Submitted by Amy Walter
Blake Fuhler has accepted a new role as the Senior Director of Analytics within University Advancement, effective February 22. In this newly created role, Blake will manage the data analytics program within Advancement’s Business Intelligence Unit. He will be responsible for helping to inculcate a strengthened culture of data-driven decision making in preparation for the next campaign, identify analytical strategies and evaluate new technology and solutions. It is no secret that Blake has a strong passion and competency for data analytics, so I am forced to admit this is a great fit for him and the University. While I hate to see him go, I am confident he will do great things for WashU in this new space!
I am also pleased to announce that Jennie Franke and Mark Craig have been promoted to Directors in EA, effective immediately.
In her new role, Jennie will have responsibility for Business Alignment, Solutions Architecture and Project Management. Since joining EA from Mastercard in 2017, Jennie has led teams of Project Managers and Business Analysts with a focus on continuous improvement at the heart of what she does. She has led a number of initiatives to improve our project and process management efforts within EA and across WashU IT. Jennie is a thoughtful leader and coach with a strong sense of collaboration and team building and I look forward to having her join the EA Lead Team. She will report to me in this role and will be working to post a backfill position for the Assistant Director of Project Management role shortly.
Mark will continue to serve in his role as the leader for Production Support and Operations and serving as the MyDay Cutover Lead. Mark often says he’s been here since he was a kid, which isn’t far from the truth! Most recently, Mark has skillfully assembled a team within EA accountable for ongoing operations and support of some of our most critical systems. He has improved various controls and processes within his team and worked closely with departments outside of EA to ensure alignment and coordination. As the Cutover Lead for MyDay, we are fortunate to leverage Mark’s strong sense of organization and responsibility to coordinate the largest implementation effort to date! Mark will continue reporting to Sharon Swan in this role, with a dotted line to me as MyDay Cutover Lead.
Please join me in congratulating Blake, Jennie and Mark on their new roles. I am grateful to have such capable leaders with a strong commitment to WashU!