HOLLAND, MI – Matthew A. Scogin, chief administrative officer at the global financial advisory firm Perella Weinberg Partners in New York, will be the 14th president of Hope College.
Scogin, described as an innovative leader from outside higher education, was unanimously elected by the Board of Trustees for the job Friday, Dec. 7. He has been a member of the board since 2016.
“It is with great humility and a deep sense of calling that I am so pleased to be returning to Hope College to help steward this great institution through the next chapter of its long, rich history and ensure that Hope continues to do for future generations what it did for my wife and me,” said Scogin, a 2002 Hope graduate.
He will take the reins of the Christian, liberal arts college – founded in partnership with the Reformed Church in America – on July 1, 2019. He replaces John C. Knapp, who resigned effective July 2017 to lead Washington & Jefferson College in Pennsylvania.
“As a strategic thinker who has worked on the most important economic and social issues facing our nation, Matt will bring intellectual depth and visionary leadership to Hope College,’’ said board chair Karly Droppers.
“Matt personifies the mission of Hope, as he has led a life of leadership and service at the highest levels of business and government.''
Droppers said Scogin is also a passionate follower of Christ and brings a strong commitment to inclusive excellence and diversity and articulates the college’s mission with contagious and inspiring enthusiasm.
“This makes him the perfect leader for Hope’s next chapter,’’ he said.
Scogin said becoming president of Hope was not a career goal, but developed out of his love for the college and desire to serve the community.
“At the end of the day, when I think about who I am as a person, I am a kid from West Michigan who had the extraordinary privilege of going to Hope College,’’ Scogin said. “That’s still how I see myself because this place changed my life.’’
His wife, Sarah, is also a 2002 graduate of Hope, where she majored in music and computer science. The couple reside in lower Manhattan with their three children: Sophie (10), Lucy (8) and Oliver (6).
Scogin has been with Perella Weinberg Partners since 2014. He has also held senior positions with both the New York Stock Exchange and U.S. Treasury Department. He also has served on nonprofit boards.
He said some of his leadership skills will translate to higher education and some of them will not.
“In government I’ve learned to lead when there are lots of constituencies and how to find shared missions among lots of constituencies and that will translate,’’ Scogin said.
“In business I’ve learned how to run large complicated organizations and I think that will translate. I’ve learned how to set a strategy and how to set a vision and then drive toward that strategy and I think that will translate.’’
Scogin said through some of his church and nonprofit work, he has also learned about fundraising.
“I know I have a lot of learning to do and I don’t want to presume to have too many answers too soon,'' he said. "I’m excited to learn what I don’t know.''
Scogin was selected following an international search. Hope had 79 applicants for the job. Three finalists came to campus in November for the final round of interviews.
Hope enrolled about 3,150 students this fall. Tuition for the 2018-19 school year is $33,700. The total direct costs including room, board and activity and service fees is $44,320. In 2019-20, tuition will be $34,990 and the total direct costs at $45,960
Scogin has a few priorities, including make the college more accessible.
Five years from now, he said he envisions the endowment being bigger than the approximately $75,000 per student it is now.
"It is not for the sake of having a big bank account but because of what the endowment allows up to do. It allows us to make a Hope College education more accessible, focus on our programs, focus on our faculty and pay faculty at a more competitive rate,'' Scogin said.
He said he also wants to continue the college’s focus on diversity. He said he also sees a more diverse Hope five years from now because diversity makes educational, community, and work environments richer.
The three big themes he said he wants the college to focus on are: the future of learning, the future of work, and the future economic model of higher education.
Friday’s announcement caps what was approaching a two-year search for a successor to Knapp, who announced his departure in April 2017. Dennis Voskuil, director of its A.C. Van Raalte Institute, has served as the interim president since July 2017.
Knapp, who had served since July 2013, avoided termination a year before departure when the Executive Committee withdrew its motion to recommend his termination on April 12, 2016. They were influenced by a strong display of support for Knapp from students, faculty and alumni. Hundreds gathered to protest the ouster.
While the committee backed off it reiterated that it still had serious concerns about Knapp’s performance but never elaborated. In the absence of details, there was plenty of speculation, including that Knapp’s decision to ask Provost Richard Ray to step down to usher in new leadership upset some members. Others said his vision and approach to dealing with issues were simply out of sync with the board majority.
On Friday, everyone was focused on the future under Scogin’s leadership.
“In a very strong candidate pool, Matt’s passion, commitment, and preparation to serve as Hope’s 14th president were evident to the search committee throughout the selection process,” said search-committee chair Suzanne Shier, who is also a member of the Board of Trustees.
“His background, experience and leadership capacity embody the attributes for leadership identified in the candidate profile: Christ centered, mission oriented, academically minded, student focused, community builder, champion for diversity and inclusion, fundraiser, strategist, experienced executive and exceptional communicator.”
The college is not releasing his salary or details of his contract.
Scogin double majored in political science and economics at Hope, and has a master’s degree in public policy from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
Prior to his current position, he was at NYSE Euronext, where from 2009 to 2014 he served as the senior vice president and chief of staff at the 3,000-person company that ran the New York Stock Exchange and five exchanges in Europe.
Scogin is active in many community organizations. He serves on the Board of Directors for Restore NYC, a Christian non-profit dedicated to ending sex trafficking in New York City, and on the Board of Directors of the SIFMA Foundation for Financial Education. He also volunteers as the CFO and as a lay pastor at Lower Manhattan Community Church in New York City.
As a proud and grateful alumnus, I believe in what Hope stands for and its ability to change a life. It changed mine,” he said.