Finalists chosen to head facilities planning and management

A search and screen committee has selected three finalists for the university’s new associate vice chancellor for facilities planning and management.

The 13-member committee recommended the finalists to Vice Chancellor for Administration John Torphy after a nationwide search. The committee, which was chaired by College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Dean Elton Aberle, consisted of faculty, academic staff and classified staff.

The successful candidate will replace Bruce Braun, who officially retired from the position June 30 after close to seven years. John Harrod will remain the interim associate vice chancellor until Braun’s successor is chosen. A final decision will be made later this fall.

“I appreciate the committee’s hard work and want to thank them for coming up with three highly-qualified finalists,” Torphy says. “This job requires a high degree of motivation, imagination and ability to ensure that this university’s facility and infrastructure needs are met. Based on the committee’s recommendation, I am confident that we have three finalists who meet those requirments.”

The associate vice chancellor for facilities planning and management provides leadership, guidance and direction in evaluating and meeting the university’s facilities needs. The AVC coordinates and supervises all facilities management activities, including budgeting, construction, maintenance and support services, safety and hazardous materials management, parking and transportation, space management, and energy conservation.

In addition, the AVC represents the university on all facilities and construction matters before the public, UW System administration, and local, state and federal governments.

The finalists are:

• Alan Fish, administrative officer/associate athletic director of the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics at UW–Madison since 1989. Fish previously spent 10 years with the State of Wisconsin as administrator for policy and budget with the Wisconsin Department of Health and Social Services (1987-89), legislative liaison and advisor to Govenor Tony Earl (1985-86), budget analyst for the Department of Administration (1984-85), and program evaluator for the Legislative Audit Bureau (1979-83).
• Joseph Fritton, director of the Division of Facilities Management and Architectural Services for the State of Kansas since 2000. He has also served as the deputy division director (1997-2000) and physical plant manager (1996-97) for the agency. Prior to that, he was employed by the Omaha (Neb.) Public Power District as a senior design engineer (1991-96), rate design engineer and analyst (1988-91), and power plant engineer (1986-88).
• John Harrod, interim associate vice chancellor for facilities planning and management at UW–Madison since May. He is a former physical plant director at both UW–Madison (1991-2002) and Northern Illinois University (1987-91). He spent 17 years with Iowa State University, serving as physical plant operations’ associate director (1984-87) and assistant director (1984), building and campus services’ assistant head (1981-84) and group manager (1976-81), and university landscape architect (1970-76).