As part of their planned phased retirement, Frank FioRito, director of purchasing and accounts payable, and Donna Taylor, manager of accounts payable, will be transitioning to part-time status, effective the week of Monday, September 10. On Monday, September 24, Illinois Tech will welcome Snow Rutkowske as the new director of procurement services. Snow brings more than a decade of experience in higher education helping schools optimize and transform purchasing services and processes. We are thrilled to have her on our team.

The Purchasing and Accounts Payable office has been planning for strategic changes over the past several months as part of a Procurement Services Project outlined on the Strategic Improvement Initiative (SII) website. That project will continue under Snow’s leadership and FioRito and Taylor have agreed to serve as advisors through these transitions. FioRito will assist Snow as a new structure takes shape, and Taylor will assist Snow with managing accounts payable operations as they are converted to a more streamlined and paperless function. The experience and expertise from individuals who have already contributed to numerous improvements will support and complement Snow’s efforts to implement robust processes and technology.

Procurement services will evolve as Illinois Tech implements new e-procurement, payables, and contract management tools that allow us to be more strategic in the way we make purchases. This kind of strategic sourcing will lead to more efficient operations and cost savings, both of which are critical as Illinois Tech strives to deliver outstanding value to our students, alumni, and community. Our goal is an easier buying process. We will continue to provide information and updates on the SII website.

We are grateful to Frank FioRito and Donna Taylor for their expertise and support during this transition, as well as for their service to the university.