Virginia Tech names strategic initiatives VP

Lisa Wilkes has worked at university for 26 years

Published January 28, 2021 by Sydney Lake

Lisa Wilkes. Photo courtesy Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech announced Thursday that Lisa Wilkes has been named as vice president for strategic initiatives and special assistant to the president.

Wilkes, who has worked at the university for 26 years, most recently served as the vice president for business affairs and special assistant to the president. In her new role, she will focus on strategic presidential initiatives and work to carry out the president’s vision, goals and priorities. She will also serve as the chief administrative officer of the Office of the President.

“There is no challenge too great for Lisa,” Virginia Tech President Tim Sands said in a statement. “In addition to her expertise in higher education business practices, she brings a deep understanding of Virginia Tech’s people, values, culture and operations, knowledge that allows her to bring people together to solve problems that transcend organizational boundaries.”

During her time with the university, she has worked on Tech’s Human Resources Transformation Initiative, the Campus Accessibility Working Group and the Child Care Working group. In her role as a special assistant to the president, she has during the past year helped to manage the university’s response to COVID-19.

“Lisa combines visionary and strategic thinking with strong experience in implementation,” Dwayne Pinkney, Virginia Tech senior vice president and chief business officer said in a statement. “She can advance the vision while also navigating real world challenges in order to make it a reality, a rare skill set for a leader.”

Wilkes, a Pulaski native, started her career at Virginia Tech as a graduate student intern in 1995 and has since served as chief of staff for the chief operating officer, the assistant vice president for finance, assistant vice president for business services, associate vice president for administration, interim vice president for human resources and vice president for business affairs. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Radford University and her doctorate in higher education from Virginia Tech.