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Chris Kabourek begins his first week in his role as Ohio State’s Vice resident of Administration and Planning. Credit: Courtesy of Ohio State.

 

University President Ted Carter Jr. appointed Nebraska native Chris Kabourek to serve as Ohio State’s vice president of administration and planning Oct. 28. 

According to the Office of Administration and Planning website, Kabourek will oversee six university departments: the Department of Public Safety, Facilities Operations and Development, Transportation and Traffic Management, Planning Architecture and Real Estate, UniPrint and WOSU Public Media.

Kabourek’s tenure began Nov. 1, according to a university press release. Most recently, he served as interim president at the University of Nebraska following Carter’s 2023 move to Ohio State, according to the press release. He spent 27 total years at the University of Nebraska, where he also served as chief financial officer.

A former first-generation college student, Kabourek said he is a long-time supporter of higher education and the real-world benefits it provides. He said the opportunity to join Ohio State’s team is daunting, but he feels “super excited to be here and for the opportunity.” 

“I went to school on Pell Grants, and student loans and scholarships, so I’m all in on the mission of public universities and the transformative power it can have to one’s life,” Kabourek said. “When you think about great public universities across the country, Ohio State is at the top of that list, and so having the opportunity to be a part of that, out of the box, was just a tremendous opportunity.” 

Kabourek said his approach to the role will begin with “a lot of listening and learning” to understand the “Ohio State way.”

“This is a really big place; it’s really complex,“ Kabourek said. “We run 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And I’ll just tell you, day three, I’m so impressed with everybody involved. We have a great team here in administration and planning, just really hardworking, all of our 1,800 employees in the department. And I can’t be more impressed.” 

Kabourek replaced interim Vice President of Administration and Planning Mark Conselyea, who took over the role in July, per prior Lantern reporting. 

During Kabourek’s transitional period, Conselyea will continue to serve as the vice president of Facilities Operations and Development, “while informing this important transition,” according to the press release. 

Conselyea said in an email he “appreciated the opportunity to serve as interim senior vice president” as Kabourek made his transition into the role. Conselyea also emphasized his excitement for the expertise and specialized knowledge Kabourek brings from Nebraska. 

“I’m looking forward to supporting [Kabourek] and the rest of Administration and Planning as he takes over the role,” Conselyea said. “He brings a lot of great experience from the University of Nebraska, and I am particularly interested in his work around deferred maintenance which has been a priority for facilities operations and development for the past few years.”

Carter praised Kabourek for his role as the chief architect of Nebraska’s “deferred maintenance strategy,” which addressed $800 million in facility needs and positioned the university to become self-sustaining in maintaining its buildings, according to the press release. 

“I worked closely with [Kabourek] during my time as president of the Nebraska system and can speak to his considerable skill set, professionalism and collegial approach to our work in higher education,” Carter said in the press release. “His areas of expertise include facilities and capital planning, accounting, budgeting, procurement, human resources and — equally important — a deep appreciation for their connection to our teaching, research, and service and patient care missions.”

Kabourek will work directly with Carter — a relationship dating back to their time in Nebraska. The two worked closely during the COVID-19 pandemic, spending “six months in a conference room” to keep the university afloat, Kabourek said. 

“It’s very obvious that I have a past relationship working with President Carter, and President Carter joined the University of Nebraska in 2020 when I was the senior vice president for Business and Finance and the chief financial officer,” Kabourek said. “And so, when he reached out to me about this potential opportunity to reunite with him and connect with him, that was obviously very appealing.” 

Kabourek said he is optimistic about his transition to Ohio State, calling it “a great time to come on board.” He said he looks forward to reinforcing Carter’s goals, supporting students and contributing to the university’s culture. 

“Our goal is to make sure every student has a great experience on campus, that we are treating your state tax dollars like we would our own and spending them very efficiently,” Kabourek said. “I’m sure there’s a lot of special things going on here, and Ohio State is at the heart of all of that. So, really looking forward to seeing what we’re going to do together and making this great institution that much better.”