Cornell's Initiatives Coordination Office (ICO) is now fully staffed, with a director, a financial specialist and an administrative assistant.

Consultant Fred John Case, who goes by "John," has been retained to lead the ICO, and Ralph Canfield Jr. has been hired as financial specialist, Vice President for Planning and Budget Elmira Mangum recently announced. The ICO operates within the Division of Planning and Budget and coordinates several administrative cost-cutting and efficiency initiatives.

Case will assist the initiative sponsors, vice presidents and the university community by coordinating the implementation of projects across the university to increase effectiveness and to ensure smooth and sustainable transitions, Mangum said. Canfield will track each of the initiatives, she said.

"I am very excited that the ICO is up and running and now fully staffed, so that we can achieve the cost savings and administrative reorganizations we've identified," Mangum said. "We are delighted that John and Ralph have agreed to work with Cornell. They both have a wealth of experience and success in managing relationships and business operations for process improvements."

As head of FJ Case Consulting, Case has consulted extensively for Emory University and other higher education institutions in the areas of organizational structure, finance, change management and research administration. He continues to work with startup companies in finance, operations and business development. Case has an Ed.D. in higher education management from the University of Pennsylvania, an MBA from St. John Fisher College and a B.S. in accounting from the State University of New York at Geneseo.

Canfield, a financial professional specializing in manufacturing and public utility accounting, has an extensive background in cost accounting, project management and financial forecasting. He worked most recently as regional director of finance at SOURCECORP, a Binghamton, N.Y., business process outsourcing and consulting firm. Prior to that he was manager of affiliate finance at Energy East Management Corp. in Binghamton. Canfield is also a former security specialist with the U.S. Army Security Agency.

The ICO was formerly directed by Paul Streeter as part of his duties as associate vice president for planning and budget. He is now assistant dean for finance and administration at the College of Veterinary Medicine.

The ICO was established in December 2009 as part of a strategy to "reimagine Cornell" as a leaner, more academically excellent university, and improve the quality of service and effectiveness of delivery.

In July, President David Skorton and Provost Kent Fuchs accepted the ICO's proposed actions in several areas: organization and management of support activities, information technology, facilities, procurement, financial transactions and human resource services. The approved actions are expected to save Cornell $75 million to $85 million annually by fiscal year 2015.