Dear Kent State University Faculty and Staff,
Mark Polatajko, Ph.D., senior vice president for finance and administration, has informed me he will retire on Aug. 1.
All told, Mark has 29 years of Ohio public service to Kent State, Wright State University, Cuyahoga Community College and the Ohio Lottery Commission plus five years in the private sector. In retirement, he plans to devote more time to the family businesses, which include the iconic Rudy’s Strudel & Bakery in Parma, Ohio. I am especially appreciative that he delayed his planned retirement to help us through the budget consultations and changing landscape at the state level.
Mark will leave a rich legacy at Kent State, including ensuring the university’s sound financial position, reducing long-term debt and implementing a visionary facilities master plan for the Kent Campus. These are a few of the many contributions we will celebrate with him later this summer.
To ensure a seamless and effective transition in this vital role, I will appoint Jeannie Reifsnyder, senior associate vice president for finance and administration, as interim senior vice president effective Aug. 1. She has agreed to serve in this capacity for the coming fiscal year, providing needed continuity and deep knowledge of Kent State and Ohio’s higher education funding system. I have great confidence in Jeannie’s leadership and look forward to working with her and the rest of the Division of Finance and Administration team.
Please join me in thanking Mark for his extraordinary service to Kent State.
Sincerely,
Todd Diacon
President