March 8, 2016: Associate Vice President for Facilities

Dear Faculty and Staff Colleagues,

I am pleased to announce that Ken Ogawa has accepted the position of associate vice president for facilities, bringing that important search to a very successful conclusion. He will report to Vice President for Finance & Administration Dave Surgala and will serve as a standing member of the President's Sustainability Council.

Ken comes to Bucknell after spending the past eight years at the University of Pennsylvania, where he currently serves as the executive director of operations & maintenance. In that capacity, he leads an 850-person workforce responsible for more than 14 million square feet of academic, research, residential, administrative and retail facilities. He also oversees operating, utilities, capital improvement and sustainable program budgets exceeding $200 million annually.

Among his many qualifications for this position, Ken has demonstrated a deep commitment to sustainability. Accredited by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) in Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED), Ken co-chairs Penn's Strategic Energy, Utilities & Energy, and Solid Waste Management Teams, which provide oversight and direction toward meeting the institution's energy and waste reduction targets. He recently began the process of seeking "LEED for Existing Buildings: Operation & Maintenance" (LEED-EBOM) certification for a 340,000 square-foot academic facility. Ken also assisted in drafting and implementing Penn's original Climate Action Plan.

In addition to his work in higher education, Ken is one of five board members of the inaugural Philadelphia Energy Authority (PEA). This board has prepared a City Energy Report, reviewed energy saving initiatives, hosted best-practices discussions and overseen long-term energy contracts and construction projects. The PEA recently launched the Philadelphia Energy Campaign, a citywide initiative with a goal to raise $1 billion in public and private financing, create 10,000 new jobs and reduce energy consumption in low-income residential, small businesses, public schools and city properties.

Ken is also a retired Navy officer and had significant responsibility for master planning, construction and design, project management, and utilities and operations in Yokosuka, Japan; Washington, D.C.; San Diego and Philadelphia. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Davis; a Masters of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park; and is a Qualified Nuclear Engineer. In addition, Ken is an Association of Physical Plant Administrators (APPA) Certified Educational Facilities Professional.

Ken, his wife, Mary, and their two daughters will be visiting campus a few times in March, and Ken will join us full time by mid April.

Please join me in welcoming Ken and his family to Bucknell.

My sincere thanks to the members of the search committee, who diligently reviewed a large, national pool of highly qualified candidates.

  • Michelle Beiler — Assistant Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering
  • Kari Conrad — Associate Dean of Students
  • Pierre Joanis — Vice President for Human Resources
  • Carol Kennedy — Director, Office of the President & University Secretary
  • Robert Midkiff — Registrar, Associate Provost, Dean of Graduate Studies and Dean of Summer School program
  • Tim Pavlechko — Deputy Director, Athletics
  • Dave Surgala — Vice President for Finance & Administration
  • Dennis Swank — Associate Vice President for Finance
  • Peter Wishusen — Executive Director of Bucknell Center for Sustainability & the Environment; Associate Professor of Environmental Studies

I also want to extend my gratitude to Executive Director for Facilities Mike Patterson and Senior Project Manager Angelo Vieceli for their strong oversight of operations & maintenance and construction & design throughout this process, as well as the entire facilities team for its partnership in this leadership transition.

My best,

John