Emphasis on Customer Service, Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) President Jay A. Perman, MD, announced that effective August 1, 2016, Dawn M. Rhodes, MBA, will join the university as Chief Business and Finance Officer and Vice President (CBFO). In this capacity, Rhodes will oversee UMB’s $1 billion budget, capital planning, facilities and operations, and business affairs. She will also work with university leadership on community development projects.

“I am pleased that Dawn Rhodes will add her expertise to our community development and community engagement efforts,” said Perman. “She has an outstanding record of achievement in higher education, bringing transparency to finances, leading major capital projects, and fostering an environment of excellence in customer service.”

Rhodes most recently served as vice chancellor for finance and administration at Indiana University – Purdue University, Indianapolis (IUPUI), where she earned acclaim for instituting the Service With Distinction program, greatly improving customer service throughout campus. Rhodes led a transformative hotel conversion project, creating 15 new classrooms, more than 500 residence hall beds and IUPUI’s first dining hall. She is also credited with greatly expanding the university’s emergency management capabilities, creating the Office of Intergroup Dialogue and Civil Community, and serving on the steering committee of Velocity, the city of Indianapolis’ strategic revitalization plan.

“I look forward to establishing relationships with internal and external partners, to be a good ambassador and a strong voice to move strategic priorities forward,” said Rhodes. The new CBFO also noted her appreciation of the university’s core values. “I am fully committed to furthering the mission of of diversity, equity, and inclusion. I am additionally committed to the pursuit of excellence and being accountable for the work product of our division,” she said.

Rhodes has over 23 years of experience in higher education finance and administration, including positions with IUPUI, the University of Toledo, and Savannah State University.

For more information, contact Alex Likowski at alikowski@umaryland.edu, or (410) 706-3801.