Facilities VP search set to begin

As Penn officially says goodbye to its top real-estate administrator today, officials are starting to look for someone to fill his shoes.

Officials hope to hire a replacement for Vice President for Facilities and Real Estate Omar Blaik by the time classes begin next fall, but it could be longer before someone is found.

Blaik, who is ultimately responsible for all of Penn's buildings, announced his resignation in February.

With eastward expansion a top priority for the University, Blaik's position has a particular importance at this point in Penn's development.

This will make the process of finding his permanent replacement especially difficult -- one reason why the University is preparing to hire a professional search firm to help find a new real-estate head.

Peter Felix, president of the Association of Executive Search Consultants -- a group for professional search firms -- said finding replacements for top University administrators is always a daunting task.

"It's a much more sophisticated process" than people think, Felix said. "It's not just a simple matter of putting an ad in the paper and seeing who responds."

In the meantime, School of Engineering and Applied Science Executive Director of Budget and Administration Thomas Stump is acting in an interim role.

Stump "is firmly in place as the interim vice president, and the search is getting started," University President Amy Gutmann said. "We will look every place where there are talented people who might want to come to Penn."

But others believe that the process could take longer than expected and that it is possible that the University may not meet its September goal.

Stump said he is prepared to act as interim vice president for at least six months, and Penn Vice President of Human Resources John Heuer said the process will likely take that much time or more.

"You don't just go out there and say, 'Someone left, so we're going to replace him,'" Heuer said. "It's not a process that can occur in a really short time period."

Heuer said the process could be slowed by factors like a candidate backing out at the last minute, deciding to accept a position at another university or encountering family difficulties.

"You aren't just recruiting the candidate; you are recruiting the candidate's spouse, partner, family," Heuer said.

Felix said that despite the lengthy procedure, the University's goal of installing a new real-estate head in five months is feasible.

"I think the first of September is reasonably realistic," Felix said. "These days, people don't move at the flick of a switch, but it is doable."

Both University Provost Ron Daniels and Heuer say the decision of who to hire will have a resounding impact on Penn's campus.

"Any time that a senior-level position is open, the selection of a candidate for that position ... is critical to the future leadership" of the University, Heuer said.

Daniels agreed, calling the new facilities vice president "an essential partner in the implementation of our campus development plans."

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