University System of Maryland (USM) Chancellor Robert L. Caret has appointed Ellen Herbst as the system's Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance, beginning November 27, 2017. Currently Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Secretary for Administration at the United States Department of Commerce, Herbst will succeed Joe Vivona, who has served the USM since 1996.
"We are excited to welcome Ellen to the University System of Maryland," Caret said. "She's a proven leader with deep experience overseeing budget, finance, personnel and facilities at a large, complex public organization. Her creativity and drive were key characteristics we were seeking. I'm confident Ellen will help us build on our status as one of the most respected public higher education systems in the nation."
As vice chancellor for administration and finance, Herbst will manage the system's financial and administrative performance. In this position, she will serve as a senior leader for the USM office and across the system, work directly with USM's 12 institutions and two regional centers; and represent USM as it partners with Maryland's public officials to provide high quality, accessible, and affordable educational opportunities, support research and scholarship, and foster programs that serve citizens of Maryland and the nation. In particular, she will oversee USM's strategic planning, performance and accountability, enrollment management, operating budget, finance and comptroller, debt management and financial reporting, endowment administration and oversight, capital planning and development, information technology, institutional research and information management, financial and administrative policy development, and human resources.
"I look forward to the opportunity to work with Chancellor Caret and the entire team in support of all the universities in the great University System of Maryland," said Herbst.
Former U.S. President Barack Obama appointed Herbst to her current role; the U.S. Senate confirmed her nomination in 2013. Leading a division of 300 employees with a budget of more than $270 million, Herbst oversees the department's $9 billion budget and 46,000 full-time employees. In that role, she is responsible for executing policies and procedures related to: budget and financial management, strategic planning and performance management, human resources management and civil rights, employee safety and health, procurement and small business utilization, grants management, travel and transportation, real property and facilities management, directives management, and security.
She also serves as the department's Chief Acquisition Officer, Chief Human Capital Officer, and Senior Accountable Official for Security and Sustainability. Over the past four years, she has led a multi-year renovation of the headquarters facility; served as a founding member of the Government-wide Shared Services Governance Board and co-chair of the Customer Council for the federal government.
Herbst previously served the Department of Commerce from 2009 to 2012 as Senior Advisor to the Deputy Secretary, Recovery Act Senior Accountable Official, and Performance Improvement Officer and from 2005 to 2009 as Director of the National Technical Information Service. Prior to joining the department, she served as Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Spectra Systems Corporation, Virtual Compliance, Inc and Giesecke & Devrient America, Inc. From 1981 to 1996, she served as business manager at the E.I. DuPont de Nemours and Company.
She earned her MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania in 1995 and a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Accounting from the University of Delaware, Newark in 1979.
Over the course of his two decades at USM, Joe Vivona has worked with three USM chancellors-Donald Langenberg, William E. "Brit" Kirwan, and Caret - and served as interim chancellor in 2002.
"Thanks to Joe's expertise, oversight, and management, the USM is strong financially and operationally," Caret said. "Joe has guided the USM's budget successfully through periods of growth and recession, and has helped the system earn exceptional bond ratings year after year, while helping keep a quality college education affordable for Maryland students."
"Since I joined the USM as chancellor, Joe and I have worked closely on my initiatives to improve student performance and degree completion rates, and sharpen the USM's role in advancing the state's economic competitiveness and in better preparing students for the workforce," Caret continued. "Joe is a great colleague and is deeply respected at every institution across the system, throughout the business community and by our partners in Annapolis. The entire state owes him a deep debt of gratitude for his years of exemplary service to the USM and to the people of Maryland."
