Administrative reorganization to create new opportunities for HU

HUNTINGTON, Ind. - Huntington University is reorganizing its administrative team to create more opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurial ventures for the institution as well as improving collaborative relationships in Fort Wayne and northeast Indiana.

As of today, June 1, Troy Irick, vice president for advancement, will assume the role of vice president for strategy and innovation where he will focus on partnerships, collaborations, resource reallocation and new initiatives for the university, particularly in the Fort Wayne area. He will join Dr. Ann McPherren, senior vice president for strategy and graduate and adult programs, to form a new "innovation unit" within the university's senior management. This team will focus on resource development through entrepreneurial ventures, new academic program initiatives and collaborations with not-for-profit and for-profit enterprises.

"I greatly value Troy's out-of-the-box thinking and his strong connections with the business community across northeast Indiana. His professional background in public accounting and corporate management give him unique perspectives on the kind of new, revenue-generating ventures that colleges must explore in today's economy. I am confident that he will be instrumental in helping Huntington University cultivate new opportunities for growth," President G. Blair Dowden said. "In the past, we have seen the implementation of several good ideas stall because we lacked time, funding and personnel to pursue them fully. Troy's new role is designed to remove those impediments and to help the university be more nimble in the rapidly changing higher-education environment."

Vince Haupert, major gifts officer, will assume the role of vice president for advancement. Haupert joined the university's advancement team in 2010 after a previous career in the retirement planning and wealth management business. His new role will continue to grow and to further expand the fundraising activities of the university.

"I believe Vince is ideally suited to this new role by his long relationship with Huntington University, his wealth-management expertise, his business connections in the region, his leadership abilities and his winsome interpersonal skills," Dowden said. "I look forward to working with him in this new role."

As part of the administrative restructuring, the Office of Public Relations and the Office of Alumni Relations will merge to form the Office of University Relations. John Paff will leave his role as the executive assistant to the president to lead the new department as the vice president for university relations.

"Taken together, these changes will help Huntington University attract the resources needed for us to grow and to thrive even in these turbulent times," Dowden said. "This plan will help us to achieve strategic goals."