Dear Colleagues:
I write today with important information on two significant administrative changes here at Monmouth. Effective June 30, 2023, Bill Craig, vice president for finance, and Jeff Stapleton, director of athletics, will be retiring after long and influential careers at Monmouth. While I am reluctant for these colleagues to depart in June after a collective 75 years of service to the University, I am delighted for them to reap the benefits and enjoyments of a well-earned retirement.
William “Bill” Craig joined Monmouth as controller in 1981 and was promoted to vice president for finance in 1988. In this capacity, he has led the Division of Finance, which includes the accounting, investment and treasury functions of the University including budgets, grants fiscal management, the mailroom, the University Store, the Central Box Office, the Digital Print Center, and the Office of Purchasing. Bill is also the administrative liaison to the Audit, Finance and Budgets, and Investment committees of the Board of Trustees. In a 2021 report by “The Record” on the fiscal viability of private colleges and universities in New Jersey, Monmouth ranked second only to Princeton in financial strength. This acknowledgment represents the culmination of more than four decades of careful financial stewardship. During his tenure, Monmouth grew from a college to a university that today offers 33 bachelor’s, 24 master’s, and four doctoral programs, and is the fifth largest employer in Monmouth County. Guided by Bill’s financial acumen, the University has completed nearly $300 million in new construction under his watch, and today, as he retires, the University has virtually no debt, an accomplishment recently touted in Inside Higher Ed.
Jeff Stapleton has been an active and integral part of the success and advancement of the Monmouth University Department of Athletics for the last 33 years, most recently as the University’s seventh director of Athletics. In that role, he led Monmouth’s transition into the Colonial Athletic Association, and stewarded the addition of women’s rowing to Monmouth’s athletic programs. His leadership of the department follows a tenure of 31 years as deputy director of Athletics, where one of his key responsibilities was overseeing the development and construction of some of the top fields and facilities in mid-major Division I athletics. Over the past 20 years Jeff has been a key figure in the construction of the $57 million OceanFirst Bank Center, the $16 million Kessler Stadium and renovations to all of Monmouth’s athletic facilities, including renovations to the varsity weight room, the field hockey facility, Boylan Gymnasium and the eight-lane outdoor track. And, the new Student Wellness Center, on which we hope to break ground in 2024, is possible due to Jeff’s leadership.
I am grateful for the opportunity to have worked alongside Bill and Jeff during my time as president at Monmouth. They are exceptional administrators whose commitment to our University cannot be overstated, and whose contributions to our financial strength and athletic success will endure.
I look forward to celebrating their dedication to Monmouth at our Awards and Recognition ceremony this morning, and in other special ways throughout the coming month. I will share our plans for filling these significant positions in the very near future. Please join me in thanking Bill and Jeff for the lasting mark that each has made at Monmouth University.
Thank you.
Pat
Dr. Patrick F. Leahy
President