Carlucci to leave University

Three months after former USF Provost Renu Khator became president and chancellor of the University of Houston, the Executive Vice President of USF will take a job at UH as well.

Carl Carlucci, who also serves as the University’s chief financial officer (CFO), was offered and accepted a similar position at UH, according to an e-mail sent to the Board of Trustees (BOT) Sunday afternoon.

Unconfirmed reports that Carlucci was considering a job at UH had circulated since last week, and Carlucci wrote in an e-mail Saturday that he was on the market for a new job and was being actively courted by other universities. The e-mail neither denied nor confirmed possible employment at UH.

Carlucci, who has worked at USF for seven years, could not be reached for comment Sunday, and USF President Judy Genshaft will not comment until his appointment is confirmed, according to the e-mail sent to the BOT.

Genshaft spoke generally about Carlucci, however.

“She is appreciative of Carl’s impact to our institution and his tremendous contributions, especially to our financial and budget systems,” wrote Cynthia Visot, USF’s Office of the President chief of staff in the e-mail. “We look forward to having Carl return to campus for the many ribbon-cuttings for the buildings he initiated for the University.”

Michael Hoad, vice president of communications for USF, said that Carlucci would be greatly missed.

“The USF we know now is very different because of Carl than in 2000,” Hoad said.

One specific achievement Hoad attributed to Carlucci was the construction of USF’s Research Park.

“When he got here, USF (had) talked about a research park since the ’70s,” he said, but it was Carlucci who decided to lead the effort to organize and build it.

Provost Ralph Wilcox and Vice Provost Dwayne Smith could not be reached Sunday for comment.

Eric Gerber, spokesman for UH, said he hadn’t been told of Carlucci’s appointment.

“I’ve not been officially informed of anything like that,” he said.

Carlucci’s wife of 38 years, Dr. Cheryl Carlucci, said she is happy for her husband and is looking forward to the change.

“I’m so proud of Carl, and I know the great work he does,” she said.

Cheryl said she and her husband are excited about the move to Houston because they enjoy city living and have always talked about experiencing different cities.

“We wish we had lived in more places,” she said.

Cheryl said she was somewhat concerned about uprooting, but was excited about the metropolitan character of Houston, particularly its opera.

“You have to be open to new things,” she said.

Change a long time comingCarlucci stated in an e-mail Saturday that he has received and responded to “a number of inquiries” from universities seeking to hire a CFO in 2007 and that some of the inquiries were still active in 2008.

Carlucci did not specify which universities or how many have expressed interest in him, but wrote that there was “great demand for large university CFOs.”

A spokesman for UH declined to comment on Carlucci, saying that the university does not speak about personnel issues.

Before Carlucci’s acceptance of the offer at UH became public, he confirmed that he would consider an offer at UH or another university if it appealed to him, writing: “If the fit is right and an appropriate offer is made I will respond accordingly.”

Hoad said that Carlucci’s plans had not been a secret.

“He’s been here longer than he’s been in any job,” he said. “He’s told folks he’s been on the market and never has been off it.”

Asked how USF would handle losing its CFO in a period of budgetary crisis, Hoad said that USF wasn’t particularly worried.

“If he stays, that’s great,” he said, later describing Carlucci’s departure as a “loss” for the University. “If he leaves, we hope that it’s great for him.”