The Opportunity 

• Position: Vice President for Public Safety
• Location: Washington, DC
• Reporting Relationship: David Green, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
• Website: https://www.georgetown.edu

University Mission Statement

Georgetown is a Catholic and Jesuit, student-centered research university.

Established in 1789 in the spirit of the new republic, the university was founded on the principle that serious and sustained discourse among people of different faiths, cultures and beliefs promotes intellectual, ethical and spiritual understanding. We embody this principle in the diversity of our students, faculty and staff, our commitment to justice and the common good, our intellectual openness and our international character.

An academic community dedicated to creating and communicating knowledge, Georgetown provides excellent undergraduate, graduate and professional education in the Jesuit tradition for the glory of God and the well-being of humankind.

Georgetown educates women and men to be reflective lifelong learners, to be responsible and active participants in civic life and to live generously in service to others.

Position Summary

Georgetown University is seeking an experienced and visionary leader to serve as Vice President of Public Safety, responsible for the strategic direction, integration, and management of all public safety functions across the University. Reporting to the Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, the Vice President will lead a unified, community-oriented public safety organization encompassing university police, public health, fire safety, emergency management, international safety, Clery compliance, and environmental health and safety—totaling approximately 100 personnel.

This is a transformational leadership opportunity. The Vice President will guide Georgetown’s public safety evolution by unifying all safety functions under a single, integrated organization that supports a diverse and dynamic campus community. Key priorities include ensuring university-wide consistency in policies, training, community engagement, stakeholder communication, and interagency coordination.

The ideal candidate will be a strategic thinker and exceptional communicator, capable of building trust with internal and external stakeholders while driving innovation, cultural cohesion, and operational excellence. As Georgetown’s senior-most public safety leader, the VP will play a critical role in ensuring the safety, health, and well-being of the entire university community, serving as a visible and trusted voice both on campus and throughout the greater Washington, D.C. region.

Key Responsibilities

Public Safety Leadership

• Lead, unify, and oversee all public safety operations across Georgetown’s campuses, including the Georgetown University Police Department (GUPD), Georgetown Capitol Campus Department of Public Safety (DPS), Office of Public Health, Office of Emergency Management (OEM), Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S), Fire Safety, International Safety & Security, and Clery Compliance.
• Establish and implement a unified strategy, shared vision, operating model, and organizational culture across all public safety units, focused on community safety, excellent service, and accountability.
• Promote community-based public safety practices aligned with Georgetown’s Jesuit values and mission.

Strategic Planning and Integration

• Develop and execute a strategic plan that integrates public safety, health, and emergency preparedness into a comprehensive framework.
• Create consistency in policy, training, and operational procedures across units that previously operated independently.
• Coordinate with external agencies and ensure clarity in interagency communication and emergency response relationships. 
• Establish cross-functional partnerships and ensure collaboration among all public safety units and other university departments.

Operational Excellence

• Drive organizational effectiveness and accountability across a diverse portfolio of public safety functions.
• Implement best practices and modern approaches in areas such as threat assessment, emergency management, health protocols, and compliance.
• Ensure all public safety operations are responsive, inclusive, and adaptive to emerging risks and trends in higher education.

Community Engagement and Communication

• Build trust and credibility with students, faculty, staff, and external stakeholders through transparency, accessibility, and engagement.
• Develop programs and partnerships that support proactive safety education, awareness, and prevention.
• Serve as the University’s chief liaison to law enforcement, public health agencies, emergency services, and other key government partners.

Leadership and Talent Development

• Lead and mentor a diverse team of professionals, fostering an inclusive and collaborative workplace culture.
• Promote leadership development and career growth opportunities across the public safety organization.
• Build a resilient, agile team that is well-prepared to respond to both routine and crisis situations.

The Candidate

The successful candidate will be a seasoned and forward-thinking public safety executive with deep experience leading multi-disciplinary teams. They possess exceptional interpersonal, strategic, and operational capabilities and bring a record of success in managing complex, highly visible safety functions within large institutions. The ideal candidate will be a collaborative change agent who can modernize Georgetown’s approach to public safety while respecting its historic identity and values.

Experiences and Professional Qualifications

• Minimum of 15 years of leadership experience in public safety, law enforcement, emergency management, public health, or a similarly complex setting.
• Demonstrated success leading diverse, multi-functional organizations with significant operational complexity.
• Deep understanding of modern policing and community safety, public health frameworks, and emergency preparedness.
• Experience working with or within higher education institutions, large municipalities, or federal/state government preferred.
• Proven track record of building and sustaining inter-agency relationships and partnerships.
• Strong grasp of public policy, regulatory compliance, and crisis response protocols.
• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree in criminal justice, public administration, public health, or a related field preferred.

Additionally, candidates should possess the following leadership and management competencies:

• Exceptional strategic thinking, with the ability to set vision, execute change, and manage multiple complex initiatives simultaneously.
• Demonstrated ability to foster collaboration across diverse, disparate groups and departments.
• Clear, concise communicator with strong presence in high-stakes internal and external engagements.
• High integrity and commitment to confidentiality, professionalism, and ethical conduct.
• Ability to inspire, mentor, and lead a highly capable and mission-driven team.
• Calm under pressure with excellent decision-making in high-stakes, dynamic environments.
• Embodies the values and spirit of Georgetown University—cura personalis, service, and justice.

Compensation and Benefits

The salary and benefits are competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Procedure for Candidacy

The search will continue until the position is filled. Applications should include a detailed curriculum vitae and a letter of interest that highlight the applicant’s personal vision and relevant leadership experience. To ensure full consideration, inquiries, nominations, and applications should be submitted electronically in confidence, to: GeorgetownVPPS@kornferry.com 

Georgetown University embraces diversity and inclusion in our workforce and is strongly committed to recruiting, developing, and retaining the most qualified applicants from a diverse candidate pool. Georgetown provides equal opportunity in employment for all persons, and prohibits unlawful discrimination and harassment in all aspects of employment because of age, color, disability, family responsibilities, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, matriculation, national origin, personal appearance, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran’s status or any other factor prohibited by law. Additional information about our commitment to non-discrimination is available in our notice of non-discrimination.

Georgetown University 

Overview

Georgetown University is one of the world’s leading academic and research institutions, located in the nation’s capital. It offers a unique educational experience that prepares the next generation of global citizens to lead and make a difference. Georgetown aspires for its graduates to be the best in the world, as well as the best FOR the world.

Founded in 1789 at the beginning of the republic and drawing upon the 450-year-old legacy of Jesuit education, the University provides students with a world-class learning experience focused on educating the whole person. These values are at the core of Georgetown’s identity, binding members of the community across diverse backgrounds. This is a vibrant community of exceptional students, faculty, alumni and professionals dedicated to real-world applications of research, scholarship, faith, and service. Georgetown is also one of the largest employers in Washington DC, with over 10,000 employees, serving as a major economic driver for the city and the region.

Georgetown University’s 11 schools offer a wide variety of intellectually rigorous courses and programs designed to prepare students for many disparate careers and guide them toward their intellectual and professional goals. Ranked 12th in the country by Wall Street Journal and 24th in the US News, the University offers undergraduate and graduate degrees, as well as professional law, medical, nursing, business and public policy degrees, medical residencies (through MedStar Health), post-doctoral positions and a growing number of specialized certificates and continuing education programs. Georgetown enrolled 23,948 students last year, 8,371 undergraduate students and 15,577 graduate students, from all

50 states and more than 151 countries. Georgetown has a $2.3 billion annual operating budget and its endowment is currently valued at $3.7 billion, which is the 41st largest endowment among US colleges and universities.

Physically, Georgetown University has two campuses within the District of Columbia:

• The Hilltop Campus, located in the historic Georgetown neighborhood, and
• The Capitol Campus, located near the US Capitol.

Hilltop Campus

Georgetown’s Hilltop campus occupies 104 acres bordered by the Potomac River and the neighborhood of Georgetown. Known for its historic architecture and vibrant student life, the campus offers a wide range of academic programs. Georgetown provides over 180 degree programs across its various schools, including undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees. Students can choose from more than 50 majors, allowing for a diverse and comprehensive educational experience. Two major units of the University share the Hilltop campus: the main campus schools and the medical center.

Main Campus Schools

• College of Arts & Sciences offers undergraduate programs and graduate education to approximately 3600 students in the arts, sciences, humanities, languages, and social sciences, with an emphasis on intellectual vitality, a global viewpoint, and community service.
• The Walsh School of Foreign Service is the oldest and the highest ranked school of international affairs in the United States, according to Foreign Policy magazine’s 2024 rankings. The school enrolls approximately 1700 undergraduates and 1033 graduate students, offering programs in international affairs, regional and comparative studies, and security studies.
• The McDonough School of Business, ranked in the top three for both bachelor’s and master’s for international business by US News, offers undergraduate, MBA, and executive education programs with an intensive focus on fostering leadership with a global perspective, taking advantage of its location in the center of world politics and business in Washington, DC. Approximately 1400 undergraduates and 1300 graduates are enrolled in the school.
• Graduate Studies are offered across a wide range of fields, including over 90 Master’s degree programs and 25 Ph.D. programs. (As part of a recently completed strategic review of the future of graduate studies, the University is now implementing a new set of administrative units to guide graduate studies at Georgetown into the future, to include the development of new and emerging areas of study.)
• Numerous Centers, Institutes, and Programs are a critical point of connection, outreach, and research. These include but are not limited to the Global Health Institute, the Racial Justice Institute, the Emerging Ethics Network (Kennedy Institute of Ethics, Environmental Justice Program, Pellegrino Center for Clinical Bioethics, and the Center for Digital Ethics), the Americas Institute, the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs, and the Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship, among others.

Units of the Medical Center

Founded in 1851, the Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC) encompasses many acres on the Georgetown University Hilltop Campus. GUMC is an internationally recognized academic medical center with robust research, teaching, service, and via its clinical partners, patient care. Through the years, GUMC has provided a supportive organizational base for many innovations, including breakthroughs in diagnostics and vaccines.

A significant proportion of the University’s externally funded research is conducted by GUMC researchers. GUMC’s faculty attracts almost $160 million (direct plus indirect costs) in external research funding annually, approximately $115 million of which is from federal sources. GUMC holds Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) from the National Institutes of Health, as well as a Cancer Center Support grant from the National Cancer Institute, which was renewed in 2024. GUMC is one of only 33 medical centers with each of these awards.

MedStar Georgetown University Hospital has historically served as the leading academic hospital in the greater Washington area, supporting innovations across a wide array of clinical care areas, including oncology and neuroscience. MedStar Health has proven to be an excellent clinical partner for Georgetown, enabling it to advance its mission. This partnership offers unparalleled opportunities for healthcare practice, teaching, and research.

GUMC includes:

The School of Medicine offers a four-year program of professional education leading to the MD degree as well as dual degree programs (e.g., MD/Ph.D., MD/MBA, MD/MS in Epidemiology, and MD/MPH in conjunction with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health), and various master’s degrees. With over 800 students and over 2,100 faculty, the School of Medicine educates a diverse student body, emphasizing the development of knowledgeable, ethical, skillful, and compassionate physicians and biomedical scientists. Biomedical Graduate Education faculty currently educate 735 students (170 in Ph.D. programs), taught by 197 faculty, in master’s, Ph.D., and certificate programs across basic and applied science, clinical disciplines, data science, and pre-health training. Within the last five years, BGE has increased the number of NIH-funded T32 training grants from two to ten.

• The School of Nursing, originally founded in 1903, educates over 880 students, and provides a bachelor’s degree, six graduate degrees, and three doctoral degrees. A leader among schools of nursing for more than a century, Georgetown was at the forefront in the 1970s and 80s in establishing the concept of the nurse practitioner as a crucial component of the healthcare system, and in 2011, was among the first schools of nursing offering online degree granting programs. Clinical and practical experience and training takes place at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital.
• The School of Health, created in July 2022, offers academic programs for bachelor’s degrees in Human Science, Global Health, and Health Care Management and Policy, and master’s degrees in Global Health and Health Systems Administration. It currently houses over 400 students and is a home for cross-disciplinary collaborative work that spans healthcare and health delivery systems, science, policy, law, economics and the humanities. The School of Health provides a state-of-the-art teaching and research laboratory in its Discovery Center and partners with Georgetown’s multiple global health centers, including the Center for Global Health Practice and Impact (CGHPI), Center for Global Health Science and Security (CGHSS), and Center for Innovation in Global Health (CIGH).
• The Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center seeks to prevent, treat and cure cancers by linking scientific discovery, expert and compassionate patient care, quality education and partnership with the community — guided by the principle of cura personalis, “care for the whole person.” Georgetown
• Lombardi is the research engine driving clinical cancer research at MedStar Health in the D.C. Metro area and Hackensack Meridian Health in northern New Jersey. Its designation as a “comprehensive cancer center” was awarded in 1974, and it remains one of only 51 such centers out of 1500 in the US.
• As part of a recently completed Health Sciences Strategy Initiative, the University is now moving to implement a series of updates to the existing Medical Center framework, to include the expansion of its Nursing and Health Schools, and the further integration of biomedical graduate education into the School of Medicine.

Capitol Campus

The Capitol Campus of Georgetown is the home of the Law Center, the McCourt School of Public Policy, the Capitol Applied Learning Laboratory, the School of Continuing Studies, the Earth Commons Institute, and parts of the College of Arts and Sciences, the McDonough School of Business, the School of Health, and the School of Nursing. While the Law School and the McCourt School are in place, many of these units will first occupy their Capitol Campus facilities in August 2025, upon completion of the renovation of 111 Massachusetts Ave. NW.

• The Law Center, is in the heart of Washington, DC, steps from the Supreme Court, Congress, and the White House. The Law Center boasts the nation’s top-ranked clinical program, joint degree and advanced degree programs, world-renowned centers and institutes, an Office of Public Interest and Community Service, and a standard-setting diverse curriculum. The LL.M. program offers specialized degrees in academic fields for which Georgetown is best known, including international and trade law, tax law, environmental law, health law, and national security law. Although the majority of students study full-time, the Law Center has retained the evening division with its outstanding reputation for academic excellence. The tradition of Georgetown’s first graduating class is echoed today in our approximately 52,000 alumni worldwide.
• Georgetown Law has 3,000 students, 217 full- time faculty, and 658 part-time faculty who teach more than 500 individual courses each year. It is home to 26 centers and institutes, 15 international exchange programs, and 12 dual-degree programs. Georgetown Law supports 19 legal clinics. The Class of 2022 performed 25,000 hours of pro bono work. Among the Class of 2022, 95% passed the Bar Exam within two years of graduation, and 97% of Class of 2022 graduates were employed within ten months.
• The McCourt School of Public Policy, founded in 2013, is now located at the center of the policy world in Washington, DC, in a bespoke academic building on the Capitol Campus. Its mission is to give students the rigorous quantitative and analytic skills needed to design, implement, and evaluate smart policies, and to conduct policy research and recommend effective solutions on today’s most critical topics. Approximately 500 graduate students are enrolled in the school. The school launches a bachelor’s program starting in fall 2025.
• The School of Continuing Studies offers graduate programs, professional certificate programs, custom and corporate training and education, and summer school and special programs, as well as the University’s only online bachelor’s degree completion program. The school enrolls approximately 360 undergraduates, 980 in-person graduate students, and 1500 online graduate students.
• The Earth Commons Institute is a hub for environmental and sustainability innovation, research, and education. The institute offers a bachelor’s in environmental sustainability and joint master’s in environmental and international affairs, joint with the School of Foreign Service, and one in environment and sustainability management, joint with McDonough School of Business. The institute currently enrolls 45 students from 20 countries and works closely with the Office of Sustainability.
• A set of interdisciplinary research centers and institutes are clustered in the 500 First Street building, linked by skybridges to the McCourt School of Public Policy. These are a manifestation of problem- oriented interdisciplinary student-faculty endeavors. They include units of the University-wide Tech and Society Initiative, a network of ten different centers; the Center for Global Health Practice and Impact; centers and institutes of the Law Center, and centers of the McCourt School of Public Policy.

Global Sites

• The Georgetown University Qatar Campus (GUQ) in Doha offers undergraduate degrees in international affairs, identical to those by the School of Foreign Service in Washington, DC. Established in 2005, in conjunction with the Qatar Foundation, GUQ is part of Qatar’s Education City. Its global student population is just under 500.
• Started in 2023, Georgetown’s Executive Master of Business Administration in Dubai engages executives and managers who want to advance their regional and international business capabilities, and gain a deeper understanding of how to lead public or private organizations in the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia (MENASA) region, and beyond.
• In 2025, the School of Foreign Service launched a site in Indonesia, offering an Executive Master’s in Diplomacy and International Affairs. Participants benefit from a curriculum that includes semesters in Jakarta and Washington, DC, as well as a week-long module in Doha, providing a truly global educational experience. The site also will host the Asia-Pacific Policy Labs, a set of experiential courses connecting students with real-world challenges affecting the Global South.

In addition to these educational programs, the University maintains study and research facilities in Italy, Kenya, and several countries on the African continent.

Shared Governance

The Georgetown University Board of Directors is the governing body of the University. The authority of the body is outlined in the March 1, 1815 federal charter of Georgetown University, passed by the Thirteenth United States Congress and signed by President James Madison. Today, the Board of Directors is comprised of 39 members who come from 14 states and five countries. The Board structure includes 11 standing committees including an Executive Committee, three Subcommittees, and three Working Groups. The Board interacts with a number of key University leaders who staff the Board committees.

The Faculty Senate is a University-wide elected faculty governance body that advises the President on academic, administrative, and financial issues affecting all three campuses. Its membership consists of 75 full-time faculty members, in addition to key senior administrators. The Faculty Senate plays a key role in formulating and revising policies that appear in the Faculty Handbook. The Senate appoints faculty to the University Committee on Rank and Tenure, the Grievance Code Committee, the Faculty Responsibilities Committee, search committees for senior academic officers, and a wide variety of other committees.

University Finances

University finances are managed by the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and the Chief Financial Officer (CFO), in concert with the Committee on Finance and Administration of the Board of Directors.

The University’s operating budget was $1.8 billion, while the endowment currently totals $3.7 billion. The endowment is self-managed by Georgetown’s Chief Investment Officer (CIO), with counsel from the Board’s Subcommittee on Investments.

For a complete overview of the University’s finances, see the latest Annual Financial Report.

Accreditation

Georgetown University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education; its last review and reaccreditation took place in 2022. The next review is scheduled for 2030.

Student Experience

While living on or near one of the University’s campuses, the student experience is educational, experiential, and expansive. Beyond classwork and dorm life, the University hosts many clubs and organizations for student engagement. As an NCAA Division 1 University, Georgetown offers a robust collection of athletic experiences, either for participation or enjoyment. In addition to campus life, students are able to avail themselves of the many sights, performances, activities, and adventures found in the Nation’s capital. (See Washington, D.C. below). Georgetown University prides itself in admitting, educating, and graduating women and men for others.

Long-Range Campus Plans

As Washington’s largest private employer and an anchor institution in the city, Georgetown recognizes its obligation to engage in responsible long-term planning in partnership with its community and city. In July 2012, a historic agreement was reached, creating the Georgetown Community Partnership, a forum for engaging community and city leaders in the University’s long-term planning. The agreement approved a 20-year plan, serving both University goals and the best interests of the Georgetown neighborhood. These planning efforts include flexibility to adapt to changes in higher education. Cooperation with the community and MedStar Health (which operates MedStar Georgetown University Hospital) has led to expedited approval of the 20-year plan which started in 2017. The current plan stipulates a cap on Hilltop Campus enrollment of 14,106 students, including 6,675 students in traditional undergraduate programs.

Key long-term planning goals for the University include:

1. Developing the Hilltop Campus according to the 20-year campus plan that began on January 1, 2017, as an integrated, student-centric living and learning campus, which houses at least 90% of undergraduates on campus and can successfully accommodate further modest enrollment growth;
2. Developing the Capitol Campus to facilitate expansion of programs originally housed on the Hilltop campus and creation of new programs;
3. Providing modern, efficient medical center facilities while supporting the University’s clinical partner MedStar Health; and
4. Building a collegial and harmonious relationship between the University and the community to address concerns while planning for the future in an effective, creative, and lasting way.

Unique Washington Resources

Georgetown University provides faculty and students with proximity and access to the rich opportunities of the nation’s capital. A global center of power, Washington, DC is the location for national policy making in all arenas. Georgetown faculty, staff, students and alumni interact routinely with all branches of government, participating in, influencing and shaping policy debates. Georgetown alumni hold prominent roles throughout federal, state and local governments and generously return to share their insights with the university's students and community.

The university is committed to connecting its faculty and students to world-class research, resources and opportunities in the Washington, DC area, including the White House and Congress, the Library of Congress and National Archives, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, the Folger Shakespeare Library, the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the U.S. Census Bureau and numerous think tanks such as the Brookings Institution and the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and all of the Smithsonian Institutions. Many members of the community have access to one of the few Federal Statistical Research Data Centers, giving them access to a secure environment to analyze confidential federal data sources. The university's ties to other DC institutions provide an invaluable source of speakers and teachers to Georgetown.

Georgetown participates in the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area, an association of 14 member universities committed to the advancement of higher education in the DC Metro area. Through the consortium, students (both graduate and undergraduate) may cross-register at member universities.

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Korn Ferry shall provide equal employment opportunity to all qualified candidates, and will refer candidates without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, veteran status or any other legally protected basis.