UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Gary Langsdale, University risk officer, has been appointed Penn State’s interim chief ethics and compliance officer, effective July 1. He assumes this additional role following the retirement of Regis Becker, director of university ethics and compliance and chief ethics and compliance officer. Langsdale will serve in the interim position while the nationwide search for Becker’s successor progresses. During this time, Langsdale will continue to serve as University risk officer.
In his new role, Langsdale, who has 42 years of experience in the insurance and risk management field, will oversee Penn State's Office of Ethics and Compliance and the University’s comprehensive ethics and compliance programs, including annual employee trainings, athletics integrity, export controls, youth programs, Values and Culture Survey and the Penn State Hotline.
“For more than 15 years, Gary has been an outstanding leader in our Penn State community overseeing efforts to safeguard resources and assets and identifying opportunities to fulfill the strategic goals of the University,” said David Gray, senior vice president for Finance and Business. “His commitment to ethics and integrity is resolute, and I am confident he will uphold the valuable work that Regis Becker stewarded for the past five years. Penn State continues to be a national leader in the area of institutional ethics and compliance.”
Since 2003, Langsdale has served as University risk officer with responsibility for enterprise risk management, including strategic, operational and hazard risks involving physical, personnel and financial resources. Within the Risk Management Office, Langsdale protects University assets and oversees the efficient use of resources, while also serving as president of Nittany Insurance Company, the University’s internal insurance subsidiary. As risk officer, he educates the community about the role and benefits of enterprise risk management, and has been a guest lecturer on the subject for several undergraduate and graduate courses.
In addition to his duties at Penn State, he participated in the development of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers higher education risk standard, a tool that enables universities to develop and implement plans for natural and man-made hazards on college campuses. In 2013, Langsdale served as president of the University Risk Management and Insurance Association (URMIA), and has authored articles for trade publications such as Risk Management, Financial Executive and Treasury Management magazines.
For his contributions in the field of risk management, Langsdale was honored with the Distinguished Risk Manager Award by URMIA in 2014, and was recognized by Business Insurance magazine as a member of their risk management honor roll in 2009. Before joining Penn State, Langsdale was director of risk management at International Paper in Memphis, Tennessee.
Langsdale earned a bachelor’s degree from Allegheny College, and holds the Associate in Risk Management designation, which is the industry standard for risk management professionals.