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Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Operating Officer Patrick O’Rourke announced today he is leaving CU Boulder at the end of the semester to begin a leadership role as senior vice president and chief legal officer at Children’s Hospital Colorado in Aurora.

“This is a bittersweet decision, as I care deeply for our work in support of the campus mission,” said O’Rourke. “We have done remarkable work to support students, advance equity and inclusion, create new knowledge and support our community, and I will miss the opportunity to continue to support and work with the amazing leaders and staff within Strategic Resources and Support.

“The opportunity at Children’s Hospital is meaningful to me in a number of ways, which ultimately is why I have chosen to make this move. I’ve been connected with Children’s Hospital since I first began practicing law in 1995 and have a close connection to its mission. I believe I can help Children’s Hospital serve its patients in a challenging health care environment.”

O’Rourke’s time at CU Boulder featured a number of significant achievements, including sustaining the campus community through the COVID-19 pandemic, moving to a new budget model, integrating a shared equity leadership model and building community wellness initiatives.

“Pat O’Rourke provided courageous leadership on the Boulder campus through the global COVID-19 pandemic, and his leadership of the Strategic Resources and Support team has helped enable the strong foundation CU Boulder has today,” said Chancellor Justin Schwartz. “I want to personally thank Pat for his strong work enabling my transition as chancellor and his countless contributions to CU Boulder and the broader University of Colorado system during the past 18 years. I look forward to remaining connected with Pat and I wish him well as he takes on a critical leadership role at Children’s Hospital.”

CU President Todd Saliman expressed his gratitude for Pat’s leadership at CU as well, saying, “I am deeply grateful to Pat for his dedication and service to the University of Colorado, from his days as university counsel and secretary to the Board of Regents to his role as CU Boulder’s executive vice chancellor and chief operating officer, where he has been a guiding force in addressing complex challenges and advancing our goals. As he embarks on this new journey, I extend my deepest thanks for his years of service and wish him continued success in the future.”

O’Rourke will be supporting campus leadership and the SRS team to ensure a smooth transition through the end of term. This week Schwartz will begin engaging with members of the CU Boulder executive leadership team in a series of discussions to inform succession planning for O’Rourke’s role. Decisions on next steps are anticipated in early December.