Vice president to leave IU for Clarian Health

Another University administrator is flying the coup.\nIU Vice President of Public Affairs and Governmental Relations Bill Stephan will vacate his IU post for a similar one at Clarian Health Partners. Stephan said his new job will begins the first week of March.\n"I was not planning to leave IU, but then Clarian contacted me," Stephan said. "They recruited me pretty aggressively, and I found that this opportunity was in my family's best interest and mine personally."\nStephan will take an office at Clarian as the senior vice president for communications and community relations. The administrator, who served as chief of staff to former Indianapolis Mayor Stephen Goldsmith, said his contacts in Indianapolis, along with an inclination to broaden his areas of interest, are the main reasons he decided to leave the University. \n"This provides an opportunity for me to get more deeply involved in health care issues," Stephan said. "Clarian has an enormous presence in central Indiana, improving the quality of life. They're growing their enterprise. Those issues appeal to me."\nAlong with promoting the University throughout the state, Stephan has lobbied General Assembly during his tenure at IU. Before his current position, he was spokesperson for the University, which entailed working closely with former President Myles Brand and representing IU.\nIn December, IU Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Services Donald Hossler announced he was stepping down from his position. Charlie Nelms, the University's vice president for institutional development and student affairs, will interview with representatives from Tennessee State University for that institution's presidency. \nBut Stephan said it would be unfair to group these departures into a "broad generalization."\n"Every case is different," Stephan said. "When you're talking about a large institution like IU there will always be some turnover."\nLarry MacIntyre, director of IU media relations, said IU is not an unpleasant place for administrators to work, and added that IU's turnover is "normal."\n"I do not think people are abandoning ship," MacIntyre said. "I would not agree that there's an exodus of people."\nMacIntyre said Stephan's departure is unexpected but not illogical.\n"I was surprised but not shocked," MacIntyre said. "He's well-known throughout Indiana and has a great reputation with his work. So, yeah, I figured he was in demand."\nStephan said Herbert, whom he informed of his decision Wednesday of last week, was "disappointed" but supportive.\n"He said he was very disappointed," Stephan said. "But he said if it was in my best interests he wanted to support me."\nMacIntyre said the University has not developed a replacement process to find someone to fill Stephan's shoes. \n-- Contact Senior Writer Rick Newkirk at renewkir@indiana.edu.