POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. (July 22, 2021) – Kevin Weinman, Chief Financial & Administrative Officer at Amherst College, has been named the fifth President of Marist College following a unanimous vote of its Board of Trustees. The Board acted upon the unanimous recommendation of the college-wide Presidential Search Committee. Weinman will take over the role from President Dennis J. Murray, who has led Marist for nearly 40 years.

“Kevin Weinman is a dynamic and inspiring leader who combines the best of the liberal arts tradition and professional practice,” said Ross Mauri ’80, Chair of the Board of Trustees and Chair of the Presidential Search Committee. “He has a highly collaborative approach to governance and a truly impressive breadth of experience as a senior administrator, strategist, communicator, and scholar. In addition, Kevin has also shown himself to be a charismatic and caring leader with a deep commitment to diversity, inclusion, and educational opportunity. He’s the right person at the right time for Marist, and we’re thrilled to welcome him to the Marist community.”

A member of Amherst’s senior leadership since 2013, Weinman serves as a close advisor to President Biddy Martin. He has broad financial and administrative responsibilities, overseeing the areas of finance, investments, shared services, information technology, and the College’s 49-room Inn and associated dining and banquet business. Weinman has been a vital partner in the development and execution of Amherst’s strategic plan and $625 million capital campaign. He instituted rigorous and inclusive financial planning and budgeting processes that helped Amherst achieve key priorities in student life and wellbeing; diversity, equity, and inclusion; academic support; new academic and residential facilities; and a comprehensive climate action plan. He has brought Amherst through the financial challenges of the pandemic while maintaining the college’s Aaa credit rating.

Weinman has brought together administrative leaders across Amherst in a collaborative effort to improve operational, staffing, and technological solutions. He played a critical role in the college’s pandemic response, leading two major task forces charged with developing operational aspects of the successful 2020-21 academic year, including rigorous COVID-19 testing and protocols governing isolation, quarantine, and contact tracing. A clear and compelling communicator and a spokesperson for Amherst’s strategic priorities, he has presented at dozens of alumni and parent events around the world. He helped oversee a transition in the Office of Communications and co-led the Office for a time.  Weinman has presented at national conferences on the topics of risk management, strategic planning, and financial modeling.

Said President Martin, “In Kevin Weinman, Marist will have an exceptionally talented leader and a gem of a human being. I feel fortunate to have had him as a colleague and partner over the past eight and a half years, and I’m delighted that he will have the opportunity at Marist to combine his commitment to the liberal arts with his interest in professional education. He has made major contributions to Amherst. We will miss him terribly, but we join the Marist community in our excitement about his appointment to the presidency. Marist has struck gold.”

“I believe the Board of Trustees has made an excellent decision in choosing Kevin Weinman as Marist’s next president,” said President Murray. “Kevin understands the challenges facing private higher education and has the vision, skills, and experience to help the College thrive in this environment. As a student of leadership, I see in him many of the best qualities of great leaders: intellectual rigor; the ability to make personal connections and build consensus; integrity; optimism; compassion; and most importantly, good judgement. Kevin has what it takes to lead Marist to new heights.”

Prior to his position at Amherst, Weinman served as Assistant Vice President, Finance at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. In that role, he directed a team of analysts and coordinated institution-wide efforts across all divisions, schools, and auxiliaries to create and maintain Dartmouth’s $1 billion annual operating budget and long-range financial plans.

Before deciding to pursue a career in higher education, Weinman held a number of senior roles related to finance and marketing in the corporate world. These include Senior Director, Finance at Western Union; Senior Manager, Marketing at Deluxe Corporation; Finance Manager at Hewlett Packard; and senior auditor at Arthur Andersen. He is also a former Certified Public Accountant.

A scholar of the history of urban planning and public policy, Weinman earned his Ph.D. in history from the University of New Hampshire, his M.A. in history from the University of Colorado, and his M.B.A. from the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. He received his bachelor’s degree in accounting and history from the University of Notre Dame. Weinman has taught courses on modern American history and the rise of the suburbs to both college-aged and non-traditional students, as well as presenting his research at national and regional conferences.

Weinman’s appointment follows an intensive search carried out by Marist’s Presidential Search Committee, which consisted of a diverse group of 22 faculty and staff members, trustees, and student and alumni representatives. The Committee received extensive feedback and held listening sessions with multiple constituencies in the Marist community. “We were extremely impressed with Kevin’s experience, credentials, leadership style, and deep understanding of higher education,” said Julie Raines, Chair of the Faculty Affairs Committee and member of the Presidential Search Committee. “He’s a great fit for Marist because he buys into our unique combination of liberal arts-based and pre-professional education, commitment to innovation, and culture of collaboration and respectful dialogue. I know my colleagues on the faculty join me in welcoming him to Marist.”

A native New Yorker who grew up in northern New Jersey, Weinman will assume office in early fall. His wife Beth is a Contracts Administrator and Associate Controller for an engineering research and development company in Amherst, Massachusetts. Dr. and Mrs. Weinman have two children: their son Alex is a college student in Colorado, while their daughter Brooke attends high school in Massachusetts.

“I am both humbled and honored by the opportunity to lead this exceptional institution. I have long admired Marist’s academic excellence, outstanding reputation, and values-based mission,” said Weinman. “I’m also drawn to its enduring commitment to the liberal arts and the way in which its innovative curriculum prepares today’s students to meet tomorrow’s needs. Marist has been extremely well managed, and I look forward to continuing this responsible financial stewardship while maximizing the use of resources to advance the College’s mission. I look forward to immersing myself in life at Marist and to engaging with all the members of the Marist community: students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents, friends, as well as partner institutions in the Hudson River Valley. Working together, I know we can continue the remarkable success Marist has enjoyed and expand upon it. Beth and I are extremely excited to join this special community and get to know the Poughkeepsie area.”         

“I think Marist alumni will find Kevin Weinman to be a highly engaged president, not only on campus but also with the extended members of our college community,” said Eileen Altobelli ’82, Trustee, President of the Marist Alumni Association, and Presidential Search Committee member. “He understands and admires Marist’s culture and traditions and is eager to connect with our large and dedicated alumni base. I look forward to working with Kevin in the coming months and years.”

Two student leaders served on the Presidential Search Committee, including outgoing Student Government Association (SGA) President Roda Mohamed ’21 and incoming SGA President Tenzin Tsundu ’22. According to Mohamed, “I was particularly impressed with Kevin’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and the work he’s done to support and enhance the student experience at Amherst. I believe Marist students will respond well to him and his desire to play an active role in the life of the College. As we begin to move beyond the pandemic, Marist is fortunate to have a leader of his caliber and personal qualities.” Tsundu added, “Kevin came across as extremely student-centered in his approach, which I think will translate very well to Marist and be appreciated by the student body. I’m excited to work with him during the 2021-22 school year.”

Mauri thanked the members of the Presidential Search for their hard work and collegiality. “The success of this search is due to the diligence of my colleagues on the search committee over the course of many months,” said Mauri. “Committee members worked incredibly hard and dedicated themselves to a thorough, fair, and inclusive process. The committee’s focus from the start was to identify an exceptional individual with the intellect, character, and experience needed to lead Marist during a time of great challenge in private higher education. With the selection of Kevin Weinman from a diverse field of more than 300 candidates, I am confident that we have achieved that goal and that Marist will be in excellent hands going forward.”  

Weinman will be formally introduced to the Marist community at a series of Zoom meetings on July 22.

About Marist College

Located on the banks of the historic Hudson River and at its Florence, Italy campus, Marist College is a comprehensive, independent institution grounded in the liberal arts. Its mission is to “help students develop the intellect, character, and skills required for enlightened, ethical, and productive lives in the global community of the 21st century.” Marist educates approximately 5,000 traditional-age undergraduate students and 1,200 adult and graduate students in 53 undergraduate majors and numerous graduate programs, including fully online MBA, MPA, MS, and MA degrees, and also Doctor of Physical Therapy and Physician Assistant programs. Marist is consistently ranked among the best colleges and universities in America by The Princeton Review (Colleges That Create Futures and The Best 386 Colleges), U.S. News & World Report (3rd Most Innovative School/North), Kiplinger’s Personal Finance (“Best College Values”), and others. Marist’s study abroad program is ranked #3 in the nation by the U.S. State Department and includes unique first-year programs in Florence and Dublin. Its 30-year Joint Study partnership with IBM has brought the College the kind of world-class technology platform typically found at leading research institutions. Marist’s academic centers of excellence include the nationally-known Marist Poll, Center for Civic Engagement and Leadership, Hudson River Valley Institute, Center for Sports Communication, and Institute for Data Center Professionals. The College also hosts the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library’s digital archives, making it one of only six colleges or universities in the nation affiliated with a presidential library.