Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Operating Officer Patrick O鈥橰ourke announced today he is leaving CU Boulder at the end of the semester to begin a leadership role as senior vice president and chief legal officer at Children鈥檚 Hospital Colorado in Aurora.听
鈥淭his is a bittersweet decision, as I care deeply for our work in support of the campus mission,鈥� said O鈥橰ourke. 鈥淲e have done remarkable work to support students, advance equity and inclusion, create new knowledge and support our community, and I will miss the opportunity to continue to support and work with the amazing leaders and staff within Strategic Resources and Support.听
鈥淭he opportunity at Children鈥檚 Hospital is meaningful to me in a number of ways, which ultimately is why I have chosen to make this move. I鈥檝e been connected with Children鈥檚 Hospital since I first began practicing law in 1995 and have a close connection to its mission. I believe I can help Children鈥檚 Hospital serve its patients in a challenging health care environment.鈥澨�
O鈥橰ourke鈥檚 time at CU Boulder featured a number of significant achievements, including sustaining the campus community through the COVID-19 pandemic, moving to a new budget model, integrating a shared equity leadership model and building community wellness initiatives.
鈥淧at O鈥橰ourke provided courageous leadership on the Boulder campus through the global COVID-19 pandemic, and his leadership of the Strategic Resources and Support team has helped enable the strong foundation CU Boulder has today,鈥� said Chancellor Justin Schwartz. 鈥淚 want to personally thank Pat for his strong work enabling my transition as chancellor and his countless contributions to CU Boulder and the broader University of Colorado system during the past 18 years. I look forward to remaining connected with Pat and I wish him well as he takes on a critical leadership role at Children鈥檚 Hospital.鈥�
CU President Todd Saliman expressed his gratitude for Pat鈥檚 leadership at CU听as well, saying, 鈥�I am deeply grateful to Pat for his dedication and service to the University of Colorado, from his days as university counsel and secretary to the Board of Regents to his role as CU Boulder鈥檚 executive vice chancellor and chief operating officer, where he has been a guiding force in addressing complex challenges and advancing our goals. As he embarks on this new journey, I extend my deepest thanks for his years of service and wish him continued success in the future.鈥�
O鈥橰ourke will be supporting campus leadership and the SRS team to ensure a smooth transition through the end of term. This week Schwartz will begin engaging with members of the CU Boulder executive leadership team in a series of discussions to inform succession planning for O鈥橰ourke鈥檚 role. Decisions on next steps are anticipated in early December.
