Vernetta Kinchen will begin her tenure as Syracuse University’s Executive Director for Housing and Lodging on July 1, Associate Vice President of Auxiliary Services Kris Klinger announced today. The new position was created to oversee the Housing, Meal Plan, and I.D. Card Services Office, along with the Syracuse University Sheraton Hotel and Conference Center and the Minnowbrook Conference Center, located in Blue Mountain Lake, N.Y.
“I am excited to welcome Vernetta Kinchen to Syracuse University Auxiliary Services,” said Klinger. “With success in both the higher education and lodging spaces, Vernetta brings a wealth of diverse knowledge and experience to our team.”
Following a long career in the hotel and hospitality industry, including stints with Marriott and Wyndham hotel properties, Kinchen became the Associate Director of Diversity and Inclusion at Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration in June 2013. Her time at Cornell also included work as a talent and retention specialist and in September 2020, she was appointed to oversee Cornell’s COVID-19 testing operations.
In her new role in Auxiliary Services, Kinchen will be asked to assist with the planning and implementation of the University’s housing strategy and to create and execute strategies for lodging, events, and conference services, with a focus on providing excellent customer service to the University’s many stakeholders.
“It is an honor to be joining and leading a team with so much talent,” said Kinchen. “I look forward to partnering with campus leadership to elevate the quality of services offered to the Syracuse community.”