The Rocky Mountain Collegian

For a while, Keith Ickes will have another title piled on to his current lengthy one: interim vice president for Administrative Services.

Ickes, currently associate vice president for Administrative Services and director of the Office of Budgets and Institutional Analysis, will serve in this position while a national search for a new vice president is completed.

"(Ickes is) a longtime, very capable administrator," said university spokesman Tom Milligan. "He was chosen for his experience at CSU."

The position opened up when Gerard Bomotti, who has served in the position since 1993, announced plans to leave CSU on Aug. 31 to take the vice president for finance position at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas.

"(Ickes is) a very good university citizen. He has a very bright mind; I think he'll do an excellent job in that role," Bomotti said.

Ickes came to CSU in the fall of 1988 to work for the Office of Institutional Research from Cornell University, where he served as a university registrar. He later merged the offices of Budgets and Planning with Institutional Research at CSU to create the Office of Budgets and Institutional Analysis in 1991.

Ickes was appointed to his current position in 2002. His educational background includes a master's in business administration from CSU, and he was a doctoral candidate in mathematical logic at Indiana University.

"We are fortunate to have such an experienced and committed member of our university staff serve in this capacity and we are confident Keith Ickes will continue to move Colorado State in a positive trajectory," said CSU President Larry Penley in a press release.

Ickes will continue serving as the associate vice president for Administrative Services and director of OBIA while taking on the role of vice president on an interim basis.

"I'll be working with him closely over the course of this month so hopefully the transition will be smooth, nothing will fall through the cracks and the institution will be well served," Bomotti said.

The vice president of administrative services position oversees human resources, payroll, parking, purchasing, physical planning, accounting, financial and budget functions and institutional analysis.

Penley, the hiring official for the vice presidential search, has begun setting up a search committee by appointing Mark Driscoll, director of athletics, and Lance Perryman, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, as co-chairs.

Penley has yet to name all members of the committee.

Milligan said Driscoll was chosen for his experience in finance during his time as the First National Bank president, and Perryman was chosen because he is a well-respected, nationally known academic.

"(I am) always pleased to be of service to the university," Perryman said.

According to Milligan, the university, through the search committee, seeks to find the best person for the job.

"The goal of the institution is two things: first and foremost to conduct a national search that brings in the very best candidate possible, and two, to do it as quickly as we can," Milligan said.

Perryman is uncertain how long the search will take.

"I think what we're looking for is someone who has a great experience and vision, who can understand the important role an administrative services unit can play in helping the institution to achieve its goals," Milligan said.

The search will be conducted and advertised nationally, but there are no provisions on who may apply.

"This is a very important position and in a national base, a very attractive position," Milligan said.

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