Top Executives Reassigned at WesternU
Philip Pumerantz, PhD, president of Western University of Health Sciences
(WesternU), has announced the reassignment of two of the University’s key
administrators.
Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Stuart Wiener is now Special Assistant to
the President. Christopher Oberg, PhD, moves from his position of
executive vice president of administration/chief administrative officer
(CAdO) to replace Wiener as CFO. In addition, Dr. Oberg also becomes the
University’s Chief Operations Officer (COO).
“”WesternU today faces opportunities and challenges we could barely have
dreamed of even five years ago,”” Dr. Pumerantz said. “”Moving Stu and
Christopher to these positions will give us an exceptional opportunity to
begin the 21st century with added strength and vision.””
Dr. Pumerantz said he chose Wiener to be his special assistant because “”I
need an individual with strong institutional memory and management skills
who can be immediately available to me to deal with special projects.””
Wiener is now responsible for bond and other financing projects; oversees
the acquisition of properties for the University; watches the
institution’s investments, annuities and trusts; and stimulates the growth
of entrepreneurial non-tuition revenue opportunities.
Wiener began his tenure with WesternU in 1982, when he came to the-then
College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific as comptroller. He received
steady promotions throughout the years, culminating in 1996 when the
institution became a university and his appointment as executive vice
president for finance/administration and CFO.
He is a member of several professional organizations, including the
American Management Association, the National Association of Accountants
and the Medical Group Management Association. He also is the founding
chairman of the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine’s
Council of Fiscal Officers. Wiener is a finance consultant and evaluator
to the American Osteopathic Association and has served as a member of
numerous site visit teams for the accrediting arm of the Western
Association of Schools and Colleges.
As CFO/COO, Dr. Oberg assumes management of the University’s business
office, facilities and security, advancement, gift planning and risk
management, as well as his current responsibilities overseeing WesternU’s
information technology, library, multimedia, bookstore, human resources,
purchasing and mailroom departments.
Dr. Oberg brings considerable experience in both business affairs and
academic administration to his new position. With a PhD in higher
education from the Claremont Graduate School, he has worked as an
administrator at colleges and universities on both sides of the country.
He joined the WesternU community in 1998.
His experience includes work as associate dean and, later, vice president
for operations/chief financial officer at the Claremont Graduate School.
He has served as interim president and as vice president for business and
finance at Western New England College, in Springfield, Massachusetts, and
also has worked as a professor and researcher at the Claremont Graduate
University.
He is the author and presenter of many papers on higher education
administration, including “”The Price of Information Technology in the
Future of Higher Education,”” “”Innovative Models for Delivering Services to
Students,”” and “”Change is Not a Four-Letter Word.”” Dr. Oberg also has
served as a site team member for the New England and Western Associations
of Schools and Colleges.
