University hires new budget dir.

Masch performed similarMasch performed similarduties for city government University President Judith Rodin yesterday announced the appointment of Michael Masch as executive director of the University's Office of Budget and Management Analysis and assistant to the president, beginning in May. Masch helped Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell save the city from the brink of fiscal insolvency as director of Philadelphia's Office of Budget and Program Evaluation since 1992. The budget director manages the annual budget process and crafts the University's long-term financial plans. Masch will also analyze the fiscal performance of the University's administrative units and schools, Rodin said. "Masch has been one of the Rendell administration's stars," she said yesterday. "We are exceptionally lucky to have attracted him to Penn." Former Acting Budget Director Ben Hoyle left the University in October to assume responsibilities elsewhere. Barry Stupine, associate dean and director of the Veterinary Hospital, has served as an interim budget director since Hoyle stepped down. Steve Schutt, vice president and chief of Rodin's staff, said he was excited about Masch's appointment and that he is a "tremendous addition" to the University. As Rodin celebrated Masch's appointment yesterday, Rendell accepted his resignation "with the deepest regret." "Our loss is Penn's gain," the mayor said after announcing the resignation at a press conference. Yesterday, Masch predicted that research universities and teaching hospitals like the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania will come under "enormous" financial pressure in the future because of shrinking funding from the federal and state governments. He said his challenge will be to help Penn improve and continue to fulfill its educational and research goals while the University's resources are under "great strain." "It is easy to balance a budget if you're not concerned with what the real life outcome will be," he said. "The trick is to balance a budget in a way that maximizes services." A native Philadelphian, Masch attended Temple University as an undergraduate, where he majored in urban studies. He went on to study public policy analysis at Penn. "I know Penn like the back of my hand," he said. He called Rodin a "dynamic" president who is clearly a leader and said he was impressed with her work at the University. "I'm really looking forward to working with the new team President Rodin is building to take Penn into the 21st century," he said. While in the mayor's office, Masch was responsible for developing the city's six-year capital program and its annual five-year financial plan. Before joining the Rendell administration, Masch served for eight years as director of economic analysis for the Philadelphia City Council, advising the body on tax policy and economic development.