New executive vice president for finance, administration reflects on first months in position

Immediately after beginning her new job on Jan. 1, Sarah Latham, government vice president for finance and administration, has expended her to start with months in the situation assessing the departments she oversees and location priorities, she reported in an interview with The Herald. 

Right after previous Govt Vice President for Finance and Administration Barbara Chernow ’79 retired previous slide, the College introduced Latham’s choosing from the College of California-Santa Cruz in September, The Herald formerly noted. She now oversees divisions that encompass approximately 1,000 staff members customers, such as workers from monetary affairs, human resources, dining, facilities, the Workplace of Information and facts and Engineering and other auxiliaries these as the bookstore, according to a September push launch from the University. 

In her very first 90 times, Latham claimed she satisfied with a quantity of folks who perform in her divisions and has begun to “build relationships” with them. One of the initial she satisfied with was Brown Eating Services, the biggest division she oversees.

“We have satisfied one-on-1 a lot of occasions given that (Latham) started at the College,” wrote George Barboza, vice president of Eating Solutions, in an electronic mail to The Herald. “It has usually been a effective and supportive partnership.”

A person substantial precedence for Latham is guaranteeing that team associates are engaged and sense supported, she explained.

“(If team) occur to get the job done daily and they feel seriously engaged and they experience part of the choice-making approach, that goes a lengthy way,” she stated.

All over the COVID-19 pandemic, Dining Providers has expert problems in staffing which Latham explained she tackled in her meetings with the division. The Herald beforehand described on the lack of Dining Expert services employees.

“We’re even now in an adjustment method as we’re all adapting by way of the pandemic,” Latham mentioned. “We had (earlier) had to ramp down certain products and services or reassign persons — we’re adapting to remaining back again in person and ramping back up.” 

Latham reported she has also received “regular updates” about the ongoing bargaining process for a new union contract for Dining Solutions workers — represented underneath the United Company and Allied Personnel of Rhode Island — from the University’s bargaining team. Latham also claimed she has experienced “some contact” with the union bargaining staff.

“It’s actually significant that I assistance the founded bargaining composition which is been agreed to by equally the union and the campus. I don’t want to interfere with that,” she said.

As of March, Latham said that the two sides of the bargaining process experienced “made a great deal of progress” and are centered on the needs of the campus local community.

“I consider they’re down to the last merchandise that need to be solved,” Latham reported. “I want to listen to their standard views of how we can aid them,” she additional. 

For her initial 90 times, Latham explained she aimed to appraise her divisions by way of four unique criteria: organizational tradition, operational overall health, interaction and resilience. Her goal was to make certain that staff customers have the instruction and the resources they want to reduce “gaps in assistance,” alongside with proper communication avenues to come to feel listened to, she additional. From there, she looked to “develop priorities” from the themes that appeared.

Barboza wrote in his electronic mail that he expects to function closely with Latham on a 5-yr strategic approach to continually enhance the College dining knowledge for employees and pupils.

“(Dining) is this sort of an significant perform to support our full campus but in particular our learners,” Latham explained. 

Vice President for Company and Money Services Beth Gentry, who oversees the College bookstore, mail expert services, transportation and a selection of other divisions, also has regular conferences with Latham and is searching ahead to an “honest and open up marriage,” she wrote in an electronic mail to The Herald.

“I will get the job done together with her and the rest of our management group to collaborate in any locations she deems suitable,” Gentry wrote, noting that Latham launched herself to her office soon right after arriving at Brown.

Gentry also wrote that she hopes to function with Latham on utilizing a “flexible parking model developed to greater match the desires of the University.”

Marie Williams, vice president for University Human Means, wrote in an email to The Herald that she “welcomes the substantial fiscal and administrative experience and information that (Latham) has brought to Brown.”