John O’Keefe Named Executive Director of Facilities Information Technology

John O’Keefe has been named the inaugural Executive Director of Facilities Information Technology. John, who has served as Vice President for Information Technology Services and CIO at Lafayette College since 2013, will start with Princeton on October 14th.

As Executive Director, Facilities Information Technology, John will be accountable for the strategic and operational IT leadership and management of a diverse portfolio of Facilities systems, including administrative systems and enterprise/campus-wide space, life and safety systems. This role sets the direction for Facilities technology usage through strong partnerships, planning and evaluation.  John will coordinate the development of information technology activities and services and lead the information technology team, which comprises 17 team members with augmentation through vendor partnerships. 

“John is a proven IT leader with strategic vision, an excellent communicator, and someone who has built trusted relationships across his institution." said Justin Walter, Assistant Vice President for FFAS. "I expect that he will help elevate and mature technology in Facilities and across the university.” 

“I'm so thrilled to be joining the Princeton community. From the campus plan to the ambitious goal of becoming net zero by 2046, the facilities team is transforming Princeton in powerful and profound ways,” said John. "Building partnerships through collaboration with colleagues across the University will enable me to make meaningful contributions to these efforts. I look forward to the journey ahead, and to being part of a great team that has such a critical role in this work."

With nearly 13 years of executive leadership experience and 23 years in higher education, John has been actively engaged with almost every aspect of Lafayette College. As a result, he has been able to think strategically, connecting dots from multiple perspectives while continually advocating for the role of IT. This approach has helped him develop high-performing teams built on transparency, partnership, and shared responsibility. He has successfully led myriad initiatives for the college, some of which involved technology integration for major construction and renovation projects. 

John is a graduate of Lafayette College, receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Music and American Studies.  He is also currently working towards an Executive MBA at Drexel University.