Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Steven Kadish will leave the College in September to become the senior vice president and chief operating officer at Northeastern University, according to an announcement by Interim President Carol Folt on Monday. Vice President for Campus Planning and Facilities Linda Snyder, Kadish's wife, will depart at the same time to assume her new role as the vice president of operations at Tufts University.
In an internal email sent to academic deans and leaders on campus, Folt announced changes in the several administrative divisions that report to the president.
Mike Wagner, who has served as vice president for finance since 2010, has been named interim chief financial officer upon Kadish's departure. Wagner served as the College's controller before becoming the Geisel School of Medicine's chief financial officer in 2008.
Kadish said that Wagner will likely not face challenges beyond those similar to other institutions of higher education, despite the College's "huge ambitions" for its finances.
"The basic finances of Dartmouth are in very stable conditions, and Mike played a huge role in that." Kadish said in an interview with The Dartmouth. "I really look forward to Dartmouth's continued trajectory."
Kadish said his decision to leave Dartmouth is entirely personal and not related to the recent change in leadership, noting that his decision will allow him and Snyder to better combine their professional and personal lives.
"I came in with [former College] President [Jim Yong] Kim and I worked so well and so closely with Carol Folt, and I really respect both of them," he said. "I will miss Dartmouth and the caliber of the people I'm working with."
David Spalding, who served as Kim's chief of staff, will assume the position of senior vice president and senior advisor to the president, Folt announced. Appointing Spalding as the senior advisor to the president will allow him to become more actively involved in numerous decisions that need to be made next year, especially regarding the new Fall term schedule and changes to strategic planning, Folt said. Spalding will continue his previous role in other areas of the Dartmouth community, according to Folt.
"It's an evolution of his current role," Folt said. "We're looking to take advantage of [Spalding's] long experience and help make sure our initiatives move forward smoothly."
While Kim never had a senior advisor, Folt said it is not a new position, as former Presidents David McLaughlin, James Freedman and James Wright all had senior advisors.
Kadish and Folt, who served as provost of the College from 2010 to 2012, presided over $100 million in budget cuts under Kim.
Before coming to Dartmouth, Kadish served as the director of the global health equity division of Harvard University-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital while Kim was the division's chief. From 2003 to 2006, Kadish served as the state of Massachusetts' undersecretary for health and human services.
Snyder was appointed as Dartmouth's chief facilities officer in 2010. She worked at Harvard as the associate dean for physical resources and planning prior to joining the College's staff.
Folt also announced that William Anderson will become interim vice president of campus planning and facilities. Anderson has worked closely with the College over the past two years as executive vice president of the Rise Group, a consulting firm specializing in facilities planning, design and construction. His already close relationship with the College will ease his transition into the role, Folt said.
Though many positions are changing, students will notice only the "momentum moving forward," because all of the interim roles are being filled by people who are already familiar with Dartmouth, according to Folt.
"I think that we are in a very favorable position," she said. "I've been able to find people with tremendous experience to fill these roles."
Many of the appointments are for interim roles, and the process to fill the permanent positions will begin as soon as Dartmouth's next president is chosen, according to Folt. The president will then decide whether to conduct a national search or to choose someone from within the College for the role, Folt said.
Staff writer Claire Groden contributed reporting to this article.
