Dear Appalachian Community:

With the retirement of Vice Chancellor for Advancement Susan Pettyjohn at the end of June, I wanted to share with you some organizational changes within University Advancement and the Office of the Chancellor that build upon our staff expertise while producing a budget savings during this time of transition.

Dr. Randy Edwards will serve as Interim Vice Chancellor for Advancement. Randy has many years of experience with development at Appalachian and I thank him for serving in this interim role while we begin a national search to fill this position. In his new role, Randy will supervise development operations, the Appalachian State University Foundation, Inc., and Alumni Affairs and Annual Giving. Human Resources will report directly to the Chancellor. Randy will continue to supervise Auxillary Services, University Sustainability, Small Business and Technical Development Center, and New River Light and Power until the new Vice Chancellor for Business Affairs begins work on campus.

Debra Covington will step in as Acting Chief of Staff and Director of Marketing for the university. As part of this change, University Communications, which was formerly part of University Advancement, will report to Debbie and the Office of the Chancellor. This shift recognizes the elevated role communications has played and will continue to play in the daily operations of the university. I thank Debbie for taking on this new leadership role.

Hank Foreman will take on new responsibilities as both Senior Associate Vice Chancellor for Arts Engagement and Special Assistant to the Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives. This will allow him to continue enhancing the nationally-recognized history of cultural and artistic excellence at Appalachian through the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, An Appalachian Summer Festival and the Schaefer Center. In the latter role, Hank’s institutional knowledge and breadth of experience will assist the Office of the Chancellor in implementing strategic initiatives moving forward.

Sincerely,

Sheri N. Everts
Chancellor