The University is sending a top official to downtown Phoenix to help develop its satellite campus there.
Associate Vice President of Development Nancy Jordan will work in Phoenix Mayor-elect Phil Gordon's office to increase the student population at the campus and improve the surrounding area.
Jordan said she was "excited and flattered" when she was asked to join Gordon's administration.
"It's a terrific personal opportunity and a wonderful way to make a contribution to the city," she said.
The partnership between the city and ASU aims to increase the number of students enrolled in the downtown campus to 12,000, said Virgil Renzulli, ASU vice president of public affairs.
There are about 1,100 students now attending ASU at the downtown campus, according to the Office of Downtown Property Administration.
"There isn't enough urban life in downtown Phoenix," Renzulli added. "You get that life by creating a university campus with students and faculty that would spur development.
"The idea is to get this project off the ground and get moving quickly," Renzulli said. "[Jordan] is absolutely perfect for the job. Not only does she know the University, but she knows the city. She's someone that can approach this project from all sides."
Gordon said Jordan was chosen because of her experience with both ASU and the community.
"I was looking for someone with firsthand working knowledge of ASU and knowledge of the city ... and that could lead the initiative from my office," Gordon said.
Jordan, a Phoenix resident for nearly 30 years, has been a teacher and counselor in the Roosevelt School District, served as the dean of school and community relations for Phoenix College and was executive assistant to the chancellor of Maricopa Community Colleges.
She also was executive director of the Genesis Program Inc., a nonprofit youth service and education agency, before coming to ASU.
Since joining the University administration in 1996, Jordan has focused on expanding community relations and outreach.
Jordan will work with the city administration for one year, beginning when Gordon takes office on Jan. 5. She said she would spend about three-quarters of her time there and the remaining time at ASU.
Reach the reporter at katherine.j.krzys@asu.edu.
