate Vice President for Business Services and Executive Director of Community Engagement John Hickey is retiring on July 1 following 47 remarkable years of service at Puget Sound. I am pleased to announce that Liz Collins will add the community engagement portion of John’s portfolio to her responsibilities as director of the Office of the President, effective July 1.
As Puget Sound’s Community Liaison Officer, Liz will represent the Office of the President and the university in interactions with the campus community and external partners and agencies, including government and legislative bodies and higher education organizations. As a conduit or “point person” for external inquiries, she will make connections between and referrals to appropriate individuals and divisions across the campus who are doing vital work in community engagement activities.
To strengthen Puget Sound’s reputation and visibility as an intellectual asset in the community, Liz will work collaboratively with campus colleagues to foster meaningful educational opportunities for students; promote the interests of the university and the benefits of liberal arts education; and provide opportunities to learn with and from the community as we work together to advance the common good of our city, state, and region.
Liz and John have worked closely together for several years on developing community relationships and supporting various community initiatives. We look forward to Liz bringing her long experience, strong relationships, and institutional savvy to this new role.
Sylvia Benavides, Program Coordinator, School of Occupational Therapy
After eight years of service in the Office of the President, providing invaluable assistance on projects to support office operations and the work of Puget Sound’s board of trustees, Sylvia will move to the School of Occupational Therapy to serve as a full-time OT program coordinator beginning June 22. Sylvia has pitched in to help out OT on a part-time basis over the past year, and we are grateful to her for being so generous with her time and expertise during a very challenging year. We know she will do great things in OT and wish her the best in this new endeavor. In the coming weeks, we will assess the administrative support needs of the Office of the President in the future.
Please join me in congratulating Liz and Sylvia on their new or expanded roles as we work together to advance the mission and goals of Puget Sound.
Sincerely,
Gayle McIntosh
Gayle McIntosh | Vice President for Communications and Chief of Staff.