Dear colleagues:
I am pleased to announce that Jessica Norris will be my new chief of staff effective December 2, following an extensive search process that attracted the interest of a number of highly qualified candidates. The role is essential to the Office of the President, and I am delighted that Jessica is bringing her strong work ethic, wealth of experiences, and impressive skill set to the position.
The chief of staff serves as a member of the president’s cabinet, as well as a liaison to a variety of internal and external constituencies. The scope of this role encompasses a broad spectrum of responsibilities including overseeing administration and providing strategic insights and plans for major initiatives and special projects.
Jessica brings nearly 20 years of leadership experience in public and private higher education. Most recently, she served as the chief administrative officer for Maryville University in Missouri, where she was a member of the president’s cabinet and secretary to the board of trustees. At Maryville, she led university-wide strategic projects and initiatives, overseeing a diverse portfolio that included the President’s Office operations, Office of University Events, Project Management Office, and Office of Strategic Information.
Prior to joining Maryville, Jessica served as the associate vice president for civil rights and Title IX education and compliance at Michigan State University, where she played a pivotal role leading the university’s equity, civil rights, and Title IX education and compliance initiatives. She successfully built programs, teams, a new major academic unit, and two departments – all from the ground up.
Her earlier work included eight years in assistant and associate director roles in the Office of Equal Opportunity, Ethics, and Access at Illinois State University. She also has held human resources leadership roles in public higher education and the private sector.
An alum of a University of Illinois System university, Jessica earned a Master of Education from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a bachelor’s in management and human resources from Northern Illinois University.
I want to thank the search committee for their excellent work. I appreciate their diligence, expertise, and dedication throughout the process.
Please join me in welcoming Jessica to the U of I System and helping her pick up the nuances of this important and challenging position.
Sincerely,
Tim Killeen