Buffalo president John Simpson says he will retire in January
The Buffalo News
August 30, 2010
Citing both a disenchantment with Albany and a desire to spend more time with family, John B. Simpson announced today that he plans to retire as University at Buffalo president effective Jan. 15.
He will return to the West Coast with his wife and spend more time with his family, he said at a news conference on the North Campus. Simpson became president at UB in January 2004.
Scott Nostaja, UB's senior vice president and chief operating officer, will serve as the interim president following Simpson's retirement.
Simpson, 63, reading a statement, characterized his decision as a difficult one. He said he was greatly satisfied with what the university and its community partners had achieved in recent years but noted that those achievements were made in areas under UB's control.
While saying his retirement plans are motivated by a desire to be closer to family, he added that it would be "less than forthright" not to note that his decision was made easier by Albany's failure to give UB and the State University of New York the policy tools and stable support needed to fully achieve their potential.
"UB's promise, and its potential to transform this community, have been threatened severely by repeated budget cuts and, most recently, by the latest setbacks from Albany," Simpson said.
