Purdue News

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Kenneth P. Burns, Purdue's executive vice president and treasurer since 1998, announced today (Tuesday, 3/2) that he will retire from the university Aug. 31.

Kenneth P. Burns
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Burns, who went to work as a trainee in the university's business office in 1967, rose through a variety of administrative positions to become Purdue's chief financial officer. As executive vice president and treasurer, he oversees a $1.4 billion annual budget and is responsible for all university fiscal matters and physical facilities, including securities, properties, endowment funds, business and financial affairs, residence halls, human resources, the Purdue Memorial Union, the Elliott Hall of Music, and relationships with the university's affiliated foundations and corporations.

President Martin C. Jischke said Burns set a national standard for university financial officers.

"I am enormously grateful to Ken, not only for his stellar work with me during my time at Purdue, but also for the firm foundation he helped build here throughout his career," Jischke said. "Purdue is known nationally as one of the most competently run universities in America, and Ken Burns deserves much of the credit for that reputation. He knows not only how to use resources efficiently, but how to apply them to maximum effect in an academic enterprise. He understands learning and discovery, as well as financial matters, and that quality is very rare.

"On the one hand, I am saddened that I will be losing the benefits of Ken's counsel and that the university no longer will have his services. On the other hand, this is a time to celebrate a truly great career and to wish my colleague and friend much happiness in the next phase of his life."

Jischke said he will act quickly to appoint a committee to conduct a national search, with the goal of identifying Burns' successor by July 1 to allow for a smooth transition of responsibilities.

Burns said he believes he is retiring at the right time for both him and Purdue.

"I have had more than 37 terrific years with a great university," he said. "I have worked with some highly accomplished people and have achieved most of the things I wanted to do. Under Dr. Jischke's leadership, Purdue is moving to new levels of excellence on all fronts, and I feel confident the university will find excellent leadership for my office by the start of the new budget cycle next summer. On the personal side, I have a large and wonderful family, and I look forward to spending a lot more time with them in the years ahead."

Burns was named executive vice president and treasurer in 1998 after spending five years as vice president for business services and assistant treasurer. From 1981 until 1993, he served as vice president for physical facilities.

He began his Purdue career as a trainee on the West Lafayette campus in 1967. Later that year, he became purchasing manager at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne. In 1973, he returned to West Lafayette as director of purchases and service enterprises, a position he held until taking over the university's physical facilities in 1981. He also served as acting director of personnel services in 1978.

Active in many professional and community organizations, Burns is a member of the National Association of College and University Business Officers. He currently is a member of the Lafayette Savings Bank board of directors and an ex-officio member of the Greater Lafayette Community Development Corp. board of directors.

Burns earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Miami University of Ohio in 1966. In 1976, he graduated from the Stanford University Business Management Institute.

He and his wife, Rochelle, have three daughters and two grandsons.

Writer: Joseph L. Bennett, (765) 494-2082

Sources: Kenneth P. Burns, (765) 494-9705

Martin C. Jischke, (765) 494-9708

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

PHOTO CAPTION:
Kenneth P. Burns, Purdue's executive vice president and treasurer, stands in the university's power plant control room. Burns, who has worked at Purdue since 1967, has announced that he will retire at the end of August. (Purdue News Service file photo)

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