College names new VP for finance and administration

Richard Madonna, currently vice president of finance and operations at Union Theological Seminary, has been named vice president for finance and administration at Connecticut College. The appointment is effective April 1.

As vice president, Madonna will be responsible for the overall leadership and strategic direction of the division of finance and administration. This includes supervising the offices of financial planning, accounting, human resources, facilities management, auxiliary services, dining services, and events and catering, as well as overseeing the College’s 750 acres and 105 buildings. He will be a key leader in the continued advancement of the College.

“His arrival in April will coincide with the last phase of the College’s strategic planning process. With his extensive management experience, his collaborative nature, and his creative and entrepreneurial drive, Richard will bring a unique set of skills to the College at this critical moment for our future,” said President Katherine Bergeron.

A certified public accountant with a bachelor of science degree from Quinnipiac University, Madonna has 20 years of experience in finance and operations both in higher education and in the private sector. Ten of those years were spent at Yale University, where he enjoyed a series of increasingly responsible positions in audit and finance, serving the Divinity School, the Office of Cooperative Research, the Office of the General Counsel, as well as the Yale Entrepreneurial Institute, a venture he co-founded in 2006.

As vice president at Union Theological Seminary since 2010, Madonna has been responsible for all aspects of finance and operations for this small independent graduate school, from finance and human resources to facilities and information technology. He has developed innovative approaches to the master plan; upgraded classroom technology, study spaces, and food service; implemented collaborative budgeting; enhanced benefits for staff; introduced web-based technologies to improve business processes; and spearheaded new initiatives in the neighboring community. One of these is the Union Food Lab, an incubator he founded in Harlem to help aspiring food professionals launch their own socially responsible and sustainable ventures.

Madonna is a native of Connecticut.



February 10, 2016