Cantwell names two VPs as campus reorganization continues – Cache Valley Daily

LOGAN – A pair of administrators who both spent part of their careers in Arizona’s university system, have joined Utah State University President Elizabeth Cantwell’s leadership team. She announced the new additions Thursday.

John O’Neil is the new VP for operational strategy and will serve as special adviser to Cantwell. O’Neil, like Dr. Cantwell, served as a vice president at the University of Arizona,  and before joining the U of A in 2019 he spent 15 years in leadership roles at the National Security Directorate Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Kerri R. Davidson was named vice president of institutional affairs as well as Cantwell’s chief of staff. She has been executive director and chief of staff of the Arizona State University Public Enterprise and concurrently led its Office of the Executive Vice President and served as chief operating officer.

In a message to the campus community Thursday, Dr. Cantwell said when Vice President Robert Wagner departed most of his responsibilities were directed into the provost’s office. Cantwell said Kerri Davidson and Dean Linda Nagel will now lead an organizational design process to re-orient the provost’s office.

“When this design process is concluded, it is highly likely that some of my vice president direct reports will then be reporting up through the provost,” said Cantwell.

She told the Salt Lake Tribune there would be a “complete reorganization” of the University’s structure in the near future and the number of people who report directly to her will decrease.

The new appointees will report Friday, March 1.