Penn names new vice president of Division of Business Services, overseeing dining and housing

Michael Scales was named the vice president of Penn's Division of Business Services today, with his tenure set to begin on June 1.

Scales — who is currently the associate vice president for business services at Temple University — will succeed Marie Witt in the position. Witt has worked at Penn since 1981 and will be retiring at the end of the academic year.

As vice president, Scales will be responsible for managing many of the services offered by Penn Business Services, including housing and dining services, Penn Transit and commuter services, parking, Conference and Hospitality Services, PennCards, mail services, Campus Express, the Penn Bookstore, and University-owned hotels.

Senior Executive Vice President Craig Carnaroli described Scales as “an effective facilitator, collaborator, and builder of effective partnerships” to Penn Today.

“[Scales] has been strategically leading his team of more than 1,000 staff, overseeing a slate of capital projects valued at more than $300 million, and managing Temple’s diverse portfolio of auxiliary services across all six of its local and Pennsylvania campuses,” Carnaroli said. “We look forward to welcoming him to Penn in this important role.” 

Scales received a bachelor's degree in psychology with a minor in business in 1992 from Appalachian State University in North Carolina. He then pursued an master's in higher education administration and student affairs from The Ohio State University, graduating in 1995, according to his LinkedIn. He is in the process of completing a Ph.D. in education from Temple University, according to Penn Today.

Before becoming the associate vice president for Business Services at Temple University — a position he has held since December 2015 — Scales held various student affairs, housing, and residential life positions at Temple University, Drexel University, North Carolina State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Ohio State University, and Appalachian State University, according to his LinkedIn.

Scales is a member of the board of directors for Campus Philly, a nonprofit organization that aims to encourage college students and recent graduates to live and work in the Greater Philadelphia area. 

He is also the vice chair of NorthEast Treatment Centers — a non-profit organization that provides behavioral health and social services in Greater Philadelphia, the Lehigh Valley, and in Delaware — and has been a member of the board of trustees for Albright College in Reading, PA since 2020.