You are here: American University President Announcements January 18, 2019

American University
Washington, DC

Memorandum January 18, 2019

To:
AU Community
From:
Sylvia M. Burwell, President
Subject:
Organizational Shift to Support Strategic Plan Implementation

As part of our efforts to implement American University’s new strategic plan, Changemakers for a Changing World, I'm pleased to announce that Seth Grossman, chief of staff and counselor to the president, will assume some new responsibilities.

First, Seth will take on a leadership role in implementing our new strategic plan, working closely with Dan Myers, provost; Doug Kudravetz, CFO, vice president and treasurer; and other members of our senior leadership team. Seth will help us develop the processes and teams that will build out our detailed plans, assign resources, and measure and report our progress. I’ll continue to share details on our implementation plans, through my campus letter and other internal communication channels.

Second, Seth will assume responsibility for overseeing the Office of Human Resources, which will play a central role in implementing one of the strategic plan’s core imperatives: improving how AU works. Seth will work closely with Beth Muha, assistant vice president of human resources, to cultivate a work environment that enables AU faculty and staff to thrive and supports the university’s mission—to advance knowledge, foster intellectual curiosity, build community, and empower lives of purpose, service, and leadership.

In assigning these new responsibilities, we are leveraging Seth’s deep experience in human resources and strategic planning. In his previous role at the University of California, Seth oversaw human resources policies and procedures for approximately 1,800 employees of the UC Office of the President and more than 190,000 employees of the UC system, including matters related to talent development; recruitment, hiring, and onboarding; compensation; benefits; and workplace culture. This background will be a key asset as he takes on these new roles.

Please join me in offering Seth your support and congratulations as he assumes these additional leadership responsibilities.