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Interim VC/CFO Mike Riley Leaving for New Role at UC Berkeley

September 22, 2020

To: All faculty and staff

Sept. 21, 2020

Members of the Campus Community,

Interim Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration/CFO Mike Riley, who has overseen the transition in oversight of campus auxiliary services and the hiring of a prominent bookstore management firm, and has steered us through the perilous financial waters of the past six months of COVID-19 response, will resign from UC Merced Nov. 1 to begin a new position at UC Berkeley.

Mike joined UC Merced in 2013 as controller and assistant vice chancellor for business and financial services, after prior positions at UC Davis and the UC Office of the President.

We offer him great thanks for his service to our community and best wishes in his new position. A transition plan will be announced before his departure.

The university will soon begin a search for a new vice chancellor and CFO, with the help of search firm Isaacson Miller.

A search advisory committee will be formed, with representation from the Academic Senate, Staff Assembly, ASUCM and GSA, who have been asked for nominees.

Michael McLeod, vice chancellor of physical operations, planning and development, will chair the committee, which will also include John Jackson, director of operations and chief of staff, Office of Research and Economic Development; Chief Procurement Officer Josh Dubroff; Engineering Dean Mark Matsumoto; Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Charles Nies; Interim Vice Chancellor of Research and Economic Development Marjorie Zatz; Associate Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Kurt Schnier; and Associate Chancellor/Chief Diversity Officer Dania Matos. Former interim chancellor Nathan Brostrom will serve ex officio, as CFO of the University of California.

We will find an appropriate way to honor Mike’s service to UC Merced. I also encourage you to send him a note with your best wishes as he works to transition the Division of Finance and Administration to new leadership.

Sincerely,

Juan Sánchez Muñoz, Ph.D.

Chancellor