Jack Callahan, senior vice president for operations, plans to retire this year, after nearly a decade of leadership at Yale, President Maurie McInnis announced on Tuesday.
Callahan — who is the first to serve in the role and will stay on through the search for his successor — oversees a broad portfolio, with responsibility for facilities, campus development, and sustainability; finance and administration; human resources; technology and campus services; and New Haven affairs and university properties, among other areas.
“Jack’s contributions to Yale are immeasurable,” the president wrote in a message to members of the Yale community. “His strategic vision and steadfast leadership have helped to advance the university’s mission and enhance our reputation as a global leader in higher education… The energy and enthusiasm [he] has devoted to each of these core functions has not limited his ability to excel in all of them.”
McInnis called Callahan’s willingness to continue in his role during the search for his successor “a testament to his unwavering dedication.”
A 1980 Yale College graduate who grew up in New Haven, Callahan inaugurated the role of senior vice president for operations in 2016, guiding Yale since then “toward realizing our ambitious university priorities,” McInnis said.
“During a period of historic growth, our campus has increased the undergraduate student body by over 15 percent; expanded support for all faculty, students, and staff; and grown our research and teaching capacity by thousands of square feet of new and renovated spaces,” the president said. “Overall, the university’s operating budget for the fiscal year 2025 surpasses $6 billion in support of our people, programs, and projects; this is more than a 75 percent increase since Jack began his service at Yale.”
Callahan oversaw this “significant, sustained” growth in the face of unprecedented challenges, she noted.
“When the COVID-19 pandemic began, he rapidly adapted every aspect of the university’s operations to ensure the continuity of our mission, all while prioritizing the health and safety of our community,” she said. “As the pandemic eased, Jack worked closely with faculty and staff across the university to foster the operational resilience vital to Yale’s return to full, in-person teaching and learning.”
Provost Scott Strobel described Callahan as “a fantastic partner through some really challenging times.”
“In every circumstance, from the worst days of COVID to the excitement of facilities construction, from operations to strategic planning, he has established how operations can help advance the academic missions of the university,” Strobel said. “Jack is a son of New Haven and a student of Yale. He loves this place and this city. It has been such a pleasure to work with someone I completely trust and who has given so much of himself to the university.”
The president called Callahan’s service to Yale and to New Haven “a true labor of love, rooted in his deep connection to both communities.”
A third-generation New Havener as well as a Yale alumnus, she said, “Jack’s personal dedication to his alma mater and hometown shines through his many achievements.”
Those achievements include shaping Yale’s historic $140 million investment in New Haven, as well as launching the OneFinance Strategic Initiative to simplify and standardize financial functions university-wide; the Learning Strategic Initiative to position Yale as a leader in employee learning and development; and the Recruiting Strategic Initiative to modernize and simplify staff hiring.
“There perhaps has been no better person to oversee such a sprawling set of responsibilities, each reflecting Jack’s commitment to the community he holds dear,” McInnis said.
The president also underscored Callahan’s direct involvement in employee development.
“He personally hired, mentored, and elevated many members of the university’s senior leadership team, providing them with the tools and opportunities to thrive,” she wrote. “His efforts to identify, nurture, and advance emerging talent have fostered a new generation of leaders poised to carry forward his legacy of excellence.”
Steve Murphy, Yale’s vice president for finance and chief financial officer, characterized Callahan’s leadership as “steady” and “transformational.”
“He set a clear vision and expectation for more integrated and effective core administrative functions to support Yale’s mission,” Murphy said. “He built on that by championing strategic initiatives that have produced measurable improvements with more on the way, all with a focus on strengthening the university’s administrative infrastructure in support of the university’s mission. We have plenty more to do, and we all recognize that, but Jack has been instrumental in setting a compelling direction and leading and inspiring a large and varied set of units to make significant progress toward that future.”
Alexandra Daum, Yale’s associate vice president for New Haven Affairs and University Properties, hailed Callahan’s commitment to the relationship between Yale and the city, saying he “brings the same passion to Yale’s work in New Haven that he does to the university’s operations.”
“He has always eagerly jumped into the details of Yale’s programs in New Haven public schools, the Shops at Yale, and our work with City Hall,” she said. “He loves this city as much as I do, and I will miss brainstorming with him about all things New Haven.”
McInnis plans to start the search for Callahan’s successor soon.
Of his own experience, Callahan said: “Being a leader at Yale has been an honor and privilege; it is the capstone of my professional life. Collectively, we have accomplished a lot; but more importantly, we have the leaders, focus, skills, and teamwork to sustain momentum.”
Added McInnis: “Jack’s many accomplishments serve not only Yale’s immediate operational needs but also lay a strong foundation for future innovation and enhancements that will support faculty, students, and staff working to realize Yale’s mission.”
In thanking Callahan for his service, she concluded, “He will always be part of the Yale community, and I look forward to the work we will do together with the operations team in the months ahead.”
