KINGSTON, R.I. – September 10, 2013 – Following a national search, the University of Rhode Island has selected Christina L. Valentino, special assistant to the chancellor at the University of California at Santa Cruz, as its new vice president for administration and finance. Her appointment was approved by the Rhode Island Board of Education on Sept. 9. She will join the University on October 1.

As vice president, Valentino will serve as the University’s senior operating officer, supporting the president and the provost on all matters related to the administration of the University. She will oversee the URI Controller’s Office, Human Resources, Budget and Financial Planning, Internal Audit, Transportation Center, Facilities Services, Property and Support Services, Campus Planning and Design, Capital Projects, Purchasing, Payroll, the W. Alton Jones Campus, the Ryan Center and Boss Arena, and the Public Safety and Risk Management functions.

“Christina has proven to be an effective leader in higher education and will be a tremendous asset to my leadership team here at the University of Rhode Island,” said URI President David M. Dooley. “Her comprehensive experience and vision will strengthen our ability to manage our operations, facilities and finances.”

Valentino has 20 years of leadership experience at UC Santa Cruz in administration, finance, human resources, public safety, construction, strategic planning, development and other areas. As special assistant to the chancellor, she was a member of the chancellor’s cabinet responsible for strategic planning and advancing philanthropic support for the University’s first fundraising campaign.

Previously, she served for more than a decade as vice chancellor and associate vice chancellor for business and administrative services, where she provided leadership for most of the areas she will oversee at URI. She served as chief financial officer, chief compliance officer, incident commander for emergency management and chair of the executive committee on sustainability. She managed a staff of nearly 1,100 and a budget of approximately $180 million. From 1990 to 2000, Valentino served in various university relations and development positions at UC Santa Cruz.

“It is a pleasure to join President Dooley’s leadership team at the University of Rhode Island and become part of the URI campus community,” Valentino said. ““URI is both an impressive academic institution and an essential economic force in the New England region, creating knowledge and producing the next generation of world leaders, while generating revenue, providing jobs, and serving as a key factor in the financial vitality of Rhode Island. The vice president of administration and finance plays an important role by continually and strategically strengthening campus operations in support of the academic mission. I look forward to being a part of a truly visionary team.”

Valentino has a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of California at Los Angeles and a graduate certificate in public affairs through the CORO Foundation Fellowship program. Prior to her employment at UC Santa Cruz, she served in various roles at housing and community reinvestment agencies in New York and California.