July 2, 2024
Dear Colleagues,
I want to share with you the news of a shift taking place in the Office of the Provost leadership.
First, Steve Wisniewski has advised me of his decision to step away from the Office of the Provost to pursue new professional opportunities effective on or before July 15, 2024.
Steve has been with the Office of the Provost since 2015, most recently serving as Vice Provost for Budget and Analytics. In this capacity, his efforts have spanned work intersecting with Provost-area reporting units and the Chief Financial Officer on budget planning and execution; collaborating on data-driven decision-making for improved operational efficiency and student outcomes; and supporting areas related to faculty appointment, promotion, and tenure cases.
I want to thank Steve for his far-reaching contributions to the Office of the Provost, as well as his leadership of the data and business teams. Our office and the University as a whole have benefited greatly from his expertise during his time as vice provost, particularly with respect to managing complexities posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, faculty union negotiations for the initial collective bargaining agreement, the launch of the Pathways advising platform, the implementation of the budget ReSTART model, and more.
I am also pleased to announce that Donald Elliott will join the team as Vice Provost for Budget and Institutional Effectiveness as of July 8.
Don comes to the University from CliftonLarsonAllen LLP, where he served as a BizOps Chief Financial Officer. During that time, he successfully partnered with clients on operational excellence and strategic planning issues, including capital planning and risk management, and steered financial administration, planning, budgeting, and compliance monitoring efforts. Earlier, as a Director on the company’s Consultant and Accounting Solutions Team, Don steered project management, strategy implementation, and change management for clients. His wealth of experience in these areas also comes from his time working at Eaton Corporation, Lancaster County Commissioner’s Office, Dana Corporation, TD Bank, Bank of America, Novant Health, and Wesley Spectrum Services.
Don holds a master of business administration and a bachelor of arts in economics, both from the University of Virginia, and is a Prosci-certified change manager. He is also a presidential appointee to the Federal Prison Industries board of directors and past chairman of the Upper Palmetto YMCA board. Don was recently appointed to the board of trustees for Averett University.
Don’s collaborative nature and demonstrated commitment to continuous improvement—not to mention his stated passion for aligning people, processes, and systems with strategic objectives—make him a valuable addition to our team.
Please join me in congratulating Steve as he embarks on the next phase of his career and also in welcoming Don to the Office of the Provost.
Regards,
Joe
Joseph J. McCarthy
Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor
William Kepler Whiteford Professor of Chemical Engineering
University of Pittsburgh