I am very pleased to announce James Kari as the new Director of Physical Plant Services. James will join the Physical Planning, Development & Operations team and campus community on November 4, 2019.
James is an experienced leader with a broad knowledge and expertise in the field of facilities management and operations. He has an impressive background with over 30 years of experience in the industry, including leading and managing work efforts provided by Physical Plant Services. His background also includes organizational development experience including change management and process improvement to support the organization and its effectiveness as related to service delivery. His professional experience has included serving as a Director for several medical centers including El Centro Regional Medical Center and the St. Helena Hospital. Early in his career, James also work at UC Davis as a Senior Physical Plant Mechanic. James earned his B.S in Operations Management from CSU Sacramento.
I would like to recognize Mike Hanson who has served as the interim Director while also retaining a number of the duties related to his permanent position. I have deeply appreciated Mike’s leadership and commitment to Physical Plant Services during this period and will be working with he and James on a successful transition plan which recognizes and values Mike’s knowledge of Physical Plant Services as well as his deep commitment and loyalty to the department and campus.
I would like to thank the members of the search committee including committee chair Sue Matthews and members Rhonda Tramble, Mike Dolder, Kristen Lee, Ed Dunn, Sarah Barron, and Sabrina Shaver. Their time and effort contributed to this successful outcome. My thanks are also extended to Jim Grove, Jen Hale, and the talent acquisition staff in Staff Human Resources who handled all of the logistical and recruitment activities for the search.
Please join me in welcoming James to our UCSC community.
