Linda Snyder, the current associate dean for physical resources and planning at Harvard University, has been appointed as Dartmouth's first Chief Facilities Officer, the College announced on Wednesday. Snyder, who will begin work at the College in early August 2009, will oversee both the Department of Facilities, Operations and Management and the Office of Planning, Design and Construction, which will become one integrated department, said Adam Keller, executive vice president of finance and administration.
The College has considered integrating the two departments since 2007, following the recommendations of a report by the management consulting firm McKinsey and Company, Keller said. The report, released in spring 2007, called for the consolidation of some administrative offices, and found that the College's "organizational structure has become more complex" and that many of the College's administrative offices were interlinked, The Dartmouth previously reported.
Snyder, whose arrival at the College coincides with the retirement of associate vice president of FO&M John Gratiot, will facilitate the coordination of personnel between the FO&M and OPDC. The two departments currently share engineers and project managers.
"The intention is to join all of the critical departments that affect the building and open space environments on the Dartmouth campus," Snyder said in an interview with The Dartmouth on Wednesday.
College officials decided to create the new position when they learned that Snyder would be interested to moving to the New Hampshire area, Keller said.
Dartmouth administrators chose Snyder for the position because she has done similar work in the past, including in her current role at Harvard, Keller said.
"She has a lot of experience, both at Harvard and previously with the state of Massachusetts," Keller said. "She understands well the facilities management and planning, design and construction parts of this job. She will be a great person for us."
Snyder said she does not have any specific plans for her work in the position.
"I have a lot to learn first," Snyder said. "I need to understand the people in those organizations, the work that they do and how they work. I need to understand more about the campus itself and its physical challenges."
Snyder said she is not familiar with the details of OPDC and FO&M's ongoing projects, but that she intends to visit campus several times before August to gain an understanding of those projects.
Upon arriving on campus, Snyder said she also hopes to talk to as many people as possible to learn about the College.
"I will talk to students, faculty, staff, leadership within the institution and town officials," Snyder said. "That's the best way I can start learning."
Snyder said she was attracted to Dartmouth by both the members of the College community she has met and the "beautiful and well maintained campus."
"I think that the Dartmouth campus itself, the strength of the community and the commitment of its faculty and students are great qualities that I would like to support by taking care of the physical campus," Snyder said.
Gratiot, who has worked at Dartmouth for more than 26 years, said he felt the timing was right for his retirement.
"I have been in this position since 2000," Gratiot said. "With the change of administration and with [Snyder] coming, I think [retirement] is a good thing for me to do."
Gratiot said he will remain in his current position through the end of August to assist Snyder during her first month at the College.
