Purdue Research Foundation announces new COO
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Purdue Research Foundation is seeing changes in its leadership team in the coming months with both a new CEO and chief operating officer.
Last month, the university announced last month Chad Pittman as PRF’s CEO, beginning Feb. 1. This week, the foundation announced Greg Deason as the organization’s next COO.
While Pittman comes from the Indiana Economic Development Corp., Deason has spent much of his professional career at Purdue. He currently works at the research foundation as a senior vice president of alliances and placemaking.
Before leading that team, Deason was the executive director of Purdue Research Park from 2004-2016 as a part of the PRF.
“For decades Greg has served the Purdue community and will continue to do so in his new appointment,” said Mitch Daniels, former president of Purdue and chair of the PRF board. “He is a proven leader, and I’m certain he will continue the momentum of impactful growth and strategic use of PRF as a tool for fulfilling Purdue’s land-grant mission.”
The PRF is a private, nonprofit foundation involved in a variety of activities to support the university’s academic and financial missions. Per the university’s website, the PRF acquires and sells property, administers trusts, supports Purdue-connected startups and manages Purdue Innovates, the Purdue Research Park and other entities.
Daniels credited Deason with turning the university’s research park in West Lafayette into “an engine for Indiana’s economic development initiatives.” He also helped create three other technology parks outside of West Lafayette.
Deason also attended Purdue as an undergraduate.