Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Operating Officer Kelly Fox, recent recipient of the 2019 University of Colorado Excellence in Leadership Award and leader of CU Boulder’s Strategic Resources and Support team, is stepping down effective Jan. 31, 2020, to join the Georgia Institute of Technology as executive vice president of administration and finance.
Kelly Fox
“I feel proud of the accomplishments we have made here at the University of Colorado and am honored that Georgia Tech is giving me the opportunity to make a positive impact at another prestigious institution,” Fox said.
Chancellor Philip P. DiStefano expressed his gratitude for Kelly’s contributions to the Boulder campus and the University of Colorado as a whole during her tenure with the university.
“Kelly has a great depth of financial, operational and leadership experience and is well respected around the state and nationally among our peers,” DiStefano said. “She has helped us weather changing economic conditions over the years, and we are well positioned for the future thanks to her leadership and innovative efforts.”
Fox joined CU Boulder as senior vice chancellor and chief financial officer in July 2012, after serving as vice president for budget and finance and chief financial officer for the University of Colorado system administration. Prior to that position, she served as system budget director from 2001 to 2004. Previously, she was director of policy, planning and analysis at the Colorado School of Mines and held budget, policy and planning posts with the Colorado Office of State Planning and Budgeting and the National Conference of State Legislatures.
During her time at CU, Fox created a number of transformative programs, including the CU Boulder Tuition Guarantee; innovation seed grants; and Esteemed Scholars. She oversaw the construction of nearly $1 billion in new and renovated campus buildings. She also built a strong bridge between CU’s academic and administrative organizations, allowing the campus to approach challenges and opportunities more holistically and strategically than before.
Fox also announced today the appointment of Carla Ho-a as vice chancellor and chief financial officer (CFO) effective immediately. Ho-a’s past leadership roles include associate vice chancellor for finance and business strategy and deputy CFO, associate dean for finance and administration at the CU College of Nursing and director of special projects and assistant vice chancellor for administration auxiliaries at CU Boulder. Under Ho-a’s direction, the budget and fiscal planning office has evolved its role as a strategic planning partner for campus units, transforming the campus-wide budget planning process and enabling participating units to identify and allocate resources more effectively.
“Carla’s leadership of major initiatives such as Financial Futures has positioned us well for the future to meet our academic mission.” Fox said. “She has a proven track record and I am confident she will move the university forward.”
DiStefano said he will name an interim COO later this month.
