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Hubbard, Wells named vice presidents
Two of UB’s three senior leadership searches have concluded with the appointments of new vice presidents.
Laura E. Hubbard has been named vice president for finance and administration and Nancy L. Wells has been appointed vice president for development and alumni relations.
Hubbard’s appointment is effective Feb. 27; Wells’ on March 12. The appointments were announced during the past week by President Satish K. Tripathi.
Hubbard and Wells bring more than 20 and 30 years of experience, respectively, to their new positions at UB.
Associate vice president for budget and finance at the University of Oregon, Hubbard has a track record of success in areas from budget and strategic planning to organizational restructuring.
She was responsible for the university’s primary budget, business and financial operations. She served as the Oregon budget officer and advised the vice president for finance and administration on all financial matters.
Her accomplishments included implementing a strategic plan for financial and business services, and comprehensively reorganizing business functions and processes to better support the university’s mission. She developed a Financial Stewardship Institute (certificate program) and Stewardship Academy for Academic Leadership to enhance organizational capacity across the university in the areas of financial and fiduciary management.
Prior to joining the University of Oregon in 2005, Hubbard served as director of capital planning and budget, assistant vice president for administration, and interim vice president for finance and administration at the University of Idaho. From 1990-99, she served as finance and administrative officer, as well as director of facilities administrative services, at Washington State University.
“Laura Hubbard is a tremendously valuable addition to our strong leadership team,” said Tripathi. “Not only is she among the very best administrators in the finance area, but she also is thoroughly grounded in the higher education realm and is highly attuned to the particular priorities and challenges facing a research-intensive university like UB.
“She brings remarkable acumen and expertise to this important role, as well as skillful leadership, a thoughtful ear and a collaborative approach—all qualities that promise to energize and advance our university in its continued pursuit of excellence.”
As vice president for finance and administration at UB—a newly formulated position at the university—Hubbard’s responsibilities will include oversight of strategic financial planning and analysis of resource use and development. She will oversee UB business services, internal audit, human resources, employee relations and facilities units.
She will provide leadership for the institution’s ongoing efforts to pursue innovative business solutions and develop operating strategies that enhance revenues and efficiency, and lead to more cost-effective administrative practices.
As vice president for development and alumni relations, Wells will lead UB’s fundraising efforts and its engagement with its more than 218,000 alumni worldwide. She has held leadership positions in fundraising and alumni relations at a variety of institutions, including Stanford and McGill universities, and at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, where she served as vice president of development.
Most recently, she was director of development for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the largest repertory theatre in the U.S., based in Ashland, Oregon.
“This is a very exciting appointment, coming at a pivotal moment for UB,” said Tripathi. “We are making vital strides in realizing our ambitious vision, and a successful strategy for development and advancement will be critical to taking us there.
“Nancy Wells brings an extraordinary mix of talents and expertise to this key role. She has a keen understanding of the 21st-century university’s needs in today’s economic climate, but she also brings a wide range of fundraising expertise from outside this arena. And she has a clear vision for ensuring that UB has the resources to propel us forward by building the investments that are critical to our long-range success—investments in our students, our faculty, our academic enterprise and, ultimately, in the future of UB as a premier public research university.”
At UB, Wells will help to foster a culture of philanthropy vital to enhancing the university’s mission of excellence, to leading the university in its next capital campaign and to strengthening UB’s alumni programs worldwide. She will serve as UB’s senior officer for development and alumni relations, and will work closely with Tripathi and other university leaders and volunteers to guide the work of philanthropy at UB.
Wells’ international expertise will benefit and complement UB’s status as one of the most internationally focused universities in the U.S., Tripathi said. As vice principal for development and alumni relations at McGill University in Montreal, she planned and directed the quiet phase of a $500 million campaign, and strengthened McGill’s alumni relations in Canada and internationally. While at Stanford, she served as the university’s major gifts officer for Europe.
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