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Meet our Executive Team
Shari Colburn is the Vice President for Real Estate. Overseeing all aspects of the University's real estate interests, she manages a portfolio which encompasses the Morningside Heights area, the Columbia University Medical Center and Manhattanville as well as University-owned and leased space in the greater New York area. Shari's team manages all real estate acquisitions for the University as well as dispositions of donated gifts of property. Real Estate is also responsible for lease management, negotiation and ongoing relationships where the University is a commercial landlord or tenant.
Prior to joining the University in 2003, Shari served as Assistant Vice President for Waterfront Assets at the New York City Economic Development Corporation where she managed and developed a diverse City-wide real estate portfolio, specializing in waterfront properties, ferry operations and shipping and rail terminals. Shari holds a BA in Community Studies from UCSC and an MBA from Columbia University.
Peter Michaelides is the Vice President of Finance and Administration at Columbia University Facilities and Operations. He is responsible for the planning and administration of an annual operating budget of $450 million and a five-year capital budget of over $2 billion in approximately 300 buildings. In addition to serving as Facilities and Operations Chief Financial Officer, Peter is responsible for the administrative support to Facilities and Operations, including capital project administration, procurement, human resources, labor relations, management information systems, accounts payable, business process analysis, data analytics, reporting, internal controls and parking administration.
An employee of the University for over thirty years, his tenure began in the Office of Institutional Real Estate, where he held several positions of progressive responsibilities including as the Assistant Vice President of Planning and Project Administration. He served an integral role on the transition team responsible for leading the effort in the assessment, planning, and the consolidation of the University’s Institutional Real Estate and Facilities Management departments. Within Facilities and Operations, Peter’s portfolio as the Associate Vice President for Financial Services included the leadership in planning and administration of a multi-funded facilities operating budget for the Morningside and Manhattanville campuses, the off-campus residential portfolio, and external leases totaling over $450 million annually in approximately 300 buildings. In that position, he also led the Facilities and Operations data analytics and reporting team.
Peter holds a bachelor’s degree from Stony Brook University in Mechanical Engineering, and a Master of Business Administration in accounting from Baruch College. He is also an alumnus with a Master of Science in Sustainability Management from Columbia University.
Hany Ayoub is the Deputy Vice President for Manhattanville Development at Columbia University and oversees all aspects of design, engineering, and construction at the University’s 6.8 million square foot Manhattanville campus.
Since joining Columbia in 2017, Hany has managed the construction of several multimillion dollar projects at the Manhattanville campus, including the Jerome L. Greene Science Center; Lenfest Center for the Arts; The Forum; Columbia Business School’s David Geffen and Henry Kravis Halls; a one-acre green space called The Square; and an expansion of the Central Energy Plant, a facility that provides chilled water, high-pressure steam, and electricity for the Manhattanville campus. The completed projects have won numerous awards including LEED Gold certification and Stage 1 LEED Platinum under the USGBC’s Neighborhood Development pilot rating system, the first such award in New York City and the first given to a campus plan anywhere in the United States.
Hany has decades of experience in the design and construction industry. Prior to joining Columbia, he successfully delivered complex construction projects for the Montefiore Health System and some of the most prestigious hospitals in the Tri-State area. Hany holds a bachelor’s degree in Architecture from City College and is a registered Architect in the State of New York and New Jersey, an American Institute of Architects member, and is National Council of Architectural Registration Boards and LEED AP (Design and Construction) certified.
Gerald McGillian is vice president for operations at Columbia University Facilities and Operations. In this position, Gerry is responsible for overseeing the operations and maintenance of the University’s utilities, energy management, building operations, and custodial services to maintain all academic, administrative, and residence hall buildings as well as campus grounds for the Morningside Heights and Manhattanville campuses, Baker Athletics Complex and Nevis Laboratories.
Prior to Columbia, Gerry worked at the University of Chicago, where he held a position overseeing the operations and maintenance at its 9.5 million square-foot campus. Prior to that, he worked at the University of Pennsylvania as the Director of Facility Trades, where he managed the operation and maintenance of various building systems, central utilities, and grounds.
Gerry holds both his bachelor of science and master of science in mechanical engineering from Drexel University.
Edward McArthur is Vice President, Capital Project Management. With over 20 years of experience which includes a diverse background in the areas of project management, design and construction, Edward has been involved in all phases of project development and management for new building construction, building additions and extensive interior renovations on a variety of program types including research, higher education, transportation, residential and retail.
For Columbia University, Edward has managed over $75 million worth of projects over ten years which include Knox Hall, renovation upgrades to Havemeyer & Chandler Hall and the award winning Brown Institute for Media Innovation at the Graduate School of Journalism among others.
Edward’s previous experience includes designing major transportation facilities and acting as a design manager for the owner’s representative for Harvard University’s Allston Development Group. He received his Bachelors of Architecture from the Cooper Union's Irwin S Chanin School of Architecture in 1994.
Diego Rivera serves as deputy vice president to Columbia Residential and oversees all operational aspects of the Columbia University residential portfolio which includes 150 buildings (6.7 million GSF) and over 5,800 residential apartments.
As the Deputy Vice President of Columbia Residential, Diego is responsible for the financial performance of the portfolio, property maintenance, the entire leasing process and residents’ satisfaction. He determines and ensures that annual budgets for the portfolio are met, that operating plans are effectively and efficiently monitored and that capital improvement projects are accomplished.
Diego's extensive knowledge and experience comes from holding executive positions on some of the largest Real Estate Investment Trusts (REIT) in the country, such as AvalonBay Communities, Equity Residential, Archstone-Smith and LCOR. With over 20 years of experience in Multifamily Real Estate, Diego has developed significant strengths in leadership and team building, marketing and promotions, as well as in customer relationship management, new business development, operations and profit and loss management. Diego holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from the Universidad Mayor de San Simon, Bolivia.
David Greenberg is the executive vice president for University Facilities and Operations, where he leads a team responsible for new building design and construction, campus public safety, campus services for students, building and grounds maintenance for academic and administrative departments, oversight of Manhattanville construction and the University's residential portfolio. With over 2,000 employees, Facilities and Operations manages approximately 300 buildings and 15.8 million gross square feet and has an operating and capital budget in excess of $850 million per year.
Greenberg, formerly founding chief operating officer at Columbia's Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute and vice president of finance and administration and chief administrative officer at Columbia Facilities, has worked at the University since 2006.
Before coming to Columbia, Greenberg worked as associate vice president and chief financial officer at the Georgetown University Law Center and served in several senior posts in New York City government, including the Department of Citywide Administrative Services and the Office of Management and Budget.
Greenberg holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Rochester; a Master of Public Administration from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University; and a Master of Construction Administration from Columbia University.
Brian McPherson serves as Deputy Vice President for Public Safety, bringing over 25 years of experience in law enforcement and public safety leadership to Columbia. Brian is responsible for overseeing a department comprising more than 350 uniform and administrative safety professionals responsible for maintaining a safe environment supporting Columbia’s academic and research mission across its campuses.
Most recently before joining Columbia, he held a senior role at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department, where he oversaw daily operations, emergency response, and special event coordination across the agency’s vast transportation network – serving millions of travelers by rail, bus, air, and sea each year. Among notable accomplishments during his tenure at the Port Authority, Brian led critical initiatives including the response to Hurricane Maria, the development of the department’s Counterterrorism Unit, and the establishment of a Special Operations Training School focused on emergency preparedness.
Prior to joining the Port Authority, Brian spent 26 years with the New Jersey State Police, rising through leadership ranks and directing the division’s Homeland Security Branch. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy’s 225th Session and was honored as Atlantic County Trooper of the Year in 2001