Rogers State University has named Karl Reynolds as its new Director of Facilities overseeing the university’s campus and grounds for its three campuses. He is scheduled to begin at RSU on Monday, Aug. 24.
For the past 16 years, Reynolds has overseen facilities management for the University of Nevada Las Vegas, which includes nearly four million square feet of occupied space on 360 acres of campus grounds. In his most recent position as executive director of facilities management, he supervised a workforce of more than 250 personnel.
RSU includes more than a million square feet of occupied building space on more than 280 acres split between its Claremore, Bartlesville and Pryor campuses.
Reynolds previously provided facilities and maintenance management for Cox Communications PCS, Bechtel Nevada Corporation and Reynolds Electrical and Engineering, all in Las Vegas. He also worked as an engineer for Reynolds supporting the U.S. Air Force’s 37th Fighter Wing and the F-117A Stealth Fighter program.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering technology with a major in mechanical power from Oklahoma State University. Originally from Ardmore but growing up all over the world, he said Oklahoma was always home and he still has family in northeastern Oklahoma.
Reynolds succeeds RSU Physical Plant Director Leonard Szopinski, who managed the campus Physical Plant for more than 12 years until stepping down this summer. Szopinski remains with the university on a part-time basis serving as campus architect.
RSU President Dr. Larry Rice thanked Szopinski for his years of service and assistance in the transition to a new administrator overseeing campus and grounds.
“While much of the work by Physical Plant goes on behind the scenes, the oversight of our facilities and grounds is crucial to every aspect of RSU’s operations and often is responsible for initial impressions of first-time campus visitors,” Rice said. “I appreciate Lenn’s hard work and dedication to improving the university, and I’m excited for members of the RSU family to get to know Karl in the coming weeks.”