Introducing Roger Demareski ’91, Executive Vice President of Administration and Operations

October 29, 2021

Dear Members of the Villanova Community,

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Roger Demareski ’91, as Executive Vice President of Administration and Operations at Villanova University, effective Monday, Nov. 29. Roger’s appointment is the result of a national search that attracted an exceptionally strong pool of applicants from all over the country.

As Executive Vice President, Roger will oversee a number of key operational areas including auxiliary services, emergency management, facilities management, government relations and external affairs, human resources, information technology and public safety. As a member of the Executive Council and the President’s Cabinet, he will serve as an advisor regarding major University decisions and provide counsel to me and the Board of Trustees. In this role, Roger will also be deeply involved in University-wide strategic planning in support of realizing our institutional priorities and delivering on our mission.

Roger returns to his alma mater with more than 20 years of experience overseeing university operations. Most recently, he served as the Vice President for Finance and Administration at Lafayette College, leading a 350-member division that provided key campus services: auxiliary and business services, facilities management, real estate development, sustainability, finance, risk management, and safety and security. Some notable achievements from his time at Lafayette include creating a 10-year campus stewardship plan with a specific focus on IT and utility infrastructure upgrades, revamping various campus services to increase offerings and reduce spending, and vastly improving campus safety and emergency preparedness.

Prior to his tenure at Lafayette, Roger held leadership roles at other institutions of higher education, including Assistant Vice President for Facilities Operations at Princeton University and Assistant Vice President for Administration at Seton Hall University. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from Villanova University and earned a Master of Business Administration from Seton Hall University.

I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank the members of the search committee—Kathy Byrnes, Fr. Kevin DePrinzio, Ann Diebold, Kelly Doney, Neil Horgan, Mark Jackson, Dr. Patrick Maggitti, Bob Morro, Dr. Terry Nance, Mike O’Neill, Dr. Craig Wheeland and Mike Zubey—for their dedication and efforts in identifying the right person for this important University leadership role.

Roger’s combination of vast higher education experience and familiarity with Villanova’s mission and values made him stand out in a very talented group of candidates. I believe he will be an incredible asset to our senior leadership team and look forward to working closely with him in this role.

I invite you to join me for a reception on Monday, Nov. 29, at 3:30 p.m. in the Presidents’ Lounge to congratulate Roger on his new role and welcome him back to Villanova.

Sincerely,

Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA
President