By SUSAN JONES
The Board of Trustees Compensation committee approved salaries for three new officers of the University at its June 21 meeting and voted to provide retention payments to Geovette Washington, Pitt’s chief legal officer.
In addition to Dwayne Pinkney, who will become Pitt’s first executive senior vice chancellor for administration and finance and chief financial officer on or about July 15 (see related story on Pinkney’s role and pay), the committee approved pay for:
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Joe McCarthy, who became provost and senior vice chancellor in April. He will earn $543,000 annually, retroactive to April 4 when he took on this role. His predecessor — Ann Cudd, left in June 2023 — earned a base salary of $472,337 in fiscal year 2022-23.
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Phil Bakken, who started as vice chancellor and secretary of the Board of Trustees earlier this month, will make a base salary of $300,000. Rosalyn Jones, who held the position until August 2023, was paid $247,899 for 2022-23.
Washington, who has been at Pitt as senior vice chancellor and chief legal officer since 2015, will receive retention payments of $200,000 by July 30 of this year, then $150,000 on July 30 of the next four years (2025-28) if she remains employed as the University’s chief legal officer. Her base base for 2024 is $464,030.
The resolution asking for the retention payments said that Chancellor Joan Gabel and the Compensation Committee recognize Washington is an “extremely valuable member” of the chancellor’s leadership team and “an integral part of the University and Pittsburgh communities, such that there would a detrimental impact on the institution if she were to leave.”
Washington also is chair of the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh Board of Trustees.
Susan Jones is editor of the University Times. Reach her at suejones@pitt.edu or 724-244-4042.
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