Vincent Harkins

Dynamic and collaborative Facilities, Operations and Planning leader with more than 30 years’ experience driving outcomes for higher education, healthcare and business and industry clients. Savvy and well-rounded leader with the unique ability to develop and pursue a strong and sustainable vision for world-class campuses, aligned with the needs and desires of the university’s vibrant and diverse community.

Professional Experience

American University, Washington, DC February 2011 – Present

Assistant Vice President, Facilities Management and Construction

Responsible for the Capital Planning, Project Management, Space Planning, Deferred Maintenance, Transportation Planning, and Contract Administration departments to plan, design, procure, and construct the university’s capital and renewal programs. Oversees all aspects of campus operations for American University’s main, 4.5 million gsf campus and 350-acre Conference Center, Hotel and Farm.

  • Reporting to the University Chief Financial Officer, responsible for more than $1 billion in university assets with a $60 million annual operating budget and $40 million capital reserve budget
  • Responsible for the oversight of 180 facilities employees across building maintenance, engineering, energy management, central plant operations, building controls, electrical and life safety, vehicle maintenance, shuttle operations, grounds and landscape management, material supplies, customer response center, facilities finance, and capital program management and building commissioning
  • Collaborated with HR colleagues to develop and implement Facilities and Construction internal talent initiatives focused on closing the gap in skilled trades through internal and external recruitment, retention, and reward strategies.
  • Develop and maintain an effective communication strategy across all the college’s constituent groups to provide timely, accessible, and user-friendly institutional data to ensure transparency and active engagement in operational and financial sustainability
  • Key member of the AU Space Planning and Management Committee tasked with revamping the entire space process for the university.
  • Conducted comprehensive suite of external facilities assessments to inform the development and implementation of a multi-year facilities management plan to include deferred and cycle maintenance, property renovations and LEED certified new construction projects (i.e., 10 residence hall renovations, commissioned the new construction of 5 residence halls, 3 academic buildings and a brand new $90 million state of the art Hall of Science)
  • Achieved a 30% reduction in carbon footprint and reduced fossil fuel consumption through investments in infrastructure transformation including:

o Design / Build brand-new low temperature hot water plant and replacing over 8 miles of underground steam lines

o Installation of 9 condensing boilers and 5 microturbines and gas absorbers to create a tri-generation plant (the first of its kind at the time east of the Mississippi)

o Design / Build two state of the art chiller plants to replace 38 beyond useful life chillers across campus, reducing labor for maintenance and increasing efficiency and redundancy

  • Quickly changed the method of operational delivery necessary to prioritize the health and safety of the community, the quality of the academic programs, and minimize the disruption to the employee base throughout its COVID response while saving the university close to $8 million by restructuring the organization.
  • Manage more than 150 housekeeping employees through 3rd party vendor.
  • Restructured the Facilities and Capital Program Management Division to incorporate better aligned service and management that resulted in an increase in efficiency and provided a more positive customer/student experience.
  • Serve as an active participant and resource in the college’s diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives including recruitment (faculty, staff, and students), mentoring, and campus programming.

ARAMARK Corporation, Philadelphia, PA June 1992 – January 2011

Vice President, Facilities Management

Served in several management and leadership roles with increasing responsibility for Facilities and Engineering clients in the $2 billion segment of Aramark’s Facilities Managed Services Business Unit. Responsible for managing operating accounts and client relationships across Healthcare, Higher Education and Business and Industry. Partnered with Business Development teams as a Subject Matter Expert in Engineering and Facilities to generate and win new client partnerships both domestically and globally.

  • Responsible for the start-up account transition and ongoing leadership of Maintenance and Engineering teams at Columbia University and Barnard College in New York City
  • Served as Director of Facilities for the American Museum of Natural History (NYC) and was responsible for the implementation of a facilities strategic plan across 3million gsf of specialized space (exhibit, research, laboratory, etc.)
  • Served as Director of Facilities at Teacher’s College at Columbia University and was responsible for implementing a 10 year Facilities Improvement Plan for the 150 year-old 2 million gsf campus while simultaneously training, mentoring, and growing a team of technically savvy leaders to manage the College’s 125 person Facilities staff.
  • Promoted to District Manager with responsibility for managing more than 30 client accounts in the New York Metro area representing more than 45% of the region’s revenue and EBITDA. In this expanded role, grew client base to include hospitals, stadiums, and arenas.
  • Promoted again to Vice President of Facilities Management for entire portfolio of healthcare accounts across the country numbering over 350 sites.
  • Partnered with new business development team to target and pitch growth opportunities across Europe.