July 19, 2024

President Scholz sent the following announcement to UO academic and administrative leaders:

Dear colleagues,

I am pleased to announce that Kody Kelleher is the UO’s new university secretary and advisor to the president, following a nationwide search. Kody is a trusted administrator and advisor with fourteen years of experience managing boards and supporting organizational development in both higher education and state government.

As the UO’s university secretary, he will be responsible for managing and coordinating the UO Board of Trustees planning, operations, and meetings. He will be the custodian of university policies enacted by the board and the president. He is also an advisor to the president and his office, managing projects and representing the president as directed.

Kody is currently the associate secretary for the University of Arizona where he is the president’s chief liaison with the Arizona Board of Regents. During his six years at U of A, Kody directed an overhaul of all university processes for initiatives requiring board involvement or approval to improve awareness, communication, and transparency. He also facilitated initiatives in support of the president’s strategic priorities including establishing a new multi-year tuition-setting cycle, revamping of the university’s general education program, and securing board approval of key contracts and university projects.

He previously served as a senior staff member at the Arizona Board of Regents and worked in several positions with the Arizona State Senate including senior policy advisor and senior research analyst for the Committee on Education. Kody earned his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Public Administration at Arizona State University and is earning a PhD in higher education from the University of Arizona.

Kody impressed the search committee, UO trustees, and university leadership with his ability to develop trust across organizations and boards, his commitment to higher education, and his enthusiasm for tackling the challenges and opportunities currently facing public universities.  

I thank the search committee members, chaired by Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration Jamie Moffitt, for their help recruiting an outstanding pool of candidates and their time and dedication to the search process.  

Kody’s first day will be August 15. Please join me in welcoming him to the University of Oregon.

Sincerely,

Karl Scholz 
President