President New Chief Financial and Administrative Officer

February 1, 2023

Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,

I am very pleased to share the important news that we will welcome Amherst’s new Chief Finance and Administrative Officer, Michael Thomas, to Amherst on March 27, 2023. 

Mike joins us from Middlebury, where he was responsible for all aspects of financial matters for the institution, as well as risk evaluation, campus safety, environmental health and safety, emergency management, and land and property management. He also oversaw Middlebury College’s COVID-19-related operations. You can read much more about Mike in the press release we distributed this morning.

As we welcome him, I want to express my deep and sincere thanks to Tom Dwyer and his Finance team. Tom stepped in as our interim CFO when previous CFAO Kevin Weinman was named the president of Marist College in 2021. Tom not only ensured that Finance operated smoothly and strategically in support of our mission, but also served as a generous and thoughtful member of our senior staff team and a capable leader of the finance division. His contributions to the College are enormous.

I am also tremendously grateful to David Breen, who has served as Interim Chief of Campus Operations since Jim Brassord’s retirement in February 2022. David has deftly led our wonderful operations team through continued challenges, including the ongoing and diverse impacts of the pandemic.  

Lastly, thanks also to Lisa Rutherford and the search committee that recommended Mike, including Jack Cheney, Letitia Johnson, and Matt McGann, in addition to me. Their hard work and dedication resulted in a truly exceptional choice.

I know you will join me in offering a mammoth welcome to Mike when he arrives!

Michael A. Elliott
President, Amherst College