Randy Nichols was named associate vice president of the Office of Safety and Security, and Bill Harwood was promoted to executive director of emergency management over summer break.

Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration & Treasurer Matt Orlando delivered the news in an email to students and staff in late June. The promotions took effect July 1. Orlando’s email also announced that Nichols intends to retire next summer.

Nichols’s promotion to associate vice president follows his 19 years of service as the executive director of Safety and Security. The promotion is limited to the title change, however, as Nichols’s responsibilities will remain the same. This change is meant to better reflect the scope of Nichols’s work.

Harwood’s promotion to executive director of emergency management allows for a subset of Safety and Security to focus solely on emergency response and preparedness. Staffing shortages had previously prevented the office from having a group of people dedicated specifically to emergency planning, Orlando wrote in an email to the Orient. Now that Security has enough staff members able to focus on just daily operational activities, Harwood will turn his attention to developing a comprehensive emergency planning program.

In an email to the Orient, Orlando noted Nichols specifically chose Harwood to replace him in leading Safety and Security after his retirement. Even though Harwood’s main focus this year is emergency management, he will still serve on committees and hold operational responsibilities within the office, as well as lead its re-accreditation efforts. Harwood’s responsibilities this year are designed for him to easily transition to Nichols’s position next year.