José Padilla is the University of Colorado’s new vice president, general counsel and secretary to the board of regents, the university announced on Tuesday.

“José is not only an accomplished attorney and skilled higher education administrator, but he is also deeply involved in his community, active in important professional organizations and widely respected and engaged nationally,” said CU President Mark Kennedy. “He will be a welcome addition to our leadership and to the CU community.”

Padilla is currently the vice president and general counsel at DePaul University in Chicago, where he has worked since 2005. DePaul, the largest Catholic university in the U.S., has a board of trustees with 40 members, compared to CU’s nine.

Previously, Padilla was the chair of the National Association of College and University Attorneys, which represents approximately 4,500 lawyers working for higher education institutions. He worked at the U.S. Department of the Treasury during the Clinton Administration, as well as for former U.S. Sens. Lloyd Bentsen and Robert Krueger, both Democrats from Texas. Padilla’s law degree is from the University of Michigan.

Padilla succeeds Patrick O’Rourke, who is now the interim chief operating officer of the Boulder campus. Padilla will start at CU on July 6.