Dear CU Boulder Community,

Today at the annual CU Boulder State of the Campus address, Chancellor DiStefano announced his intention to retire from the position of Chancellor at CU Boulder, marking  2023-2024 his last academic year as chancellor. I am deeply grateful for Phil's decades of service and dedication to the entire CU system.

For 50 years, Phil has been devoted to CU Boulder. His commitment has been exemplary, positively impacting the lives of thousands of students, faculty and staff. He has spearheaded many wonderful initiatives through the years.

Beginning in 1974, Phil has served as a faculty member, dean, associate vice chancellor, provost and chancellor. The post of chancellor at CU Boulder has never seen anyone serve as long of a tenure as Phil's. He has seen CU Boulder through some of the most tumultuous and challenging periods the university has ever faced. Now, he leads a university that is respected across the globe for its work in outstanding academic and research programs. Whether it's the sciences, arts, business, engineering, or the many examples that could be listed, Phil has his fingerprints on much of it.

While the academic program successes speak for themselves, Phil has also been instrumental in other key areas that make the campus a vibrant place to be. For example, while the CU Boulder football program is now the talk of the nation, Phil's commitment to the success of all student-athletes and athletics never wavered.

I'm excited for the future at CU Boulder and to continue building on our success. As we look to the transition after a new chancellor is hired, Phil will resume his faculty role in the School of Education. His primary duties starting in fall 2024, in addition to supporting the new chancellor as needed, will include serving as the Senior Executive Director at the Center for Leadership and the Quigg and Virginia S. Newton Endowed Chair in Leadership. The Newton chair serves as a clearinghouse for campuswide leadership programs and supports the activities of several other marquee leadership programs, including the Presidents Leadership Class, INVST Community Leadership Program, CU Gold, CU Engage, Leeds Scholars Program, Business Leadership Certificate Program, CU Athletics Leadership Development Program, and the Engineering Leadership Program. I am pleased that Phil will continue to elevate the university and be a resource for the new chancellor once named.

I will start a national search for the new chancellor soon, and I will share more details in the near future.

For now, I want to reiterate my gratitude for Phil, and I am certain the entire CU community will join me in thanking him for his leadership and service to our outstanding university.