UVU Announces New Chief Strategy Officer Aimed at Strengthening Institutional Alignment

Utah Valley University President Jon Anderson has appointed Clark Collings, the university’s general counsel, as UVU’s first chief strategy officer. This new role will bring together three functional areas into the Office of the President: Business Intelligence and Research Services, led by Laura Busby; Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment, led by Rasha Qudisat, Ph.D.; and Strategic Communication Management, led by Ellen Treanor. 

The chief strategy officer will guide university strategy, strengthen the use of data in decision-making, and coordinate how priorities are communicated, implemented, and measured across campus. This work will help the university better understand student needs and align efforts to support student success. The new role supports Anderson’s emphasis on strategic clarity, operational efficiency and transparent communication to expand opportunities for student success. 

“Strategic clarity will help us stay true to our identity,” said Anderson. “The recent appointment of UVU’s first chief strategy officer will strengthen how we set and communicate priorities, organize information, and use data more effectively. Closer coordination among strategy, data, institutional effectiveness, and communication will help us better understand student needs and align work across the university.” 

Collings joined UVU as associate general counsel in 2017 and became general counsel in 2020. He helped draft and implement the university’s refreshed Vision 2030 strategic plan in 2022 and has led strategic initiatives to improve legal operations at UVU and InsideSales.com. At InsideSales.com, he also led the development and implementation of the company’s sales commission strategy. His work at UVU has included establishing strategic collaboration agreements with large healthcare providers, key donors, international universities, and global corporations to benefit students.