Hamilton College hires new VP for facilities and planning

CLINTON, N.Y. — Hamilton College announced that Mike Klapmeyer is joining the college Aug. 1 as the new associate VP for facilities and planning.

Klapmeyer recently retired as a colonel in in the U.S. Air Force after more than 25 years of service. In his former position he led the largest civil engineer organization in the Air Force, providing all facilities management, planning, and emergency services for Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan.

“Mike brings deep experience in facilities management, emergency response, sustainability, teamwork, and operations and safety improvement,” Karen Leach, Hamilton’s VP of administration and finance, said in a news release.

In his new role, Klapmeyer will lead, supervise, and coordinate the maintenance, repair, renewal, planning, and construction for all college facilities as well as provide strategic and operation team-oriented leadership of the physical plan and its personnel. He will also focus on continual improvement of the facilities to ensure that short-and long-term plans are in place for addressing and completing deferred maintenance, and renovation and renewal projects, and for implementing a planned maintenance program.

Prior to his last position in Japan, Klapmeyer served in a variety of roles including as a senior strategics for the Air Force’s directorate of civil engineers at the Pentagon and as an assistant professor of civil engineering at the U.S. Air Force Academy.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering from the University of Florida, a master’s degree in environmental engineering from Clemson University, a master’s degree in national resource strategy from National Defense University, and a Ph.D. in civil engineering from Virginia Tech.

Hamilton College’s search committee conducted a national search to fill the role with assistance from Helbling & Associates, a national executive search firm based in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area.