Admiral Al Harms, vice president for Strategy, Marketing, Communications, and Admissions, has announced his resignation from UCF effective Dec. 31.
“Admiral Harms has served UCF with dedication and distinction, and I commend him for his outstanding leadership and commitment to this university,” UCF President John Hitt said.
Harms began as a special assistant to the president in 2005 and handled multiple projects, including UCF’s response to the Virginia Tech shootings, community outreach initiatives for the construction of Bright House Networks Stadium and the university’s program to help Haiti recover from its devastating earthquake.
Harms also served twice as interim director of athletics, and he administered the university’s response to the March 2013 shooting incident at Tower 1.
Harms, who was in charge of UCF’s game-day operations, came under fire in recent years for a decision that cut down the number of hours fans are allowed to tailgate at UCF. The rules prohibited tailgating before noon for any Saturday football game starting at 6 p.m. or later.
“This has been a difficult and bittersweet decision, but the time is right for me and my family to move on to new adventures,” Harms said. “I will miss serving with such an incredibly talented and dedicated team of professionals, and I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to help so many wonderful young men and women prepare for their next life adventures.”
