PHILADELPHIA – Joy De Jesús, an experienced professional in finance and administration in Philadelphia, has been named the Senior Associate Athletic Director/Chief Financial Officer for Penn Athletics, the T. Gibbs Kane, Jr. W'69 Director of Athletics and Recreation Dr. M. Grace Calhoun announced today. De Jesús, who earned a MBA from The Wharton School, arrives at Penn from Temple University, where she served as an Associate Vice President since 2013.

"I am thrilled that we have attracted Joy, an executive with extensive and strategic higher education experience, to Penn Athletics," Calhoun said. "Her perspective and background at Temple and in the private sector will round out our senior leadership team and complement the existing leaders in DRIA. During the interview process, Joy successfully conveyed a collaborative spirit and commitment to transparency and we are excited to welcome her to our team."

As Chief Financial Officer, De Jesús will oversee and direct the fiscal and internal operations for DRIA including financial planning, financial analysis, budgeting and accounting, human resources, information technology, facilities management, capital planning, and equipment operations. In addition, she will have an external reporting line to Associate Provost for Finance and Planning Dr. Mark Dingfield.

"Joy impressed the search committee with her broad array of financial and operational leadership experiences, commitment to the mission of Penn and Penn Athletics, and the collegiality she demonstrated throughout the process," Dingfield said. "I look forward to working with Joy in the years ahead."

De Jesús arrived at Temple in 2012 as the Assistant Vice President, Finance, for the Facilities and Operations division before quickly being promoted to Associate Vice President, Finance and Administration in 2013. In her role, she was responsible for overseeing the operating budget of the University's 17 facilities and operations units, including controlling expenditures, financial analysis, and executive-level reporting. In addition, she provided supervision and strategic guidance to the Office of Parking Services, Facilities Business Operations and portfolio-wide customer service initiatives.

In 2016, she became Associate Vice President, Office of the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, where she was responsible for development and implementation of goals, policies and priorities for the Environmental Health and Radiation Safety department, the Office of Sustainability, Real Estate Administration, and WRTI 90.1. She provided financial management for these units, including budget development, controlling expenditures, monthly reporting and forecasting, and implementation of capital projects. De Jesús also oversaw human resources for the University's facilities and operations units of approximately 800 FTE.

"I appreciate the opportunity that Dr. Calhoun and Dr. Dingfield have given me to help advance the Division's mission," De Jesús said. "Having been a committed college rugby player, I know firsthand how sports can empower individuals and build community, and it's a privilege to join the Penn Athletics team."

Prior to joining Temple, De Jesús was a development director at Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust (PREIT) from 2005-11. She was the lead executive responsible for developing multiple shopping centers, including a $40M, 254,000 square-foot power center in Ocean County, N.J. De Jesús began her career in real estate with Cooper's Ferry Partnership, and Liberty Property Trust. At Cooper's Ferry, she managed the project team responsible for the program development, design, construction, and marketing of $10M in capital improvements to the New Jersey State Aquarium, now known as Adventure Aquarium in Camden, N.J. At Liberty Property Trust, she coordinated the master planning of 522 acres at the Philadelphia Navy Yard.

De Jesús played club rugby while earning her bachelor's degree in literature from Harvard in 1994. She earned a master's in American studies in 1995 from Brown University and an MBA from The Wharton School in 2002, with a concentration in real estate and finance.

She begins her new role at Penn on August 30.