ITHACA, NY (607NewsNow) – A top Cornell official will step down in the new year.

Vice President of University Relations Joel Malina is retiring after 11 years with the Big Red. Malina departs the Hill to join the global strategic advisory firm Brunswick Group as a partner in Washington, DC.

Malina was hired into a new position over a decade ago that combined communications and government relations. Among many obstacles and accomplishments during his tenure, Malina saw a large leadership transition and navigated the COVID-19 pandemic.

His last day is January 5, 2025.

“I came here as a Yale grand and leave a lifelong Cornellian” Malina told The Cornell Chronicle. “That’s very special.”

Associate Vice President for Communications Monica Yant Kinney will step in as interim VP on January 6, 2025, while a national search is conducted for Malina’s replacement.