Vice President, Facilities Operations
Bob Janis knows DePaul from the floors up. He started as a custodial worker in the residence for the Congregation of the Mission, the religious community that founded and sponsors DePaul, and rose through the ranks to become vice president for Facility Operations in 2000.
Janis is currently responsible for a staff of more than 300 employees, as well as outside service vendors, who provide everything from food service and cleaning to engineering across DePaul's nearly four million square feet of building space. In addition to basic facility services, Janis also is responsible for master planning, the coordination and management of capital projects, parking, bookstores, university food service operations, and the offices of Public Safety, Student Centers, Housing Services and Campus Recreation.
In the past 20 years, Janis has managed in excess of $500 million in campus improvement projects. Major projects include the construction of the Richardson Library, the DePaul Center, the McGowan Environmental and Biological Science Center, the Ray Meyer Fitness and Recreation Center, the Athletic Center, Centennial Hall, two major parking decks, and the West Village residential complex. At present, Janis is helping update the master plans for the Loop and Lincoln Park campuses, which will result in additional capital projects. He also is implementing several capital projects identified in the current campus master plan, including the renovation of Cacciatore Stadium/Wish Field and a new admission center for the College of Law.
Janis has been promoted regularly, becoming an architectural technician (1978), assistant manager (1979), building manager (1982), construction/planning manager (1983), director for Physical Plant (1984), and associate vice president for Facility Operations (1991). His exemplary service led the university to present him with the Spirit of DePaul Award for Lifetime Service in 2001.
Janis earned a bachelor's degree from DePaul's School for New Learning in 1982 and a master's degree in interdisciplinary studies from the university's College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences in 1986.
Outside of DePaul, Janis has supported the Daughters of Charity for many years, including consulting on building operations to managing the construction of the order's new Marillac Social Services Center facility on Chicago's Near West Side.