May 15, 2012
AMHERST, Mass. — Peter Shea, Amherst College’s treasurer, has accepted the position of director of finance at The Roxbury Latin School in West Roxbury, Massachusetts, the college has announced. In his new position, Shea will have responsibility for finance and planning, the endowment, accounting, facilities and human resources. He will leave Amherst at the end of June and begin work at Roxbury Latin in July.
 |
“This is a bittersweet moment for me and so many of my colleagues on the board,” noted Jide Zeitlin ’85, chairman of the college’s Board of Trustees. “We are fond of Peter and respectful of the integrity and experience he has always brought to his important responsibilities at Amherst. On Peter’s watch, the college’s endowment has nearly doubled, while providing nearly $450 million to the operating budget. Peter has also been a steady hand during expansive and more challenging financial periods at the college. We will miss him, but take solace in knowing that he will be contributing to a vibrant independent school, helping talented and deserving young people realize their hopes and dreams."
Shea will be Roxbury Latin’s first full-time director of finance. He was drawn to his new position, he said, because of the opportunity it presents to use his skills in financial management and operations to advance Roxbury Latin’s mission, which in philosophy and practice resembles Amherst’s own. Roxbury Latin has a proud history and is well known for the quality of the education it provides and its commitment to diversity and access. The school, which spans grades seven through twelve, practices need-blind admissions; 32 percent of its student body of just under three hundred boys are students of color, and 40 percent are on financial aid. On an interesting note, Roxbury Latin’s headmaster, Kerry P. Brennan, is a 1977 graduate of Amherst.
Shea has enjoyed a distinguished 25-year career at Amherst. He joined the college in 1987 as associate comptroller, was promoted to comptroller in 1988, then to associate treasurer and director of the budget in 1998. He was named treasurer and joined the senior staff in 2002 and has had responsibility for all aspects of financial management and budgeting for the college, including the endowment and other investments. As treasurer, Shea has overseen the offices of Comptroller, Dining Services, Facilities Planning and Management, Human Resources, Administrative Services and Rental Housing, and also has served as the financial liaison to the Folger Shakespeare Library. An active member of the local community, Shea has served in numerous and varied volunteer roles.
Roxbury Latin, which was founded in 1645, is an independent day school for boys and is the oldest school in continuous existence in North America.
###