UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Cheryl Fabrizi has been appointed assistant vice president for Penn State Housing and Food Services, effective April 30.
Fabrizi, a native of Pennsylvania who earned her undergraduate degree at Penn State, will provide leadership for on-campus living and dining at University Park, as well as 11 Commonwealth Campuses. The residence and dining program at Penn State is the largest of its kind in Pennsylvania and one of the largest in the country, including 94 undergraduate and graduate facilities that accommodate 17,000 students.
Most recently, Fabrizi served as director of strategic account development for the universities division of Sodexo Inc. Previously, she held several management positions in higher education focused upon undergraduate and graduate enrollment management, student success, student retention, recruitment, graduation, campus visits, and technology deployments.
Fabrizi’s prior key roles included such global brands as Binghamton University-State University of New York, Gentex Corporation, QVC, and Caesars. She also shared her business, marketing, communications, strategic planning, project management, new sales and retail revenue generation and growth, corporate partnerships and sponsorships, brand image and equity, customer service, and hospitality/guest experiences as an adjunct faculty member and long-standing continuing education instructor at SUNY Broome, spurring entrepreneurship and small-business vitality in the Greater Binghamton area of New York state.
“Cheryl brings a wealth of experience in managing and leading globally recognized brands in higher education and other industries, making her an exceptional choice,” said John Papazoglou, associate vice president for Auxiliary and Business Services. “Her business expertise and leadership skills, as well as her background in strategic planning, data-driven customer insight, and enrollment management, will enhance Housing and Food Services at University Park and our Commonwealth Campuses. We look forward to welcoming Cheryl back to her alma mater.”
“Serving in a leadership role with my alma mater is deeply humbling and incredibly exhilarating,” said Fabrizi. “I look forward to implementing Penn State’s strategic vision, and inspiring talented people to deliver exceptional residence and dining experiences that students, faculty, staff and visitors seek and value today. I am privileged to be joining such a respected institution and to help shape future generations of leaders.”
The assistant vice president’s responsibilities include providing vision, leadership and strategic direction for Housing and Food Services; recruiting, training, developing and leading staff; developing innovative approaches to facility design and space allocation; and developing and overseeing various budgets with attention to cost control, deferred maintenance and income generation.