Board will Appoint an Interim President and Begin a Formal Search
HAMBURG, N.Y. — Hilbert College announced today that President Michael Brophy, PhD will step down from his role to assume the presidency of SUNY Hudson Valley Community College effective August 1, 2025. The Hilbert College Board plans to appoint an Interim President prior to that date while it continues planning for its next generation of leadership. The Board soon will begin a full search with input from all college stakeholders.
Dr. Brophy has served as Hilbert’s president since 2018, leading the college through a period of strategic growth, academic innovation, and community engagement. His leadership has been marked by a commitment to student success, institutional sustainability, and the Franciscan values at the heart of Hilbert’s mission.
“Dr. Brophy has led the college through significant transformations and critical challenges,” said Laurie Boreanaz Carra, Chair of the Hilbert College Board of Trustees. “Most significantly, Dr. Brophy’s stewardship of Hilbert’s creation of Franciscan Services, which enabled the acquisition of Valley College, demonstrates a unique vision of longevity for Hilbert.”
“My wife, Tara, and I carry heartfelt gratitude for our time in Western New York as members of the Hilbert College community,” said Dr. Brophy. “The Franciscan Sisters of Saint Joseph and the Hilbert Board of Trustees played a vital role in guiding the college’s transformation, and we are honored to have been part of the institution’s growth and success. We will deeply miss the dedicated students, faculty, staff and extended community who make Hilbert such a special place.”
The Hilbert College Board of Trustees will appoint an Interim President to serve the college community until it has selected a permanent successor. The board will soon appoint a search committee representative of the campus community and key college stakeholders.
Hilbert College and Franciscan Services Announce a New Chief Financial Officer
At the same time, Hilbert College and Franciscan Services welcome Heather A. Montague, M.B.A. as Chief Financial Officer effective July 1, 2025. Montague comes to Hilbert from SUNY Stony Brook University, where she served as Senior Associate Vice President for Budget, Financial Planning & Analysis, leading the planning process for SBU’s $4 billion annual budget. She previously served as Associate Dean for Finance & Administration for the College of Arts & Sciences at SUNY Buffalo.
“By creating a two-college consortium of more than 2,500 students located in New York, Ohio, and West Virginia, the potential for expansion of academic opportunities and efficiencies in services is energizing,” Carra said. “But we’re just getting started! With this anchor in place, we now turn to future endeavors that will stabilize and strengthen this new model, and we must choose a leader that will maximize its potential and lead creatively and thoughtfully to ensure success for Hilbert and Valley for many years to come.”
Media Contact:
Email: info@hilbert.edu
Phone: (716) 649-7900
