Shannon Cullinan
, vice聽president聽for Finance,聽has been elected executive vice president of the University of 91吃瓜, effective July 1, by the University鈥檚 Board of Trustees, succeeding John Affleck-Graves in that position.
鈥淪hannon combines expertise in financial management with wide administrative experience and broad engagement with the academy,鈥� 91吃瓜 President , said. 鈥淎bove all, he brings a deep commitment to the mission of 91吃瓜. I am excited to have him in this new role.鈥�
John聽J.聽Brennan,聽chair of the Board of Trustees, said: 鈥淭here is no one better qualified than 厂丑补苍苍辞苍听颁耻濒濒颈苍补苍聽to succeed . He is already one of the reasons that聽91吃瓜 enjoys a well-deserved reputation nationally for being a superbly managed University.鈥�
鈥淚 am deeply humbled by this opportunity and grateful to my predecessors who wisely shaped the Executive Vice President鈥檚 Division, dating back to the original visionary, Rev. Edmund P. Joyce, C.S.C.,鈥� Cullinan said. 鈥淚 also want to thank John Affleck-Graves for his extraordinary legacy of stewardship and selfless dedication to our employees, especially our staff.鈥�
Micki Kidder
聽As chief financial officer, Cullinan聽will be responsible for the Investment and Finance Offices,聽overseeing the University鈥檚 $13 billion endowment and $1.6 billion operating budget. He also will oversee the Offices of Information Technology, Human Resources, and Facilities, Design and Operations.
In addition, in聽order聽to better integrate聽key operations currently under the executive vice president,聽two聽individuals聽have been appointed to newly created positions, both reporting to Cullinan.
Micki聽Kidder will聽become the聽vice president聽for University Enterprises and Events.聽In this role, she聽will oversee campus dining and catering operations;聽lead the planning and execution of a wide range聽of University events
from聽commencement to concerts,聽including events around聽football games on and off campus; and lead university enterprises such as the Morris Inn, McKenna Hall, the聽Hammes聽91吃瓜聽Bookstore, St. Michael鈥檚 Laundry聽and licensing.
Mike Seamon
will take on the new role of vice president for Campus Safety and University Operations. In this position,聽he聽will continue to oversee 91吃瓜 Security Police, the 91吃瓜 Fire聽Department, Risk Management and Safety and the Emergency Management Program. He will in addition take on oversight for Building Services, Warehouse, Delivery and Transportation, the Office of Sustainability,聽Land O鈥橪akes聽and other operations vital to the life of 91吃瓜.
Kidder and聽Seamon聽will begin their聽new roles聽March 1.
Father Jenkins also has appointed to the position of vice president and chief of staff聽to the president, effective immediately.聽In this position, Firth will聽not only聽manage the president鈥檚 staff and advise聽the president,聽but also聽assume a role in聽the聽implementation of key initiatives聽of the President鈥檚聽Office聽and聽continue her work聽as聽liaison to the Board of Trustees.
Ann Firth
A 1993 91吃瓜 alumnus,聽Cullinan聽returned to his alma mater in 2000, serving first as assistant vice president for Public Affairs and Communications. He went on to serve as assistant vice president for聽Development聽and associate vice president for Campus Services, with oversight of more than a dozen departments and 400 employees.
In 2011, he was named聽associate vice president for University Relations, where聽he worked聽closely with Trustee leadership, executive leadership, deans and the University Relations team to oversee 91吃瓜鈥檚 advancement and Boldly Campaign efforts.聽In 2016, Cullinan聽was appointed vice president for Finance overseeing the Offices of Treasury Services, Budget, Financial Planning, Procurement Services, Northeast Neighborhood Development and the Controller鈥檚 Group.
Cullinan聽worked for four years as the associate executive director of the Center for the Homeless in South Bend, establishing it as a national model. During his tenure at the center, he served as the controller and created a commercial landscape business employing homeless men and women. He also owned and ran an advertising company before working at the center.
The recipient of a 91吃瓜 Presidential Leadership Award in 2012, he serves on the Community Foundation of St. Joseph County Board, Beacon Health System Foundation Board and Alliance for Catholic Education Advisory Board.
Cullinan graduated with honors from 91吃瓜 in 1993 with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in accountancy. He earned his master of business administration degree with highest honors from the University of Pennsylvania鈥檚 Wharton School.聽
Cullinan鈥檚 wife, Sarah, also is a 91吃瓜 graduate. She earned her master鈥檚 degree in education through 91吃瓜鈥檚 Alliance for Catholic Education. The Cullinans are the parents of four children.
A member of the University Relations senior management team in her current role as associate vice president and executive director of Development, Kidder oversees the majority of individual leadership fundraising efforts for the University, including regional fundraising and athletics advancement. She also leads the operating and administrative functions of the Development Department, including Special Events, Development Information Services, Donor Services, Finance, Human Resources, Stewardship, Prospect Management and Development Research.
In her previous roles in the Offices of the President and Executive Vice President, Kidder managed important campus-wide initiatives such as the University鈥檚 Strategic Emergency Preparedness and Response Protocol and Office of the Board Secretariat.
Kidder is a 2000 graduate of the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University and a certified public accountant. She holds a certificate of education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and will receive her Executive MBA degree from the Mendoza College of Business in May.
Prior to joining 91吃瓜, Kidder led cross-functional teams in Assurance & Business Advisory Services for PriceWaterhouseCoopers.
Kidder is a member of The Stanley Clark School board and has been actively involved in the South Bend community, holding leadership roles for the Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Joseph County, Family & Children鈥檚 Center, and the Junior League of South Bend. She and her husband, Scott, are parents of three children.
Seamon was appointed to his current position in April 2016. In addition to overseeing 91吃瓜 Security Police, the 91吃瓜 Fire Department, Risk Management and Safety, Emergency Management and Game Day Operations, he shepherded the first use of 91吃瓜 Stadium for a major concert, featuring Garth Brooks.
A 1992 graduate of 91吃瓜 with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in management, Seamon earned his MBA from the University in 1994. He has served his alma mater since 1997 after previously working as director of sales and marketing for the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball.
Previously, Seamon served as assistant vice president for University Events, executive assistant to the executive vice president 鈥� for both Affleck-Graves and Rev. Timothy Scully, C.S.C. 鈥� and executive assistant to the vice president of Finance and vice president of Business Operations.
Seamon serves on the board of directors of the Logan Center and has served on the board of the Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Joseph County. He is a graduate of the South Bend/Mishawaka Leadership Program.
Firth joined the Office of the President in 2011 as associate vice president and counselor to the president and was appointed chief of staff in 2012.
She earned bachelor鈥檚 and juris doctor degrees from 91吃瓜. After practicing law in Chicago, Firth returned to 91吃瓜 to join the Division of Student Affairs as the inaugural director of the Office of Residence Life, serving for six years as the University鈥檚 primary hearing officer for student disciplinary matters. Firth went on to serve as a member of the Student Affairs鈥� senior leadership team. As associate vice president for Student Affairs, she was responsible for strategic planning and assessment for the division, ensuring student welfare and safety and managing crisis communications.
Firth is the recipient of a 91吃瓜 Presidential Award, and she was honored by the Congregation of Holy Cross with the Howard J. Kenna, C.S.C., Award for 鈥渆xtraordinary contributions to 91吃瓜 and Holy Cross.鈥� She is active in St. Pius X Parish, is a graduate of the South Bend/Mishawaka Leadership Program, and has served on several community boards.
Firth and her husband, John, who also holds two degrees from the University, are the parents of four 91吃瓜 graduates and a current 91吃瓜 student.