FM officer to be named by month's end
The search for a new Facilities Management Senior Officer nears an end after the position remained vacant for more than a year.
“The top three candidates for the position will be named by the end of the week, and the position should be filled by the end of the month,” said Abdul Nasser, Finance and Administrative Services vice president.
The search began with the committee taking precautions to ensure it knows everything about the candidates ahead of time.
“We are doing extensive reference checks, off-line checks, much Internet and newspaper research and criminal background checks,” said Plant Engineering and Planning director Mel Remus, committee chair.
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The committee responsible for making a recommendation of three candidates to Nasser, who will eventually make the final decision on who will be hired, consists of various faculty and staff members and a California-based search consultant.
The committee received 40 résumés from applicants across the country applying for the position. The pool narrowed to 20 qualified applicants and was cut to the 10 most qualified to be interviewed via video conference.
The committee made every decision as a whole, Remus said.
The top five applicants were invited for on-campus interviews, completed Friday.
“I was unable to be at the interview of the last candidate on Friday,” Nasser said. “I will have to do that interview, and following the recommendation of the committee we will select the best person for the job.”
Former Facilities Management Senior Officer Jean Lindley retired in September 2000 after eight years in the position.
Following Lindley’s retirement, Residences and Auxiliary Services Senior Officer John Fisher was serving as the interim officer until Abdul Nasser was hired as vice president of Finance and Administrative Services.
After reviewing 80 applications, the search committee announced in June that Kifah Jayyousi, former chief facilities officer for the Washington, D.C., and Detroit public school districts, would take over the position effective July 16. The offer was later rescinded.
CMU’s top officials said they were unaware the man they named Facilities Management senior officer was fired from his previous post on charges including mismanagement.
The university then rescinded Jayyousi’s job offer after CM LIFE discovered and reported his April 13 firing from his position as facilities chief for the Washington, D.C., School District.
Both the university and Jayyousi agreed he would not take the CMU position.
Following the controversy, new search procedures for senior officers were instituted and include Internet-based searches, newspaper database searches and Web site searches of a candidate’s previous employer.
“The Jayyousi search played a major role in the drafting of these hiring procedures,” said Mike Silverthorn, Public Relations and Marketing executive director.
The requirements for the job include qualifications of a bachelor’s degree, eight years of senior level administrative facilities management experience and strong writing skills.
Committee members are searching for someone highly organized with good verbal skills who can develop and lead teams, Remus said.
The responsibilities of the Facilities Management senior officer include policy formation and administration of all aspects of campus facilities, a total budget of more than $21 million and approximately 250 employees.
The position oversees building services, landscape operations, campus planning, engineering, new construction and renovation, skilled trades, maintenance and repair programs and energy management.
