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March 23, 2017

Dear University of Miami Community,

I am delighted to announce the appointment of Jacqueline A. Travisano, Ed.D., C.P.A., a highly distinguished professional with nearly 20 years of higher education experience, as the University of Miami’s new executive vice president for business and finance and chief operating officer.

Dr. Travisano, who has served as executive vice president and chief operating officer of Nova Southeastern University (NSU) since 2011, oversees assets in excess of $1.3 billion and an annual operating budget of $625 million. She will start at UM on June 1.

In her new position, she will be responsible for all financial functions, including accounting, financial reporting; budgeting and planning; treasury services (including investing endowment, pension assets and working capital, credit strategies and external financial relationships); information technology; supply chain; campus planning; and facilities design and construction. She will also oversee campus and facilities management; emergency preparedness; parking; research administration; auxiliary operations; entertainment and dining facilities; and human resources.

I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to David Ertel for serving as interim senior vice president and chief financial officer while maintaining his duties as chief financial officer and chief strategy officer for health affairs. He will continue to serve in an interim capacity until Dr. Travisano arrives in June. David’s leadership during this transition period has been invaluable.

Prior to joining NSU, Dr. Travisano served as vice president for business affairs and chief financial officer at St. John's University in Queens, New York, and vice president for finance and operations at Carlow University, and associate vice president for finance and administration at Chatham University, both in Pittsburgh. Earlier in her career, she held positions with Goodwill Industries of Southwestern Pennsylvania, the Penn Hills School District, and Pricewaterhouse Coopers. In addition to her Doctorate in Higher Education Leadership from NSU, Dr. Travisano is a Certified Public Accountant and holds an M.B.A. from Chatham University and a B.S. in Business Administration from Robert Morris University.

In 2014 Dr. Travisano was named one of South Florida Business Journal’s Influential Business Women, and the National Diversity Council presented her with its Glass Ceiling Award. In 2012 the Florida Diversity Council honored her as one of Florida's most powerful and influential women.

Dr. Travisano’s extensive charitable work includes service on the Board of Directors for the ARC of Broward County, the Honorary Board of the Special Olympics of Broward County, and the Board of Directors for the March of Dimes of Broward County. She is also an active member of the Royal Dames for Cancer Research; in 2014 she chaired their annual event, the Tiara Ball, raising more than $400,000 for NSU's Rumbaugh-Goodwin Institute for Cancer Research.

Dr. Travisano fills a critically important role at the University of Miami as we move forward to achieve the ambitious goals we’ve established by the time of our centennial in 2025. We're looking forward to her being a leader who will have a positive impact on the future of our university.

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Travisano, her husband, Peter, and four children to the Miami Hurricanes family.