Robert S (Rob) Robinson, Saint Michael’s College's chief financial officer with more than a decade of experience in the finance office, has been promoted to vice president of finance. He is a 1991 graduate of the College with a degree in accounting. In a June 21 announcement to the community, then-President Jack Neuhauser said the promotion was “in recognition of [Robinson’s] good work for the College, especially during this past year and his large role in the Green Mountain Higher Education Consortium.” Robinson now will be reporting to Lorraine Sterritt, the College’s new president, as of July 1, after Neuhauser’s term ended June 30.
The Consortium is a collaborative endeavor of three Vermont Colleges -- Champlain College, Middlebury College and Saint Michael’s College – with a goal “to create and foster collaborative endeavors among member institutions by serving as an agent for economic and educational initiatives that bring value to all.”
Robinson said his job description for Saint Michael’s is effectively unchanged since June 2017 when his predecessor, Neal Robinson (no relation) retired. “At that time I assumed his duties, in addition to retaining my prior duties," he said. In addition to managing the College's financial operations, Rob Robinson will continue to supervise various College offices including KnightCard, the Bookstore, Special Events, as well as Print and Mail Services.
Robinson said that given the well-documented challenges of higher education in general and the liberal arts specifically in recent years, “the challenge for Saint Michael's College is to find ways to deliver high quality education and residential experiences for students while reducing costs in an increasingly competitive industry.” He started at Saint Michael’s in September 2007 as associate director of finance. Since then he has been director of business services, and director of financial planning and business services, prior to becoming CFO and ultimately VP of finance.
Robinson said he learned a lot about his present duties by working so closely with his predecessor and mentor. “Neal was here from 1999 to 2007, before a brief tenure at VELCO in Rutland from late 2007 until 2010 when he returned as VP Finance until his retirement. Neal was a tremendous mentor with the vision and willingness to groom me to succeed him in this position,” Rob Robinson said.
“The key intersection between my past experience and Saint Michael’s was my time at Dynamic Business Solutions,” he said. “In 2000, Neal was new to the College and I was an IT consultant. Neal recognized the need for robust business intelligence for finance, and hired me as a consultant. I spent a good portion of 2000 assisting the finance team in installing and configuring a financial reporting system which we still utilize today.”
Before Saint Michael’s, Rob Robinson also did consulting for IBM and had executive positions with Banknorth Group. He completed the Leadership Champlain program of the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce in 2010. He and his wife, Stephanie, live in Essex with their 13-year-old-son, Owen. They have two adult sons; Alec and wife Priscilla who live in Jeffersonville, and Sam who lives in Los Angeles. Stephanie is the owner of Peace of Mind Pilates in Essex. Robinson said his hobbies including cycling, stand up paddle boarding, and skiing.
About Saint Michael’s College
Saint Michael’s College, founded in the great Catholic intellectual tradition, which also recognizes the principles of social justice and compassion, is a selective, fully residential Catholic college in Vermont’s beautiful Green Mountains. Our closely connected community delivers internationally-respected liberal arts and graduate education near Burlington, one of the country’s best college towns. To prepare for fulfilling careers and meaningful lives, young adults here grow intellectually, socially, and morally, learning to be responsible for themselves, each other and their world.