Announcing Office of Strategic Initiatives Transition, 12-14-23

Dear colleagues,

In 2021, we launched a new set of campuswide strategic initiatives to guide the next phase of our development through 2026 and beyond, and we have made continuous progress in pursuit of these ambitious goals in the years since. With that progress have come opportunities to more closely align this work with the existing expertise and resources in our schools, college and administrative units, and to embed our campus strategic goals within the financial framework of our campus as a whole.

I write today to share news of changes underway to further build on this work and position us well to carry forward the momentum we have created on our current initiatives while planning strategically for the years to come. 

As of January 1, the Office of Strategic Initiatives will move under the umbrella of Associate Vice Chancellor for Budget, Planning and Analysis & Campus Strategy Ryan Davis, MBA. This transition of the campus strategy office under Ryan will enable us to align our current initiatives more closely with our growth and development as a campus, bringing together expertise in budget development, fiscal planning, project management and data analysis to boost our efforts. We are grateful to Ryan for overseeing the transition of and future planning for our campus strategic initiatives. 

In her role as Associate Vice Chancellor of Strategic Initiatives, Laura Borgelt, PharmD, MBA, and her team have skillfully led our campus community through the development and implementation of our 2021-2026 strategic initiatives. We have benefited greatly from her work in this capacity, as well as her oversight of our digital learning and online education efforts.  

Starting next month, Dr. Borgelt will dedicate the majority of her time to the Gates Institute as Chief Operating Officer, a role she took on in a temporary capacity last year. The work underway at the Gates Institute is vital to our next chapter as a leading academic medical campus and innovation hub. We look forward to all that Laura will make possible with a focus on strategy, operations and partnerships that position the Gates Institute at the forefront of a rapidly evolving field.

As part of this transition, we have named a new director for the Office of Digital Learning, which will also move to the Budget, Planning and Analysis & Campus Strategy Offices. Lisha Bustos, MA, most recently served as manager of the instructional design service center at the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, where she provided faculty training, course coordination and program support. Effective December 1, Lisha began overseeing expansion and support of online and hybrid digital learning programs at CU Anschutz. 

Our campus has made great strides in pursuit of our strategic initiatives, and we have much more to do together. By aligning our campus strategies with complementary resources, we position ourselves well for continued progress today and in the years to come.

Sincerely,

Don Elliman
Chancellor

Terri C. Carrothers
Executive Vice Chancellor for Administration & Finance 
Chief Financial Officer