Berkeley College names parent corporation’s CFO as its new president

Berkeley College’s board of trustees announced Tuesday the appointment of a new president.Michael J. Smith, currently the senior vice president, finance, and chief financial officer of BES Inc., the college’s corporate office, will take on the position.

This change, effective July 1, comes after current President Dario A. Cortes announced his retirement earlier this year.

Smith, who began his career with Berkeley in 1996, said he plans on continuing the college’s legacy of putting the school’s students first.

“Emphasizing personalized attention to each and every student will increase successful student outcomes in the form of higher graduation rates, and that can drive graduates toward more meaningful professional careers,” he said in a news release.

The appointment may be seen as a continuation, according to Kevin Luing, chairman of the board, who highlighted the fact that the promotion came from within the institution.

“We are both pleased and excited to promote from within,” he said in a prepared statement. “Michael Smith’s institutional knowledge and proven leadership ability, along with his concern for student success, will drive Berkeley College to new heights.”

Berkeley College, a for-profit educational institution based in New York City, has its executive offices in Woodland Park and has campuses in Clifton, Dover, Newark, Paramus, Woodbridge and Woodland Park.

ALSO ON NJBIZ:

Revel runner-up’s bid approved, but …

One Journal Square development site sold for $27 million

Hospitals’ infection-reduction efforts worth their weight in lives, study finds