Ellen Oppenheim

Ellen Oppenheim, previously the president and chief executive officer for the Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority, has been named the interim senior vice resident of finance and administration and chief operating officer of the Desert Research Institute.

She also has held executive positions at Stanford University, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and local governments in Los Angeles, San Diego and San Jose. She earned bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

DRI will conduct a national search for a permanent replacement for Cleve McDaniel, who leaving DRI to be the vice chancellor for finance and administration at the American University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates.