Announcing EVP and COO Rosemarie Rae
April 11, 2023
Dear LMU Community:
With excitement, I share that Rosemarie A. Rae, CPA, M.P.A., will be our next executive vice president and chief operating officer, effective July 1, 2023.
EVP Rae is an accomplished higher education administrator with four decades of experience in finance and administration spanning the public and nonprofit sectors. Her breadth of knowledge and expertise in budget and financial management, strategic planning, and operations will advance our bold ambitions as we embrace a new era of growth and innovation, grounded in our Catholic, Jesuit, and Marymount mission and our commitment to academic excellence.
EVP Rae joins us from UC Berkeley, where she serves as vice chancellor of finance and chief financial officer. Responsible for the oversight of an annual operating budget of $3.1 billion, she managed finance, accounting, treasury, business partnerships and services, institutional research, capital strategies including long range development planning, building design and construction, supply chain management, and university health services. EVP Rae also led the development of a financial turnaround plan for the campus and has been a strategic partner in several housing and academic initiatives.
EVP Rae has a reputation for producing successful results. Among her accomplishments, she oversaw the financing of Berkeley’s physical environment of more than 600 buildings, open spaces, transportation and circulation, and infrastructure improvements to maximize the use of university property and to keep the campus functioning effectively; she led the development of a five-year plan to balance the university’s budget, which was completed one year early; and she advanced the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion in hiring, retention, and resource allocation, contributing to an increase in faculty and leadership diversity.
Before joining Berkley, EVP Rae served as the chief financial and administrative officer of The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a movement dedicated to saving historic places, sustaining the environment, and revitalizing America’s communities. She was executive vice president, chief strategy officer, and chief financial officer at Volunteers of America, a national nonprofit that empowers the most underserved people in this country through thousands of human service programs in more than 400 communities in 44 states. She has also held senior leadership positions at Experience Works and LORAL Space and Communications; and was a principal and founder of Balrae Associates, an Information Technology services firm.
EVP Rae earned her master's degree in public administration from American University and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Radford University. She also completed Stanford University’s Executive Program for Philanthropy Leaders and the University of Notre Dame’s Executive Development Program. EVP Rae embraces giving back to colleagues through her service in regional and national professional organizations. Outside of her professional pursuits, EVP Rae enjoys spending time with her family, hiking, yoga, and surfing.
I thank our search committee (listed below), led by Executive Vice President and Provost Thomas Poon, for conducting a rigorous and comprehensive search that yielded a competitive and outstanding candidate pool. Their professionalism and engagement provided me with valuable insights during my discernment process. I am also grateful to EVP Lynne Scarboro and our Administration and Finance Division colleagues for their service and leadership during the upcoming transition.
EVP Rae’s extensive experience in higher education, national nonprofits, health care, and technology render her a perfect partner as we seek to ignite a brighter world. I look forward to collaborating with EVP Rae and continuing to work with our Administrative and Financial Management colleagues to assure that our university continues to thrive in this era of change and innovation. Together we will assure that our students are supported in their personal and academic growth and equipped with the skills and facilities they need to leave campus as successful leaders and global citizens.
Please join me in welcoming Rosemarie, her husband Lou, their children, and their families to our LMU Lion family.
With gratitude,
Timothy Law Snyder, Ph.D.
President
Search Committee
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
Chair
Thomas Poon, Ph.D., Executive Vice President and Provost
Members
Robbin Crabtree, Ph.D., Dean, Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts
Lisa Jackson, Staff Senate President, Director of Special Events
Aimee Uen, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Marianna Villa, Associate Vice President for External Relations and Partnerships
Leon Wiebers, Faculty Senate President, Chair of Theatre Arts and Professor of Costume Design
Mike Wong, Vice President for Campus Operations
Ex officio
Rebecca Chandler, Vice President for Human Resources
Grace Ghias, Manager of Strategic Initiatives
John Parrish, Ph.D., Chief of Staff and Vice President for Institutional Strategy