Environmental Health, Safety, and Sustainability Leadership Transition

Message from Brian Sagendorf, Vice President for Operations:

Jennifer Parrott, executive director of Environmental Health, Safety, and Sustainability (EHSS) will be leaving Idaho State University. Her last day will be October 24, 2025. While we are sad to see her go, we are grateful for the many contributions she has made during her time at the University.

Jen has played a pivotal role in strengthening our environmental health and safety programs, fostering a strong culture of safety, compliance, and operational excellence. Jen has developed an EHSS team with a strong mindset of collaboration and strategic partnership, which has been instrumental in enhancing health and wellness for our faculty, staff, and students. We are incredibly grateful for her dedication and positive impact over the past decade and wish her continued success in the future as she steps into an executive leadership role with the State of Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. 

In this transitional period, Chuck Rizzo will step in as the interim executive director for the Environmental Health and Safety team. Chuck has served as the ISU director of research integrity and compliance since 2023 and he also brings over 30 years of experience in EHS leadership to this role. Among other significant areas of EHS leadership experience in the private sector, Chuck also brings a wealth of chemical and research safety experience from his time both at Idaho State University and previously the University of Illinois at Chicago.

In this interim role, Chuck will be overseeing current EHS functions while also continuing his efforts in research integrity and compliance with the Office for Research. During this interim period of time, Sustainability Programs, led by ISU’s Sustainability Manager Pallavi Pokharel, will report to the Office of the Vice President for Operations. Chuck will work closely with the EHS team, the Division of Campus Operations, and Office for Research leadership to ensure continuity and to maintain our high standards for safety, environmental stewardship, and regulatory compliance. We appreciate your support during this transition. Please join us in thanking Jen for her service and welcoming Chuck into this important interim role.