With more than 27 years of experience in strategic planning, building design, and construction management, Mike brings a wealth of knowledge to this position. Mike came to Brown as a project manager and was promoted on three separate occasions before assuming an interim leadership role in FM and now VP. Mike holds a Bachelors of Architecture degree from the Rhode Island School of Design. He also served the country for 20 years in the Rhode Island Air National Guard as a member of the 143^rd Civil Engineering Squadron. During his Brown tenure, Mike has been an integral part of creating highly collaborative environments where Brown stakeholders work together with designers, engineers, and subcontractors to develop the best project solutions while implementing over a $1 billion capital plan. He has been instrumental in the development of numerous strategic projects including the Granoff Center for Creative Arts and the Engineering Research Center, completed in 2017,  utilizing the highly collaborative Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) method. Mike also played a vital role in the development of South Street Landing and has been recognized as an industry leader in the development of the IPD approach at Brown.

Paul Armas has provided strategic leadership, coordination, and administration of the facilities management operations function at Brown University for the past decade.  Under Paul's leadership, the operations arm of Brown University's facilities management department is responsible for leading 340 union, non-union, management and support staff in maintaining 235 campus buildings totaling approximately 7 million gross square feet and over 140 acres of turf, parking lots, greenery, and walkways in and around Providence's historic College Hill. 

During his tenure at Brown, Paul has transformed the department from a reactive maintenance mindset to one of planned and predictive maintenance. This has garnered Paul and the department accolades from several national and local news and trade publications as well as an award in Innovative and Effective Practices from the higher education facilities trade group APPA and is a regular presenter at regional and national conferences. 

Paul E. Dietel is the Assistant Vice President for Planning, Design, and Construction at Brown University, where he leads a team of 26 professionals responsible for delivering more than 125 capital projects annually. His diverse portfolio encompasses major new construction, comprehensive adaptive reuse, and the ongoing renewal and stewardship of campus facilities. With 37 years of experience in the design and construction industry including 30 years focused on higher education, Paul brings deep expertise in project leadership and strategic planning. Before assuming his current role at Brown, he held senior leadership positions at both Harvard Business School and Brown University, where he was instrumental in advancing innovative project delivery methods and integrating sustainability and resiliency best practices across a wide range of projects.

A recognized leader in sustainability and decarbonization, Paul is committed to reducing embodied carbon and promoting the use of healthier building materials. He has overseen the successful delivery of three hybrid cross-laminated timber (CLT) buildings and regularly advises peer institutions on the use of mass timber in institutional construction. Paul is a long-standing partner of the Building Futures program, working collaboratively with a wide network of stakeholders to ensure construction projects generate meaningful apprenticeship and employment opportunities that strengthen Rhode Island’s skilled labor workforce.

Craig Barton is an architect, and educator. As the University Architect, he will work with senior leadership and members of the Corporation to provide strategic direction to the capital planning process, and project planning efforts, with a focus on the overall plan for the campus. He will also oversee the development of the university’s design guidelines, architect selection, and project design review.

He is an emeritus member of the Corporation, where he served as chair of the Committee on Facilities and Campus Planning and will bring professional, academic, and civic experience to Brown’s planning and design processes. Mr. Barton has worked for a number of architectural firms prior to leading his own design practice, and has held faculty appointments and academic leadership roles at the University of Virginia and Arizona State University. Most recently, he served as the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. In addition, he has served as chair of the Charlottesville (VA) City Planning Commission, and as a member of the Mayor’s Urban Design Task Force in Phoenix, AZ. He has served on the boards of a number of non-profit organizations focused on design and the built environment and currently serves as a trustee of the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts, and as a member of the board of the Design Museum of Chicago.

He holds undergraduate degrees from Brown and the School of Visual Arts, and a Master of Architecture degree from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. He was a Loeb Fellow at the Graduate School of Design from 1994 to 1995.

Jess Berry leads the Office of Sustainability and provides strategic leadership and management across the University to enhance sustainability at Brown. She works closely with the Assistant Provost of Sustainability, and key stakeholders, to identify opportunities for integrating sustainability principles into University operations, including the development of a long-term Strategic Sustainability Plan. Jess has worked in the environmental field for over 15 years and holds a B.S. and M.S. in Environmental Studies and Natural Resources.

Colin Johnson has been a part of Brown University since 2014, serving in a variety of roles within Facilities and Campus Operations IT. 

Currently the Director of Systems and Services, he leads the strategic planning, selection, implementation, and support of information technology solutions that support facilities operations across the university. Colin collaborates closely with Brown’s Office of Information Technology to ensure seamless integration between facilities management systems and the University's central IT infrastructure. He also oversees the Facilities Information Services team, which is responsible for maintaining the campus’s floor plans, CAD data, and GIS data. In addition, Colin leads the Planon team, which manages the University’s Integrated Workplace Management System - housing all of Facilities and Campus Operations' space, asset, and work order data.

With over nineteen years of progressive Student Affairs experience, primarily in Residential Life and Housing, Amanda Surgens is a dedicated leader committed to student success. 

Currently pursuing her Doctorate in Leadership in Education from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, Amanda also holds a Master of Science from the University of Rhode Island and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Bridgewater State College. Throughout her career, Amanda has been instrumental in developing student-centered policies and processes; demonstrating a strong commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice initiatives.

In her current position as Director of Facilities Services, Amanda oversees the Service Response Center, our 24-hour, 365-day-a-year call center, and administers the FM Partnership Program.

Cecilia Dursi supports all areas of the department by managing recruitment, selection and hiring, the labor relations and grievance processes, and employee relations issues.

Dave Woodward has been with Brown since 1995, joining Facilities in 1998 to oversee the finance and business support. Among his responsibilities are budget management/accounting, payroll, customer billing, purchasing/accounts payable, materials management, and coordination with the university controller's and budget offices.