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As it plans to develop nearly 178 acres near its athletics venues, Wake Forest University has named its top leader for facilities, real estate and planning.
Christopher Kiwus, who currently serves in the same role at Virginia Tech, will join Wake Forest on Jan. 1. He takes over for John Wise, who has been serving in an interim capacity in addition to his role as vice president for hospitality and auxiliary services.
As vice president for facilities, real estate and planning, Kiwus will lead a range of services, including capital planning, building design and construction; the maintenance, upkeep, renewal and replacement of buildings and infrastructure; environmental health and safety; and campus grounds. He will oversee more than 350 employees.
In August, Wake Forest announced its intent to redevelop the property it owns east of campus, near Allegacy Stadium, Couch Ballpark and Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum, in a mixed-use project aimed at benefiting the local community and visitors. The university will work with Winston-Salem’s real estate development and private equity firm Front Street Capital and Atlanta’s real estate development firm Carter.
The city of Winston-Salem received a $35 million appropriation in the new state budget to support this economic development and infrastructure project.
Wake Forest last updated its master plan in 2019. Among numerous renovations, the plan calls for three new academic buildings, four new residential halls and the development of the 17 acres of land on University Parkway it purchased for $10 million from Winston-Salem First Church in late 2019.
A 2018 study found that the campus needs additional academic office space; a better mix of classroom and study spaces; and a 750-seat community space. The study also said that long-range projections demonstrate a 330-bed deficit in student housing and a 16,000-square-foot expansion of dining areas.
“[Wake Forest] and the facilities and campus services have an outstanding reputation,” Kiwus said. “The dynamic senior leadership and the opportunities for doing excellent and innovative work make this an exciting time to arrive at Wake Forest.”
Decades of facilities, real estate experience
Kiwus brings more than three decades of experience in facilities and real estate planning, having worked at both Virginia Tech and the U.S. Navy.
During his nine-year tenure at Virginia Tech, Kiwus oversaw the university’s award-winning master plan and earned recognition for his work in accessibility, inclusion and sustainability. He also helped with the planning and construction of the $300 million Virginia Tech Innovation Campus in Alexandria, Virginia.
Virginia Tech’s capital projects totaled more than $1 billion during Kiwus’s tenure. He oversaw more than 500 university employees.
“Chris is a strategic leader with a significant depth of experience, both in higher education and in the U.S. Navy,” said Jacqueline Travisano, executive vice president and CFO. “I am confident his exceptional skills and passion for leading high-performing teams to advance infrastructure, real estate and facilities projects will serve Wake Forest well.”
Former commanding officer in Navy
Kiwus was a commanding officer of the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast in Jacksonville, Fla., where he managed 15 Navy bases. He also served for the Navy as a chief engineer for the U.S. Africa Command in Stuttgart, Germany, and as a commanding officer of the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Far East in Yokosuka, Japan.
With the Navy, he oversaw 200 million square feet of facilities, 170,000 acres of land, 1,800 employees and a $1 billion annual budget.
Kiwus earned bachelor’s degrees from Union College and the State University of New York at Stony Brook and master’s degrees from the Georgia Institute of Technology and the U.S. Naval War College. He also holds a doctorate in civil and environmental engineering from Rutgers University.
Kiwus completed the Advanced Executive Program at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. He is a registered professional engineer in the state of Florida.