Dear Colleagues,
I write to share the news that Interim Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Brian Thomason is planning to leave Chapman University to accept an exciting new opportunity. Brian has been named Vice President for Financial Affairs at the University of Portland, and his last day with us will be June 1.
Brian has held leadership roles at Chapman since 2021. For the past year, he has capably served as Interim EVP/COO, leading many critical operational departments including campus planning, compliance, event operations, facilities, finance, risk management, and public safety. During the interim role, Brian focused on continuity and stability in a transitional period and began the important work of assessing and incrementally improving current processes and procedures.
Prior to that, he served as Chapman’s Vice President for Finance and Controller. In that role, he provided steady leadership in areas such as the treasury, finance systems, general accounting, and many more, and he engaged often with the Board of Trustees’ Audit, Finance, and Investment committees. Brian has also taught in the classroom at Chapman and is involved in professional organizations for higher education business and accreditation.
Brian believes deeply in the work of higher education in deepening institutions’ missions, transforming students’ lives, advancing scholarship and knowledge, and strengthening communities at large. Throughout his more than 25 years in higher education and his five years at Chapman, Brian has endeavored to build and mentor collaborative teams and make meaningful contributions. Brian has been a wonderful colleague here at Chapman, and we look forward to celebrating him and his many contributions with his closest colleagues before his departure.
As you know, Chapman is also in the midst of a national search for our next Chief Operating Officer, and we will share more updates about this and the transition soon. We have a strong candidate pool and are confident we will find an experienced leader to guide our ongoing financial and operational growth.
Best,
Matt