New York's budget director new CFO

Patricia Woodworth, budget director for the state of New York, has been appointed Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the University.

Woodworth will join the University Jan. 1, after the preparation of the 1998-99 executive budget for New York. She has served as New York Gov. George Pataki's budget chief and one of his top policy advisors since January 1995.

"Patti Woodworth is an extraordinary individual who is in the midst of a remarkable career," President Sonnenschein said. "At our university, she will help us provide the very best business and financial support for our academic mission."

Accomplishments initiated by Woodworth include the governor's $3.5 billion property tax relief plan; the governor's Clean Water, Clean Air Bond Act; charter school legislation; and numerous financial management reform measures. She initiated a statewide review of programs and services to reprioritize state resources on critical government services. She chaired the Governor's Welfare Reform Task Force, significantly reduced the cost of state government and improved New York's credit rating for the first time in over a decade.

Woodworth also implemented and monitored New York's $67 billion budget, playing a crucial role in transforming the state's $5 billion deficit into back-to-back surpluses of $445 million and $1.6 billion over the last two years.

Before becoming New York's budget director, Woodworth was the director of Michigan's department of management and budget. Under Gov. John Engler, she was responsible for formulating, presenting, negotiating and implementing the state's $28.9 billion budget. She developed and implemented new, creative approaches to resolve many of the state's long-standing financial management problems, including implementing a state-of-the-art financial management system.

From 1989 to 1990, Woodworth was the director of the office of planning and budget in Florida under Gov. Bob Martinez.

Woodworth was honored with special performance awards from the Executive Office of the President in 1984 and 1985 and from the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services in 1983.