College of DuPage Board of Trustees unanimously voted to appoint Dr. Brian W. Caputo, vice president of administration and CFO at the College, as the new interim president. Dr. Caputo will begin January 1, 2019 to replace outgoing president Dr. Ann Rondeau, who will step down at the end of the year to become president at the Naval Postgraduate School.
Board chairman Deanne Mazzochi expressed her appreciation of Dr. Caputo’s broad leadership and executive experience as well as his involvement in every major College functional area. Mazzochi added that Dr. Caputo’s experience and versatility will serve College of DuPage well to lead the institution to the next level.
“Since his arrival at the College, Dr. Caputo has protected the College’s financial and institutional health in addition to ensuring critical initiatives, from Guided Pathways to facilities management to Innovation DuPage and others, have moved towards success,” she said. “Our stakeholders agreed that Dr. Caputo would be ideal to lead our institution following Dr. Rondeau’s departure. The Board is looking forward to our continued success under his leadership and in conjunction with members of the Cabinet.”
Dr. Caputo said he is deeply humbled by the Board of Trustees’ appointment as the seventh president of College of DuPage. He and his wife, Karen, have lived in the district for 20 years and their three children all attended College of DuPage.
“The College of DuPage community is comprised of extraordinarily competent, enthusiastic, and dedicated faculty and staff striving to create the best possible educational experience for our students,” Caputo said. “It is an honor and a privilege to lead such an exceptional institution. I am all in.”
Bringing more than 35 years of leadership and executive experience to the role of interim president, Dr. Caputo served as chief financial officer/city treasurer of the City of Aurora for nearly 19 years prior to becoming a vice president at College of DuPage.
Joining the College in March 2017, Dr. Caputo has been instrumental in helping to strengthen a number of key initiatives in partnership with the Board, executive leadership, faculty, staff and students. Under Dr. Caputo’s leadership, the College’s general obligation bond rating improved from AA to AA+ with Standard & Poor’s Global Ratings and Moody’s Investors Service affirmed the College’s Aa1 rating.
—College of DuPage