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Esch named interim president

Alumnus VP of Business Affairs

Rick Esch

Rick Esch, the new interim president at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford and a proud alumnus, is looking forward to working with the campus community as well as friends and neighbors in the area to help the university continue to advance.

Last week, University of Pittsburgh Provost Ann Cudd named Esch interim president when Dr. Catherine Koverola, Pitt-Bradford’s fourth president, resigned for personal reasons on June 29. When Cudd asked him to step in as interim, Esch didn’t hesitate. After all, he’s been one of Pitt-Bradford’s longest and loudest cheerleaders for years.

“Pitt-Bradford is a very special place,” Esch said. “I knew it when I was a student on campus in the early 1980s, and I know it and appreciate it even more now.”

He’s seen first-hand the great progress the campus has made since his days as an environmental science major on a campus that looked very different than it does now. Esch credits all of that progress to the longstanding dedication of the faculty and staff as well as the steadfast support of the community over the years.

“Many, many people, both on campus and in our community, have helped Pitt-Bradford grow and become the amazing place it is today,” Esch said.      
  
Before this latest appointment, Esch had been serving as the vice president for business affairs for nearly 20 years, responsible for several areas on campus, including budget and financial reporting, auxiliary services and facilities management.

Additionally, for the past 18 months, he’s been leading the campus’s COVID response.

He has represented Pitt-Bradford on the Chancellor’s Resilience Steering Committee and has worked closely with Pitt’s COVID-19 Medical Response Office. He also has collaborated with local, regional and state agencies, including the McKean County Emergency Management Agency, UPMC and Bradford Regional Medical Center.

Esch assembled and led a COVID-19 Mitigation Response Team at Pitt-Bradford, which included representatives from most campus offices. Under his leadership, the team successfully implemented many changes, including testing asymptomatic students weekly; isolating and quarantining symptomatic students; adapting the physical plant, including the dining hall and classrooms, to enable physical distancing; purchasing masks, signage and other materials; and identifying vaccinations sites. 

Though some pandemic restrictions are loosening, Esch continues to lead the response team so members can adapt to the latest guidelines to continue to support the health and safety of faculty, staff and students as well as residents in Bradford and the surrounding communities.   

His leadership in helping Pitt-Bradford navigate the pandemic resulted in his fellow staff members choosing him for this year’s Staff Recognition Award, an annual award that recognizes employees whose commitment and effort have made a significant impact on the campus.

Esch’s impact, though, extends beyond the campus. He has been an active volunteer in the community for many years, which helped him forge many valuable relationships.

He is a board member and immediate past chairman of Journey Health System, president and a charter member of the Tuna Valley Trail Association, board member and managing director of the Bradford Educational Foundation, and a board member and vice chairman of the Bradford Economic Development Corp.

He also is a member of the McKean County Advisory Board at Northwest Bank, a founding board member and treasurer of the McKean County Community Foundation, and a board member of the Community Foundation of the Upper Alleghenies.

“I’ve been fortunate to be a part of this great community for many years,” Esch said, “and I’ve gotten to know many people here. This community truly cares about each other. They are compassionate, dedicated and supportive.”

While the pandemic has made it difficult to gather and maintain relationships, as restrictions ease, Esch looks forward to reconnecting with his colleagues and friends on campus and off.

“As we cautiously move past the worst of the pandemic, I anticipate seeing people in person and rebuilding and re-establishing the longstanding and fruitful relationships that have existed between Pitt-Bradford and the community.”

Serving as interim president, overseeing business affairs and reconnecting with people is a lot on his plate, but Esch isn’t worried. He’ll have lots of help.
   
“Pitt-Bradford has a great team of people who are committed to serving our students and helping the university succeed. We are all in this together, willing to help and support each other in any way we can. ”   

In addition to having a bachelor’s degree from Pitt-Bradford, Esch holds a Master of Business Administration from Pitt’s Katz School of Business Executive MBA program.

He and his wife, Lisa, live in Bradford and have three grown children.