Keith Barton, associate vice president for facilities management and contract colleges facilities at Cornell University, has been named Princeton’s assistant vice president for facilities operations. He will start at Princeton Aug. 8.
Keith Barton
As assistant vice president for facilities operations, Barton will provide strategic direction and planning for the stewardship of more than 350 buildings across campus, overseeing the operations of multiple units, including grounds, building maintenance, building services, site protection and civil engineering. These teams respond to an average of 60,000 service-request work orders annually.
“An accomplished and effective leader, Keith is a strong communicator and a facilitator who values the use of data and information to inform decisions and strategies,” said Vice President for Facilities KyuJung Whang, to whom Barton will report. “Keith brings a sense of organization practicality to his leadership by balancing larger picture goals while still attending to details.”
“I am excited to join the Princeton University community and the Facilities leadership team," Barton said. "I look forward to leading Facilities Operations in maintaining the existing campus and welcoming the many new projects of the Campus Plan that will soon be completed.”
At Princeton, Barton will supervise nine direct reports with more than 600 employees, and provide operational management for facilities’ annual operating budget and an annual maintenance budget.
Barton served as an officer in the U.S. Navy for more 20 years in executive leadership positions that centered around facilities management and construction for large portfolios and programs. In his most recent role at Cornell, Barton manages a similar portfolio of facilities operations with more than 800 staff members.
Barton graduated with a bachelor of science in civil and environmental engineering from Cornell. He earned a master of science in civil engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a master of science in national resource strategy from the National Defense University.
