PERSONNEL TRANSACTIONS: KEY APPOINTMENTS
PERTINENT FACTS
The outstanding service of Dr. Virginia Wheeless as the Interim Executive Director of the UNT System Center has come to a close. (Very appropriately, in recognition of that service, the UNT community, through its Honors Day Committee, bestowed on Dr. Wheeless its highest honor for a staff or faculty member, the President’s Award, at the annual convocation on April 27, 2001.)
Throughout her interim role in Dallas, Dr. Wheeless continued to head the University Planning Office, a post she has held since joining UNT in 1992.
While Dr. Wheeless is mentoring her replacement, Dr. John Price, for an appropriate period of time during the transition to his responsibilities as day-to-day leader of the UNTSC, she soon will fully focus on her planning responsibilities for the UNT System and the University. The approval by Governor Perry of the legislation establishing UNT at Dallas (UNT-D) as the third component of the System significantly expands her role by authorizing, among other things, the planning for the new institution, a function that she will lead. This major new responsibility, plus her previous accomplishments, justify her promotion to a System Vice Chancellorship. Also, Dr. Wheeless will continue to head the University Planning Office, as an Associate Vice President.
Following a national search with forty-eight applicants, Mr. Milton L. (Pat) Howell, Jr., has been selected for the position of Associate Vice Chancellor for UNT System Facilities, and Associate Vice President for UNT Facilities. Mr. Howell has extensive successful experience in directing, planning and managing the development, construction, operations, renovations, and maintenance of facilities and infrastructures. He has been responsible for developing, defending, and managing multi-million dollar budgets and has worked successfully with state, federal, and local governments, as well as elected officials, boards of regents, and other groups in presenting, defending and soliciting funds and support.
In his present position at the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth, Mr. Howell is responsible for numerous construction and renovation projects. These include an 11.5 million dollar parking garage, a 7.5 million dollar finish-out of a Patient Care Center, a 3.2 million dollar energy saving project, and at least sixteen other smaller projects. Mr. Howell's qualifications include:
Mr. Howell's qualifications, education, training and experience will be very valuable to the UNT System and to the institutions of the System.
Mr. Walter E. Parker has made tremendous contributions in serving first the University of North Texas since 1979 and, since last October, the UNT System. Initially, he was Vice President for External Affairs, then Vice President for Governmental Affairs and, currently, is Vice Chancellor for Governmental Affairs. Because Mr. Parker now wishes to reduce his schedule, he has requested a 60% appointment, for the coming year and a 50% appointment in 2002-2003.
Mr. Reymundo "Rey" Rodriguez, Jr. joined the System Governmental Affairs staff in January of this year in time to help establish our Austin office and to assist in our work in the legislative session. He brought to this work a B.S. degree in Sociology from Texas A&M University in 1995 and a master’s degree from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas in 1999. While finishing his master’s degree, he held a series of temporary appointments that included some nine months in Austin across the 1999 legislative session as a senior analyst with the Mexican-American Legislative Caucus. Full-time analyst work followed with the Social Security Administration in Washington, D.C. that involved details to staff assignments in congressional offices and, then, work with the Social Security Administration headquarters in Baltimore.
Mr. Rodriguez is now chief of our Austin office and after demonstrating the requisite skills, commitment and work ethic during the last legislative session is ready to be appointed as an Assistant Vice Chancellor for Governmental Affairs.
Due to the recent untimely death of Mr. Mark Moore, Vice President for Development, Dr. David Shrader has been asked to serve as Interim Vice President for Development for the duration of the ongoing Campaign-North Texas. Dr. Shrader briefly served admirably in this capacity during the search in 1996, which concluded with the hiring of Mr. Moore. Dr. Shrader first came to UNT in 1992 as Dean of the College of Music. His most recent assignment has been as a Professor of Music and Special Assistant to the Chancellor.
RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF REGENTS
The Chancellor recommends that the Board of Regents approve Dr. Wheeless’ promotion to Vice Chancellor and Director of Planning as indicated below:
Name, Rank/Title Department Base Salary Effective
Virginia Eman Wheeless* UNT System $121,000 9-1-01
Vice Chancellor and
Director of Planning
* Dr. Wheeless continues to head the University Planning Office, as an Associate Vice President.
The President recommends, with the concurrence of the Chancellor, that the Board of Regents approve the appointment as indicated below:
Name, Rank/Title Department Base Salary Effective
Milton L. (Pat) Howell,Jr. UNT System $107,693 8-20-01
Associate Vice Chancellor Facilities
for UNT System
Facilities, and
Associate Vice President
for UNT Facilities
The Chancellor recommends that the Board of Regents approve a reduced time appointment as indicated below:
Name, Rank/Title Department Base Salary Effective
Walter E. Parker
Vice Chancellor UNT System Office $84,261.60 9-1-01
for Governmental
Affairs
The Vice Chancellor, with concurrence of the Chancellor, recommends that the Board of Regents approve the appointment as indicated below:
Name, Title/Rank Department Base Salary Effective
Reymundo Rodriguez, UNT System Office $72,500/12 9-1-01
Jr., Assistant Vice
Chancellor for
Governmental
Affairs
The Chancellor further recommends that the Board of Regents confirm the appointment as indicated below:
Name, Rank/Title Department Base Salary Effective
David L. Shrader Development $142,251 6-5-01
Interim Vice President
for Development