Interim Leadership for the Department of Public Safety

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:

Later this month, Department of Public Safety (DPS) Chief Bobby Maldonado will officially retire from Syracuse University. I am grateful for Chief Maldonado’s leadership and appreciate that he delayed his retirement until the end of the fall semester.

A search to succeed Chief Maldonado is well underway. The search committee, led by Allen Groves, senior vice president for the student experience, and made up of students, faculty and staff, recently completed the first round of virtual interviews. The committee has identified candidates to move to the next phase of the search. I look forward to meeting with them after the holiday break. Many campus stakeholders will also be meeting with these candidates, including the Community Review Board, academic leaders, student leaders, faculty and staff. Our goal is to conclude the search in the spring semester and announce the new chief before Commencement.

During this transition period, an interim leadership team will provide oversight to the Department of Public Safety. This leadership team includes Candace Campbell Jackson, senior vice president and chief of staff, Dan French, senior vice president and general counsel, and Allen Groves, senior vice president for the student experience. These senior leaders have extensive experience overseeing and working with campus public safety units and law enforcement agencies.

The University and DPS will continue advancing the recommendations put forth by former Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch and her review team. This includes the inaugural Community Review Board, which has been meeting regularly to carry out its important work. I am pleased by the progress made to date and look forward to welcoming a new leader for DPS in the spring.

Sincerely,

Kent Syverud
Chancellor and President