The head of Northwestern Facilities Management, Ron Nayler, will retire in December, the University announced Wednesday.

Nayler served in the position for 17 years, during which time he oversaw the design and construction of more than 30 new buildings and renovations to others.

“Northwestern has been the best — and longest — experience of my professional career,” Nayler said in a news release. “It has been an amazing opportunity to help lead the physical transformation of the Evanston and Chicago campuses.”

Nayler was the first to hold the title of associate vice president of facilities management.

“In the world of design and construction, there are often strong opinions and competing interests, as well as constant budget constraints,” NU trustee Gordon Segal, chair of the education properties committee, said in a news release. “Ron has managed to balance all of those, and Northwestern has benefited as a result.”

Nayler was one of the founding members of NU’s Classroom Committee, which evaluates classroom usage, and the Sustainability Council, which was created to help realize the goals in the University’s sustainability strategic plan. Nayler hired NU’s first director of sustainability, Rob Whittier, in 2011.

Before coming to NU, Nayler served in facilities management roles at the State University of New York at Buffalo, the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the University of Connecticut. He also served as director of planning for the city of Boston and served three years as a U.S. Naval officer.

Incoming executive vice president Nimalan Chinniah will conduct the national search for Nayler’s replacement.

Email: sophiabollag@u.northwestern.edu
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