Alex Kohnen

Associate Vice Chancellor, Chief Facilities Officer

Vanderbilt University

Alexander Kohnen is responsible for the planning, program management, and implementation of best practices for Vanderbilt University’s facilities and ground operations. He oversees a workforce of over 500 staff members, managing the university’s physical campus, which includes 12 million square feet of space, 340 acres of land, a combined heat and power plant, and extensive underground utility infrastructure. He also leads the design and construction of capital projects.

An alumnus of the U.S. Naval Academy with a B.S. in aerospace engineering, Kohnen has over 28 years of experience in facilities operations, energy efficiency, and environmental engineering. His career includes two decades as a naval officer focused on facilities and construction management, both domestically and internationally.

Before joining Vanderbilt, Kohnen was the Vice President for Facilities Development and Management at Arizona State University. He also holds an MBA from Colorado State University and a master’s degree in environmental engineering from the University of Florida.