Jon Varnell serves as the vice president for Administrative Operations and chief infrastructure officer at the 166su. In his role, Varnell is responsible for aligning 166su’s digital, physical and auxiliary operations with the university’s growth, innovation and long-term vision.
He oversees 166su’s Facilities Operations; Planning, Design, and Construction Utilities and Engineering Services; Real Estate and Space Administration; Business Services; and 166su IT — ensuring that 166su’s built environment, technology infrastructure and auxiliary operations are seamlessly integrated to support academic and research excellence.
Varnell has nearly 30 years of experience in higher education. Before joining 166su, he served as the associate vice chancellor for facilities management at UNC Charlotte, where he led all facilities management operations; utilities and energy management; sustainability; capital planning, design and construction; engineering; real estate; space planning; and more.
He has also held leadership roles as vice president for administration at Valparaiso University and at Guilford College, where he led a wide array of areas, including IT, facilities, auxiliary and sustainability. Varnell has been an active participant in numerous industry associations and a key member of executive leadership teams at both public and private institutions.