Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025

Dear A&F Colleagues,

I am pleased to announce that Jo Lamb has been appointed as Georgia Tech’s new vice president and deputy chief business officer (CBO) for Administration and Finance (A&F). 

Jo brings more than 20 years of leadership experience across higher education, healthcare, and global research institutions. Most recently, she has served as associate vice president (AVP) of Planning, Design, and Construction at Kennesaw State University, where she led transformative initiatives in capital planning, real estate development, sustainability, and safety. She has also held leadership roles at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Piedmont Healthcare, Emory University, and Columbia University. Her proven ability to build high-performing teams, foster cross-functional collaboration, and champion innovation makes her an ideal leader to help advance the Institute’s mission and long-term goals. 

As deputy CBO, Jo will report directly to me and partner with academic, research, and administrative stakeholders to ensure that business operations support Georgia Tech’s mission and strategic goals. She will also provide oversight to the Office of Real Estate Development, ensuring alignment between campus planning and property initiatives and institutional goals, as well as the strategic direction of the Administrative Service Center to deliver efficient and scalable services across decentralized units. At this time, I do not plan to fill the vacant chief of staff role formerly held by Josh Walehwa, as many of these job responsibilities have been incorporated into the deputy CBO role.  

Jo’s first day at Georgia Tech will be Sept. 22. Jennifer Bentson will continue to serve in the interim deputy CBO role until that time, at which point she will transition to AVP of Special Initiatives for Finance and Planning (F&P), reporting to Kim Toatley, vice president for F&P and chief financial officer. Jennifer will continue to drive collaboration between A&F units and various initiatives. I am truly grateful for the guidance and support that Jennifer has provided during my first few months at Georgia Tech, and I look forward to working together in her new role.  

Please join me in welcoming Jo to the team. Thank you and let me know if you have any questions.  

Sincerely, 

Tricia Chastain 
Executive Vice President for Administration and Finance 
Georgia Institute of Technology