Following through on its commitment to expand and solidify the delivery of higher education in Fort Bend County, the UH System has named veteran education administrator Richard “Dick” Phillips to head the UH System at Sugar Land. As associate vice chancellor, Phillips will be responsible for the management of operations at both UHS system teaching centers (at Sugar Land and Cinco Ranch).

“The UH System is dedicated to delivering higher education that complements and further enhances the growing recognition of Sugar Land, and Fort Bend County in general, as one of the nation’s best places to live and work. As our Sugar Land and Cinco Ranch operations continue to expand, I’m pleased to be afforded the opportunity to help strategically guide that growth in cooperation and unison with the visionary leaders of Fort Bend County and the surrounding region,” said Phillips.

Phillips had been serving as associate vice president for university advancement at UHS Sugar Land since 2005. In this new role, Phillips will be responsible for coordinating academic program delivery, planning new academic programs, facilities planning and construction, governmental relations, marketing and all general administrative matters at the two teaching centers. He will continue to oversee development operations at the UH-Victoria campus as well.

“Dick has worked with me over the last couple of years in developing partnerships with the city of Sugar Land, Fort Bend County, Wharton County Junior College and numerous private businesses and citizens in a unique public/private approach to crafting a university, or communiversity as I like to call it,” said Tim Hudson, president of UH-Victoria, which serves as the managing partner of the UHSSL and CR campuses. “The visionary leadership and financial support of the George Foundation, the Sugar Land city council, Fort Bend County commissioner’s court, The Greater Fort Bend EDC, and prominent community leaders have allowed the UHSSL campus to develop quickly but with a clear direction. I look forward to working with Dick in continuing the partnerships to best serve the higher education needs of the Fort Bend region,” he said.

The City of Sugar Land has invested in the UHS Sugar Land campus through long-term leasing of a portion of the UHS land, and is partnering with the System in developing the land in a manner that complements higher education. “A true vision for a community requires collaborative leadership willing and able to step up to the plate, which I'm delighted to say Dick Phillips brings to this higher education partnership with UHS-Sugar Land, a partnership that affords greater opportunity for our residents to access higher education and realize personal goals and dreams,” said David Wallace, mayor of Sugar Land.

Fort Bend County plans to build a library next to the current Albert and Mamie George building at UHSSL. The proposed library will have an additional 10,000 square feet to meet the UHSSL and Wharton County Junior College student needs, in addition to serving the community. “The naming of a UHS campus leader for Fort Bend County has been a significant topic of conversation between the community and the university during the past year,” said County Commissioner James Patterson. “As we more than double the higher educational capacity of the UHSSL campus and add a new county/university library, Dick’s presence will greatly increase our ability to work together to see the current expansion through and set the stage for future phases of academic and facility growth in the county,” he said.

“This is the next logical and necessary step in the elevation of UHS and higher education in Fort Bend County,” said Bob Brown, Chairman of the Greater Fort Bend Economic Development Council. “It provides the community a single point of contact for planning and execution on facilities and curriculum development and most importantly establishes an advocate for the advancement of our community’s higher education needs within UHS.”

Charles Herder, chairman of the board of trustees of the The George Foundation, echoed those sentiments.

“The evolution of the UH System in Fort Bend continues to improve the education and success of the young men and women in Fort Bend County. Nothing could be a higher priority for the future of Fort Bend County. Dick Phillips’ leadership will play a major role in keeping this momentum on track,” Herder said. The George Foundation has been a major financial partner in the development of the UH System at Sugar Land campus, providing significant funding for the current 57,000 square foot Albert and Mamie George building and the 145,000 square foot academic building under construction. Wharton County Junior College will share the new academic building with UHS, providing students opportunity to complete their degrees at one location.

Prior to assuming his duties at UHSSL, Phillips’ 26 years in higher education administration has included 13 years as associate vice president for enrollment management and institutional advancement at the University of Houston-Victoria, and an equal number of years as vice president at an international multi-campus university system in Iowa, and at a private college in Missouri.

“Dick’s unique combination of successful administrative experience in student and enrollment services, fund-raising and community relations led to our conclusion that he is best qualified and particularly well positioned to lead the UH System efforts in Sugar Land and Cinco Ranch,” said Don Foss, senior vice chancellor for academic affairs, UH System.

Phillips has been actively involved in professional and community organizations. Most recently, he has participated in the City of Sugar Land’s Visioning Task Force and has been named to Rep. Dora Olivo’s Fort Bend P-16 Council. His membership roles include the State of Texas Uniform Recruitment and Retention Advisory Committee; Co–Chair Victoria Chamber of Commerce Education Committee; Board member Golden Crescent Tech Prep School-to-Career Partnership; and, Advisory Committee Member Victoria Business and Education Coalition. Professional organizations include the Council for Advancement and Support of Education; Society for College and University Planning; National and Texas Association of College Admissions Counselors; and, National and Texas Association of Foreign Student Advisors. In addition, he has been active in strategic planning groups, including Work Force Planning Committees, Youth Alliance Committee and One Stop Career Planning Task Force, along with various other community planning committees.

At UHV, Phillips was instrumental in developing the Letting Education Achieve Dreams (LEAD) initiative. This program is designed to promote and enhance partnerships with the ultimate goal of increasing the college-going rates in the university's service region. LEAD received state recognition from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and was awarded the Excellence in Higher Education Award by the Association of Texas Colleges and Universities. Enrollment at UHV more than doubled during his oversight of enrollment management, and during his brief tenure overseeing development, faculty and staff giving at UHV increased nearly 400 percent through an annual campaign called “One for All,” and overall giving to the university more than doubled.

The appointment, which became effective Nov. 1, is pending approval by the UH System Board of Regents.

More information about UHS-Sugar Land: http://www.sugarland.uh.edu/.