Barry Swanson Named UK Chief Procurement Officer

LEXINGTON, Ky. (July 19, 2017) — An administrator with nearly 20 years of experience and leadership in higher education has been selected as the University of Kentucky’s new chief procurement officer (CPO).

Barry Swanson assumed the CPO position at UK June 26. He comes to the university from the University of Kansas (KU), where he was associate vice provost for campus operations and CPO.

Swanson joined KU in 1998 as director of purchasing and during his nearly 19-year tenure at KU also served as the associate comptroller with responsibility for the payroll, bursar, central accounting, financial management and financial systems at KU.

Swanson has served as chair of the purchasing committee for the Midwestern Higher Education Compact and as the Kansas Board of Regents representative on the State Use Committee, which provides oversight to the Blind and Handicapped Workshop Program in Kansas. He has also served as the District V Representative on the NAEP National Board of Directors and as co-president of the NAEP Great Plains Region. Currently Swanson serves as first vice president on the Board of Director’s for E and I Cooperative Services.

Swanson replaces Bill Harris, who retired from UK in June.

“Mr. Swanson brings a broad set of procurement and higher education experience to lead our purchasing division. We are grateful for the members of our search committee who took part and provided input during the process to identify a new CPO,” said Eric N. Monday, UK executive vice president for finance and administration.

"It is an honor to have the opportunity to serve as the chief procurement officer for the University of Kentucky," Swanson said. "I look forward to working with the campus community to support their efforts."

Swanson is a graduate of the University of Kansas with degrees in history and political science. He also has a juris doctor degree from the Washburn University School of Law.