Dear Colleagues,

We are very pleased to announce that John Zahor, currently the Director of Operations and Maintenance in Facilities Management, has been selected as our next Assistant Vice President for Facilities Management, effective January 4, 2023.  

John is an architectural engineer who brings a wealth of institutional knowledge to the Assistant Vice President role. During his more than 11 years in Facilities Management, he has been a project manager, assistant and associate director in design and construction, and for the last four years has served as director of operations and maintenance. John also brings more than 23 years of construction-related experience, having served in various project management positions with numerous corporate construction firms.

John is an accomplished and effective leader who exhibits a strong sense of commitment to UMBC and continually strives to improve the campus. We very much look forward to working with him in his new role. Please take a moment and congratulate John on his well deserved promotion.

Kathy L. Dettloff, Vice President for Administration and Finance
Lenn Caron, Associate Vice President, Facilities Management

Dear UMBC Community,

It is my pleasure to let you know that Governor Hogan's declaration of Friday, December 23, 2022, as a state holiday applies to UMBC.

Therefore, UMBC will be closed December 23, 2022 -- January 2, 2023, and will reopen on Tuesday, January 3, 2023. December 23 will be designated as a holiday on time sheets. Employees required to work on December 23 will have 12 months to use the holiday.

I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank you for everything you do for our community. I hope you find time for fun, rest, and relaxation during the winter break, and I look forward to seeing you in 2023.

Kathy L. Dettloff, Vice President for Administration and Finance

Dear UMBC Community,

As you may know, COVID-19, influenza, and RSV cases are rising in Maryland and across the nation. UMBC is also seeing an increase in these illnesses and we encourage you to take steps to keep yourself healthy. As we prepare to finish the semester and return to families and friends over winter break, please make a plan for how you can reduce your risk of contracting and transmitting some of these illnesses.  

The first step to consider is once again wearing a high quality mask when in public and/or crowded spaces (i.e., classrooms, labs, the library, and other group activities). UMBC still offers free masks at locations across campus.  

Second, make sure to get the latest seasonal flu vaccine and the new bivalent COVID-19 vaccine. We have already administered more than 2,500 vaccines this semester. The final vaccine clinic of the semester is taking place tomorrow, December 15, 2022.  A limited number of appointments are still available.

Finally, continue best practices to minimize disease spread, such as handwashing or using alcohol-based hand sanitizer, staying at home and isolating from others when sick, and covering your cough.

We have just over one week to go. Let's finish strong and healthy.  

Vic Madrid, Medical Director, Retriever Integrated Health
Samantha Smith, Director, Office of Health Promotion

Dear UMBC Community,

As the weather grows colder, we want to take this opportunity to update you on UMBC's response to inclement weather and our policies and procedures for weather-related delays and closures. 

Please sign up for our emergency text alerts. This is the most effective way to receive urgent updates for weather-related delays, closures, and campus emergencies. In addition to text alerts, we will also post alerts on both the UMBC homepage and myUMBC. 

Please note that the decision to close campus or open late applies to the UMBC campus only.  For community members not located on campus, please follow the protocols for your specific location. This includes:

• Shady Grove Campus -- Visit the Universities at Shady Grove campus alerts website.
• bwtech@UMBC -- Email crice@umbc.edu to sign up for the bwtech@UMBC text alert system.
• Columbus Center -- The Columbus Center follows University of Baltimore policies and procedures during inclement weather due to its proximity.

When it becomes necessary to close the campus for inclement weather, employees designated essential personnel must report. Decisions about Administrative Leave for all other employees will be made based on the weather conditions that day and communicated accordingly.

If campus remains open, please use personal judgment when traveling to and from campus as weather and road conditions vary by your personal location. The decision about whether it is safe to travel ultimately rests with each individual. Please be sure to communicate early and often with your supervisor should you have any concerns. It is our goal to keep you safe and warm this winter.

UMBC's full policies and procedures for inclement weather are available on this webpage. It includes information on how and when decisions are made, response plans, and details on how delays and closures impact events, parking, and more. 

Wishing you and your families a happy and healthy holiday season.

Kathy L. Dettloff, Vice President for Administration and Finance

Dear Community,

As many of us are looking forward to returning home and gathering with family and friends, we are pleased to announce that UMBC is able to offer two more influenza and COVID-19 booster clinics next week. If you have not already received this season's flu shot or the new bivalent COVID booster, protect yourself, your families, and the community against these two illnesses by scheduling an appointment today. You may choose to receive either or both boosters. 

Clinic Dates and Locations

Please note that clinics will be held at the Harbor Hall Multipurpose Room. 

Monday, December 12, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Harbor Multipurpose Room

Thursday, December 15, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Harbor Multipurpose Room

Sign up for a time here.

Please remember to print and bring your consent form with you, along with your medical/pharmacy insurance cards.

Volunteer to Help!

As with all shot clinics, we are in need of volunteers to help with registration. Please sign up if you would like to help!  

Retriever Integrated Health is here to answer any questions you may have. Please feel free to contact us at 410-455-2542 for more information. 

Thank you for helping to keep our community healthy.

Vic Madrid

Medical Director, Retriever Integrated Health

Dear Colleagues,

I am thrilled to announce that Lenn Caron, currently the Associate Vice President of Facilities Management, will be the next Senior Associate Vice President of Administrative Services, effective January 3, 2023. In Lenn's six years at UMBC he has been a high performing, results-driven leader who values collaboration and partnership and works with the highest level of integrity. As a key member of my executive team, Lenn will provide leadership to Facilities Management, Auxiliary Services, Strategic Procurement and Strategic Sourcing, Management and Advisory Services and Environmental Health and Safety. Additionally, Lenn will oversee the operations of the Columbus Center and handle all real property transactions and development.

Prior to coming to UMBC, Lenn served in the United States Navy for 30 years with progressively responsible assignments. He oversaw a range of management functions including operations, capital projects and facilities on several bases. Lenn's attention to detail, his strong business development skills, and his ability to build trusted relationships have served him well at UMBC and make him uniquely qualified for this position. 

When asked about his new role at UMBC, Lenn said, "I continue to be impressed by the faculty, staff, and students at UMBC and have enjoyed making improvements throughout the campus as the Associate Vice President at Facilities Management. I am very much looking forward to continuing to serve UMBC as the Senior Associate Vice President of Administrative Services. UMBC has a very bright future and I'm eager to help shape the course of the university in the coming years."

I am excited that Lenn will be continuing at UMBC in the Senior Associate Vice President role. I am appreciative of everyone involved in the search for their time, diligence, and thoughtfulness.  I am also grateful to Terry Cook, retiring Senior Associate Vice President of Administrative Services, for her many years of service to both UMBC and the University System of Maryland.  

Please join me in congratulating both Terry and Lenn on their respective next endeavors!

Kathy L. Dettloff, Vice President, Administration and Finance

Dear Colleagues,

Please join me in congratulating Lisa Akchin, Associate Vice President of Engagement and Chief Marketing Officer in the Office of Institutional Advancement, who has informed me of her decision to retire from UMBC and explore other opportunities at the end of this calendar year. Lisa joined UMBC 28 years ago, and throughout that time has contributed to the remarkable trajectory of this university in myriad ways. She has married her deep subject matter expertise in communications and marketing with institutional knowledge, a keen and analytical mind, and unimpeachable integrity to help us find the words, images, and ideas that help people understand the excellence that is UMBC.

Lisa joined UMBC in 1994, and got to work helping to rebuild the university's Office of Institutional Advancement. Initially focused on marketing and communications, her portfolio has expanded dramatically throughout her tenure at UMBC, and she has played a critical role in many of the university's milestone accomplishments. She has led the way in developing marketing and messaging that have positioned UMBC as both a selective and diverse public campus of choice. She facilitated the campus adoption of the Welcome to Our Community of Inquiring Minds brand update, and has been a co-leader in optimizing enrollment marketing communications through a common CRM and branded digital advertising campaigns.

Lisa helped build the case for support for UMBC's three comprehensive fundraising campaigns, and strategically designed milestone anniversaries that enabled us to achieve new levels of recognition, campus pride, and alumni engagement. She also guided development of the award-winning UMBC Magazine. She partnered with the President's Office and the Provost's Office to deftly develop and execute campus retreats and built an engaging campus participation platform for the 2015 strategic plan, Our UMBC: A Strategic Plan for Advancing Excellence. Finally, she has advocated for increased State investment in UMBC's distinctive contributions to State workforce and economic development, and worked to strengthen ties to UMBC's surrounding communities. 

At UMBC, Lisa has served as a member of the President's Council and the Strategic Enrollment Plan Implementation Committee and as the President's Liaison to the University Steering Committee. She also chairs the university's Brand and Enrollment Marketing Executive Team and the Crisis Communications Team and co-chairs the Campus Climate Coordinating Group and UMBC Neighbor Relations Group. She is well known for her deep commitment to social justice in Baltimore, having served two terms on the Baltimore City Public Schools Board of School Commissioners, as well as board service with the Baltimore Collegetown Network and the Citizens Planning and Housing Association. 

Details will be forthcoming about an event that Institutional Advancement will host to celebrate and thank Lisa for her contributions to UMBC. We will also share information about how we will transition Lisa's many responsibilities. In the meantime, please join me in thanking Lisa for all that she has done for UMBC.

Greg Simmons, M.P.P. '04, Vice President for Institutional Advancement