Dear Colleagues:

I’m delighted to share that Dawn Rhodes, MBA, joins UMB today as our chief business and finance officer and vice president. In this role, Ms. Rhodes will oversee UMB’s $1.1 billion budget, capital planning, facilities operations, and business affairs. She will also serve as a key liaison to the local community on neighborhood development projects.

Ms. Rhodes has more than 30 years of experience in finance and operations, 23 of them in higher education. Most recently, she was vice chancellor for finance and administration at Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), an urban public research university with 31,000 students and a budget of $1.4 billion.

Ms. Rhodes’ tenure at IUPUI was characterized by a commitment to transparency in finances, data-driven decision making, exemplary customer service, and ethical behavior. She led the transformation of a 280-room Indianapolis hotel and conference center into a multipurpose facility, housing classrooms, offices, 560 residence hall beds, and the university’s first-ever dining hall. She created the Office of Intergroup Dialogue and Civil Community to help IUPUI achieve its vision of a diverse and inclusive campus. She established the Resource Planning Committee, populated by a representative group of campus stakeholders, to make significant financial recommendations to the chancellor and ensure that resource distribution at IUPUI aligned with the university’s strategic priorities.

Ms. Rhodes is eminently qualified to provide the visionary leadership in financial, operational, and capital management that will position UMB for strong growth and even greater impact. I look forward to her service and counsel as part of my executive team, and I know you join me in welcoming Ms. Rhodes to Baltimore and to UMB.

Sincerely,

Jay A. Perman, MD
President