Office of the Chief Operating Officer
Campus Services
Campus Services comprises over 400 committed, hardworking individuals who take pride in working at Tulane University and delivering services that enhance university life. Our services are as diverse as the community we serve, and it is our mission to provide the highest levels of support to the university’s living, learning, teaching, and research communities. Through the sustainable delivery of exceptional & innovative services, we support the university’s mission to be a truly distinctive international university.
To learn more about Campus Services and the work we do, please click here to explore our website or contact us at campusservices@tulane.edu.
Vice President, Facilities, Campus Development & Real Estate
Randy Philipson
A New Orleans native, Randy Philipson is currently serving as the Vice President for Facilities, Campus Development, and Real Estate at Tulane University.
Prior to joining Tulane, Philipson spent nearly two decades working for SMG, the largest private facilities management company in the world, in a variety of roles, ultimately ascending to become the Regional Director of Operations for the Southern Region. In this capacity, he had operational oversight and served as a resource for the Directors of Operations in 30 facilities (including 5 NFL stadium), Further, he determined the course of the corporate operations initiatives in conjunction with the three other Regional Directors and the Vice President of Operations. Part of this role included consultation and oversight in the construction and operation of new stadiums and arenas, including McLane Stadium (Baylor University), US Bank Stadium (Minnesota Vikings), and Yulman Stadium (Tulane University). Additionally, while based out of New Orleans, Philipson oversaw approximately 750 million dollars in renovations at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and Smoothie King Center.
As Vice President for Facilities, Campus Development, and Real Estate, Philipson directs over 300 employees in the University Planning Office, Facility Services, Capital Projects, Real Estate, and Sustainability divisions and is responsible for the built environment on multiple campuses. This includes the planning, design, construction, and maintenance of Tulane’s 9,000,000+ square feet across the City of New Orleans and the Gulf South Region. Additionally, Philipson was the co-lead on the transformative Energy Concession Agreement with Bernhard Energy that Tulane signed in 2021. This 30-year agreement allows Tulane to make ten years of deferred infrastructure improvements in the first 24 months of the deal, guarantees energy savings, includes a 1 MW solar facility, and will help Tulane reach its climate action plan goal of carbon neutrality by 2050.
After having supervised nearly 500 million dollars in construction from 2015-2021 and the acquisition/disposition of several million dollars in real estate transactions, Philipson is currently directing over 500 million dollars in capital projects that are in various states of design and construction as well as another 200 million dollars in projects that are currently in the planning stages.
From a community perspective, Philipson serves on the Bricolage Academy Board of Directors as its Treasurer, as well as a member of the boards of the Metropolitan Crime Commission and the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation.
Associate Vice President, Campus Operations
Brian Johnson, Ed.D
Dr. Brian Johnson was appointed Associate Vice President for Campus Operations with Campus Services at Tulane University on May 1, 2021. Brian oversees multiple essential units that function on multiple campuses: childcare, the COO communications group, customer engagement, dining services, mail services, materials management, parking and transportation, quality control, and vendor relationships (Barnes & Noble, Xerox, Fed Ex, and Sodexo).
University leadership invited Brian to lead the monumental task of the student return to campus during the COVID-19 pandemic. Brian steered multiple collaborative projects, including the ambitious plan in August 2020 that encompassed a student arrival center, multiple testing protocols, an isolation and quarantine operational plan, communication strategies, and the residence hall and campus recreation COVID-19 safety protocols and operations plan.
Brian joined Tulane in 2015 as the Assistant Vice President for Housing and Residence Life and Campus Recreation with Student Affairs. In his role with Student Affairs, Brian was instrumental in reshaping the housing organization with a new commitment to leveraging and supporting the resident advisors. He led financial planning; furniture, fixtures, and equipment replacement; renovations; and continued enhancement of student engagement initiatives. Brian also led the development of a new 692-bed and $90-million residence hall project. In the campus recreation space, Brian doubled down on recruiting a highly skilled team of experts, enhancing the facility with renovations exceeding $5 million, expanding the outdoor recreation program, and reengineering the campus recreation budget to leverage resources toward consistent improvement.
Prior to joining Tulane, Brian spent 15 years in multiple roles in student affairs at Virginia Tech, Loyola University Chicago, Pennsylvania College of Technology, and Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University. His broad experience includes budget management, construction and renovations, emergency management and response, housing and campus recreation facility management, project management, strategic planning, student conduct, student programs and orientation, team development, and Title IX. Throughout his higher-education career, Brian has also led a total of $400 million in new residence hall construction projects at Loyola University Chicago, Pennsylvania College of Technology, and Embry Riddle.
Brian continues to implement innovative strategies for the continuous improvement of campus operations with an award-winning team of leaders at Tulane University.
