Chris Cook Named Lehigh’s New Vice President for Finance and Administration

After serving for nine months in an interim capacity, Chris Cook has been appointed Lehigh’s next vice president for finance and administration. In this role, she provides leadership, oversight and stewardship for all aspects of the university's financial resources. She also serves as a strategic advisor to the senior leadership team and the Board of Trustees while leading a broad range of financial and administrative functions, including the budget office, finance and treasury, facilities and campus planning, human resources, auxiliary services and campus safety.

“Chris brings deep strategic insight, operational expertise, and a track record of delivering on major, high-impact projects,” said President Joseph J. Helble ’82. “She has a clear vision for how to align resources in support of our institutional priorities, and she understands what it takes to lead complex initiatives that drive lasting impact. I’m confident that under her leadership, our finance and administration teams will continue to build a strong foundation for Lehigh’s future."

Just prior to arriving at Lehigh, Cook worked at Dartmouth College as vice provost for strategic initiatives and resource planning. As chief financial and administrative officer for Dartmouth's School of Engineering, she oversaw the $160 million Center for Engineering and Computer Science, the largest capital project in the college’s history to that point.

Cook joined Lehigh three years ago as vice president for strategic planning and initiatives, leading Lehigh’s Inspiring the Future Makers strategic planning process, which engaged thousands of members of the Lehigh community.

"Since arriving at Lehigh one of the roles I'm most proud of is serving as executive sponsor of the Clayton University Center renovation project," she noted. "Seeing the joy and excitement of our students as they entered the building and discovered their new favorite spots was a great reminder that while the work we do in finance and administration often goes unseen, it is deeply connected to our students' experience."

In her time as interim vice president for finance and administration, Cook brought her transformative leadership approach to bear on several projects, including a new resource allocation and reporting tool – RAPTOR – that is changing the way budgets are forecast and built at Lehigh, as well as a campus-wide project aimed at reimagining the recruitment process.

“Over the last nine months, we have already achieved significant progress in improving our systems and administrative functions, and I am eager to continue advancing our efforts,” said Cook. “We are fortunate here at Lehigh to be in such a strong financial position, supported by dedicated and forward-thinking team members. Together, we are well-situated to embrace new challenges as we work to shape Lehigh into a model institution for the future.”

Story by Hillary Kwiatek