UW director named as WSU facilities services assoc. vp

By Victoria Murray, WSU Business and Finance
 
 
PULLMAN – Olivia Yang, a director of the capital projects office at the University of Washington, has been named associate vice president for facilities services at WSU.
 
She is scheduled to assume the position in early January. She will succeed Jerry Schlatter, who retired from a similar position earlier this year following more than 10 years of service to WSU.
 
Yang’s professional experience includes both higher education and the private sector, said Roger D. Patterson, WSU vice president of business and finance.
 
“Olivia brings a tremendous set of skills, having served in leadership roles at the University of Washington for over 20 years,” he said. “In 2005, she was appointed by the governor, and reappointed in 2009, to represent higher education on the Capital Projects Advisory Review Board. Her knowledge of the state’s capital process and her excellent leadership skills will be invaluable to Washington State University.”
 
Yang visited WSU last month to meet with the search committee, administrators and staff from the Division of Business and Finance.
 
As associate vice president for facilities services, Yang will oversee Capital Planning and Development as well as Facilities Operations.  She will continue the effort to merge and consolidate the units – a process that began in July with consolidation of the engineering, architecture and interior design units. Yang will lead a staff of more than 400, manage capital appropriations and oversee an annual operating budget of approximately $28 million.
 
Since joining the UW in 1990, Yang served as a project manager responsible for several major projects, including the Suzzallo Library renovation, the Business School Foster Library/Executive Education Center Addition, the Paul G. Allen Center for  Computer Science and Engineering, and the Chemistry Building.  She formed and directed the Capital Projects Office’s special projects group, revitalizing the delivery of more than 200 smaller projects throughout the UW system. 
 
She was most recently head of strategic initiatives and was UW’s program manager and liaison to Sound Transit for University Station. In her role on the Capital Projects Advisory Review Board, she was intimately engaged in developing new legislation related to public works procurement laws.
 
Prior to joining UW, she served as a project architect for private firms, including Mahlum Nordfors. She earned a bachelor’s degree in architecture from the University of the Philippines, and a master’s in architecture from the University of Washington.