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Boston College has named alumnus Michael J. Lochhead, vice president for administration and finance and treasurer of the College of the Holy Cross, as executive vice president, effective Feb. 9. He succeeds Patrick J. Keating, who is retiring after having served as EVP since 2001.
A respected university administrator whose career in higher education began at Boston College as a senior financial analyst in the Controller’s Office in 1995, Lochhead brings a wealth of experience in Jesuit education, including 10 years as the chief financial officer and treasurer at Holy Cross and three years as assistant vice president for business and finance at the University of San Francisco.
While at Holy Cross, Lochhead oversaw the departments and divisions of Administrative Services, Auxiliary Services, Finance and Budget, General Counsel, Information Technology Services, Investments, Physical Plant, and Planning and Institutional Research. He was a key contributor to the development of the college’s strategic plan and was directly responsible for the development and implementation of its long-range financial and operational plans.
A 1993 graduate of the Carroll School of Management with a BS in accounting, Lochhead received his MBA from the Carroll Graduate School in 1999. A Utah native, he enlisted in the US Army, where he quickly rose to the rank of sergeant in the Military Intelligence Corps, prior to enrolling as an undergraduate at BC. He has also served as manager for the Higher Education Consulting Practice at Arthur Andersen LLP, where he worked with university presidents and chief financial officers to assess business processes and develop strategic financial initiatives.
As EVP, Lochhead will oversee the University’s Facilities Management, Finance and Treasury, Human Resources, Information Technology and Student Affairs divisions, and the offices of Emergency Management, Institutional Research, Planning and Assessment, and Space Planning. Working with the president and the Board of Trustees, he will direct the University’s strategic and campus planning efforts, as well as its administrative program review and ongoing planning and assessment initiatives.
University President William P. Leahy, SJ, praised Lochhead as an experienced professional who has distinguished himself through his work in higher ed administration and his commitment to Jesuit education.
“I am delighted that Mike Lochhead will be our new executive vice president,” said Fr. Leahy. “He has broad experience in finance and administration, knows Boston College and Jesuit higher education well, and is passionate about our mission. I look forward to working with him.”
Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley described Lochhead as a natural leader with a skill set well-suited for the EVP role at Boston College.
“Boston College has been blessed with two exceptional executive vice presidents in the recent past, Frank Campanella and Pat Keating, each providing essential leadership at critical moments for the University,” said Quigley. “I am eager to work with our next EVP, Mike Lochhead, an academic leader who has excelled at each stop in his career and who is committed to strengthening Boston College, his alma mater. We are fortunate to have him join our community in early 2015.”
In accepting the position, Lochhead said he was honored to be returning to his alma mater and the place where he began his career in Jesuit higher education 19 years ago.
“Boston College has had a profound impact on my intellectual, spiritual and professional development,” said Lochhead. “I have always envisioned returning to BC in a leadership capacity and have geared my professional development over the years to best prepare me for this opportunity. I look forward to working with Fr. Leahy and his executive leadership team to continue the momentum that is so evident here, and to partnering with David Quigley and members of the BC faculty to advance the University’s academic mission.”
Lochhead is active in several professional organizations, including the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities, the Higher Education Consortium of Central Massachusetts, the Boston Consortium for Higher Education and the Worcester Economic Club. He is also a graduate of the Ignatian Colleagues Program, an 18-month examination of Jesuit pedagogy and Ignatian spirituality for senior administrators of the nation’s 28 Jesuit colleges and universities. A father of four daughters, he coaches youth soccer and basketball in his hometown of Mendon where he lives with his wife Christina, who also holds her undergraduate and master’s degrees from Boston College.
“With the unwavering support of my wife and family, I am very excited about this opportunity at Boston College,” said Lochhead. “I can’t wait to get started working to advance the mission of this great university.”