Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Peter French, the primary supervisor of the University's finances, announced that he will retire in June 2009 due to personal health concerns after working at Brandeis for 11 years."I have been mulling over this decision for the past six months, so it is not something that just came up," French said. "There have been many considerations, but the overall consideration is that I've had some issues with my health, and my health has been unpredictable; my wife, my children and I all just felt that it was appropriate to stop working full-time," he said.

French will continue to function as executive vice president until his retirement, but will also aid University President Jehuda Reinharz and the Trustee Committee in recruiting his replacement.

"It will probably take about four to six months to get somebody on board. I will advise that person and help them get acclimated. In essence, that person will work as my deputy until my retirement, at which time he or she will take over," French said.

According to the Brandeis Web site, "The Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer oversees Brandeis' complete financial and administrative support operations." Responsibilities include budgeting, campus operations (facilities, public safety, and campus services) and information technology services management, the Web site says.

"The Executive Vice President also serves as the principal liaison with the Budget and Finance, Investment, Facilities and Audit Committees of the Board of Trustees," the Web site says.

An e-mail sent to faculty and staff last Thursday announced French's retirement: "Over the past decade, French has helped to rebuild this campus, bringing at least 11 major new building and renewal projects on line for the benefit of the entire Brandeis community," Reinharz wrote.

French cited the construction of the Shapiro Campus Center as the project of which he is most proud. "It really was the first major construction project that was done in the administration of President Reinharz," French said. He said it was the beginning of the building projects completed over the past 10 years and "set the framework for much of what we've done."

Reinharz also referenced other contributions French has made to the University, including instituting salary and benefits improvements and bringing the University a "superior management team."

"In terms of financial management of the University, the thing that I'm really most proud of is that we've been able to move the University to a situation where there's a long-term plan for what we're doing," French said.

French also said that he is proud of the many different systems, including a financial management system, and a lot of new technology as part of the overall systems initiative he has been able to help put in place during his time at Brandeis. "The campus has really changed pretty significantly with all of these different things we've been able to do. I'm certainly not taking credit for all that, but I was certainly involved in it, and it has been pretty extraordinary."

French said that he feels most strongly about all the relationships he has made over the years.

"I am certainly going to miss Jehuda and many, many trustees, students, faculty and, of course, the senior officers and staff at the University," French said. "I am going to miss everyone. I am also going to miss the intellectual stimulation. I've worked in nine different organizations over the course of my career, and Brandeis is just simply the best," he said.