The University of Nebraska's chief financial officer will step into the interim president's role while the Board of Regents hunts for the system's eighth president.
Chris Kabourek, NU's vice president for business and finance, will lead the university system with campuses in Lincoln, Omaha and Kearney until a replacement for Ted Carter is named.
Carter, 64, was appointed the 17th president of Ohio State University on Aug. 22 after nearly four years at the helm of NU. His start date in Columbus is Jan. 1.
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Elevating Kabourek to interim president was the subject of a closed session of the Board of Regents earlier this week, and comes as the hunt for a new permanent president is ramping up.
Lincoln Regent Tim Clare, the current chair of the board, recommended Kabourek's appointment, according to a memo shared with the Journal Star.
"As all of you know from working closely with Chris, he has built strong and trusting relationships across the University of Nebraska and our state throughout his 26 years with us," Clare wrote. "He has the skills and experience necessary to move us forward at this critical moment for our university."
Clare said Kabourek's management of "major capital projects, historic fundraising campaigns" and charting a course through difficult financial situations made him the obvious choice.
"We cannot afford to lose momentum," Clare wrote. "Both Vice Chair (Rob) Schafer and I have great confidence in Chris' leadership, and we know he will work together with all of you, our chancellors, and campus teams ... We are grateful that he is willing to step up and serve.
Schafer also said he had confidence in Kabourek's ability to lead the university system during the presidential transition.
"Chris has proven himself to be a strategic thinker, a trusted adviser, and a creative and responsible steward of the University of Nebraska's resources in an increasingly complex and challenging fiscal environment," Schafer said. "Chris knows our university and state well and I am grateful that he is willing to step up and serve in this way."
A native of David City with a business administration degree from Nebraska Wesleyan University and an MBA from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Kabourek was named chief financial officer in 2018.
In addition to managing the university system's $3.3 billion operating budget, Kabourek has also advised presidents, campus chancellors, business and academic officers, facility managers, and worked as a liaison with the Nebraska governor's office and other lawmakers.
"It's humbling to be considered for this opportunity," Kabourek said in a statement. "As I've told Chairman Clare and Vice Chairman Schafer, I will do whatever I can to support the University of Nebraska.
"The board and president have laid out a bold plan to make us a better and stronger university," he added. "Our highest priority now and in the months ahead is making progress together on that plan, for the benefit of our 50,000 students, talented faculty and staff, and all Nebraskans."
Kabourek's appointment will go before the Board of Regents on Dec. 1. If approved, he would assume the interim presidency on Jan. 1, Clare said, and would retain his title as chief financial officer.
"I know leadership transitions can be challenging," Clare wrote. "We are fortunate that we have a vision and a plan in place to bring the University of Nebraska to a new level of excellence and impact and that we will have an interim leader who is completely focused on executing the plan."