New AMU CEO Assumes Role 3 1/2 Months Ahead of Schedule

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Published on Wednesday, 16 March 2011 16:23

Ave Maria University's planned handover of its CEO responsibilities from founder Tom Monaghan to Jim Towey is coming sooner than originally planned.

Jim Towey had been designated by the board to assume the CEO position July 1, but the school's board of trustees asked him to assume the role immediately, board chairman Michael Timmis said Wednesday in an email to the university community.

The action was taken at Mr. Monaghan's request, Mr. Timmis said, to "help facilitate the transition and specifically the budget decision-making process for the 2011-2012 academic year."

Mr. Monaghan announced the decision Tuesday night at a meeting in Naples of the Ave Maria Founders Club, a group of university supporters. Right, Mr. Monaghan (L) and Mr. Towey at the Founders dinner. (photo by Anthony Zolo)

"I wanted to hand over the CEO role to Jim as soon as possible," Mr. Monaghan said Tuesday night. "It was important that everyone know who the boss was, and I wanted to give him a free rein."

"Ave Maria is still a work in progress," Mr. Monaghan told the dinner. "But we have a great product and most importantly, the faith of our students has been nourished," he said.

"Seventy-five percent of Catholic kids stop going to Mass regularly when they go to college," Mr. Monaghan said. "That's not the way at Ave Maria University. We're doing the important things right."

Mr. Monaghan also told the dinner that he looked forward to traveling more on behalf of the university.

"He will be more available to devote his energies to traveling around the country, raising funds for the university and promoting all that we are doing here," Mr. Timmis said.

Mr. Towey had been spending about two days a week in Ave Maria since being designated as the school's next CEO in early Febraury. Now, he said, he'll probably be spending three or four days a week in Florida until he can move to Ave Maria with his family in July.

Much of his time has been spent meeting with staff and faculty at the university, and working on the budget for the next academic year, which he has said will be "lean."

Mr. Timmis's email said the board of trustees also has created a committee of trustees to work with Mr. Towey "as he follows our directive to transition the university from a start-up operation to one that is ultimately self-sufficient." The new CEO also will be appointing a task force of members of the university community, which would include staff, faculty and possibly students, to help in the process of "streamlining some of the university operations in order to reduce expenditures without compromising the excellence of our academic offering or the quality of student life," Mr. Timmis said.

The official date of the transition is Thursday, March 17 -- St. Patrick's Day, which Mr. Timmis said was "in honor of Tom Monaghan."

The university founder's fondness for all things Irish is well known. His last official act as CEO, he told the dinner Tuesday night, was to "change the university's colors from blue and gold to blue and Kelly green."

Please see also previous Ave Herald Story New AMU President's Priorities: Growth, Quality, Faith