SOU Executive Leadership
and Staff
Tom Battaglia
Chief Information Officer
Tom Battaglia has 17 plus years as an I.T. leader and lead technologist in higher-education, government, and the private sector. Tom came to SOU from the Oregon Department of Revenue, where he served as the Deputy Chief Information Officer overseeing 75 employees. Tom gained higher-education experience at the University of Montana serving as Assistant Chief Information Officer for six years. Prior to that, while at the City of Boulder, Colorado, Tom served in a number of I.T. leadership roles, including Applications Manager, Client Services Manager, Software Development Manager, and Systems Architect, for over five years.
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Jason A. Catz
General Counsel
Jason A. Catz was appointed General Counsel for Southern Oregon University in 2015. He is responsible for providing legal advice and consultation to SOU’s Board of Trustees, administrators, divisions, and departments. Jason serves as an advisor to the President and Board and provides legal counsel and support on a variety of issues across campus, including government ethics, employment and labor issues, student affairs, compliance, procurement, intellectual property, Title IX, free speech, academic freedom, athletics, public records and meetings law, equity and diversity matters, and governance. Jason serves as chair of the SOU Policy Council and also provides oversight to the university’s purchasing and contracting activities.
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Toya M. Cooper, JD
Vice President for Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
Prior to arriving at SOU, Cooper served as Marist College’s Director of Equity, Inclusion, and Compliance and Title IX Coordinator in Poughkeepsie, NY. A California attorney and diversity officer, she joined the SOU community in November 2021. Cooper began her career in academe as an admissions counselor and multicultural program coordinator with responsibilities for developing recruitment and retention of underrepresented students in southern and northern California for her undergraduate alma mater, Westmont College in Santa Barbara, CA. After earning her JD from Willamette University College of Law and admission to the California Bar, she returned to Westmont. Over the course of her time at Westmont, Cooper served as the Associate Director for Multicultural Programs, Special Assistant to the President for Legal Affairs, Special Assistant to the Provost for Diversity Initiatives, and College Counsel.
Janet Fratella
Vice President of University Advancement and Executive Director, SOU Foundation
Janet joined SOU in 2015 and has nearly thirty years’ experience in university advancement. She provides leadership and oversight of the university’s development and alumni relations programs, government and corporate relations, marketing and communication, media and community relations, grants and sponsored projects, and serves as the Executive Director of the SOU Foundation. Prior to joining the university, Janet was a member of the executive leadership team at the Oregon Health and Science University Foundation in Portland, OR, where she served as Vice President for Alumni and Donor Relations and Chief of Staff. Janet also spent seventeen years at the University of Oregon.
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Greg Perkinson
Vice President for Finance and Administration
Greg Perkinson was appointed Vice President for Finance and Administration in December 2017. Greg formerly led The Boeing Company’s Consolidated Facilities Operations and Maintenance (CFOAM) program, based in Chantilly, Virginia, near Washington, D.C. He served in the public sector for over 34 years and was a mission support senior officer in the U.S. Air Force, retiring as a Colonel in 2009. Greg received a bachelor’s degree in architecture from Kent State University and a master’s in architectural engineering from Penn State University.
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Sabrina Prud’homme
University Board Secretary
Sabrina is the university board secretary at SOU. A governance professional, Sabrina works to ensure that the governing Board of Trustees maintains compliance with laws and regulations, serves as a strategic advisor to the board and administration and acts as the board’s liaison with campus and community members. In her spare time, Ms. Prud’homme serves as a director on the Ashland School Board for the Ashland School District (ASD) and currently is in her second term.
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Jeanne Stallman
Associate Vice President Government Relations and Outreach
Jeanne is a long-time SOU employee, having worked in multiple different capacities across all major divisions of SOU over two decades. Prior to joining SOU, Jeanne was a small-business owner. In her current role, Jeanne connects stakeholder interests and concerns with University resources and information, particularly for elected officials and business leaders. She is deeply committed to ensuring SOU is an active, committed and involved pillar in southern Oregon.
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Susan Walsh
Provost Vice President for Academic Affairs
Susan Walsh is the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and Professor of Communication at Southern Oregon University. She earned a Ph.D. in Communication and Society from the University of Oregon. Dr. Walsh serves on the Oregon Statewide Provosts Council and the Southern Oregon Success (SORS) Key Leaders Council. She is a member of the Southern Oregon Regional Development, Inc. (SOREDI) Board of Directors, and is the current Chair of the Governing Board for Southern Oregon PBS.
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Neil Woolf
Vice President of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs
Dr. Neil Woolf leads the University’s enrollment management and student affairs functions in support of SOU’s strategic plan. Programs under his direction include enrollment services, records, and registration, financial aid, admissions, Dean of Students, student life, the university’s student resource centers, student organizations, the Stevenson Union, campus recreation, and student health and wellness programs. He works with an incredible team of individuals to improve the recruitment, retention, and success of SOU’s diverse student population.
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Denise Deneaux
Executive Assistant
Denise Deneaux comes to SOU with 23 years of teaching experience (Spanish and Music) along with an extensive executive support background. In past years she was EA to the Speaker of the California Legislature, the President of the University of California Systemwide, the Head of School of Escuela Bilingue Internacional and more recently to the CEO of the Britt Music & Arts Festival. She is on the Board of the Rogue Valley Peace Choir and is a big fan of all the arts here in Southern Oregon. Her daughter is a Creative Director in the San Francisco Bay Area and her son a Director of Photography in Brooklyn.
Contact the Office of the President
SOU Office of the President
1250 Siskiyou Blvd.
Ashland, OR 97520
Office: 541.552.6111
Fax: 541.552.6337
presidentsoffice@sou.edu
