CFO Placement - RH Perry

Portland Community College names Mike Cogan new Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Portland Community College has named Dr. Mike Cogan as its new vice president of finance and chief financial officer. He replaces Dina Farrell, who retired earlier this year.

Known for his transparent financial leadership, Cogan most recently served as vice president of business and administrative services at Skagit Valley College in Mount Vernon, Washington. In early 2026, he was selected to temporarily lead the college during a presidential transition. Overall, he has experience in budgeting, financial strategy, planning and institutional operations.

Mike Cogan.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to join PCC and look forward to becoming part of a community so deeply committed to student success,” Cogan said. “I believe effective financial leadership begins with ensuring that an institution’s resources are closely aligned with its mission and the success of its students.”

Previously, he has held leadership positions at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota. This work included serving as vice president for institutional planning and decision support, where his work connected institutional priorities with data-informed resource decisions. In total, his career spans more than two decades serving colleges and universities, in addition to working as a higher education consultant for nearly a decade.

As PCC’s Chief Finance Officer, Cogan will guide financial planning and stewardship across academic programs, student services, grants, technology, facilities and administrative operations. He said his approach emphasizes transparent financial information, collaborative problem-solving, decisions aligned with student success, and data-driven decision-making.

Cogan knows community colleges. He was a first-generation college student and is a U.S. Army veteran. He began his higher education journey at Ohlone Community College in California, shaping his commitment to educational access and the role community colleges play in the lives of the community. He earned a doctorate in Quantitative Research Methodologies from the University of North Dakota and a master’s in Educational Leadership and Leadership from Western New Mexico.

He said he believes that sound financial management depends on trust and transparency.. His priorities include balancing long-term financial sustainability with the resources students and employees need to thrive.

“I look forward to working collaboratively with faculty, staff, and leadership to strengthen financial sustainability, support informed decision-making, and invest in opportunities that make a meaningful difference in the lives of our students and the communities we serve,” he said.

Manhattan College Names James J. Perrino as Vice President for Finance/Chief Financial Officer

Manhattan College has appointed James J. Perrino as vice president for finance/chief financial officer effective July 26, 2023. Perrino comes to the College from Adelphi University, where he has served as executive vice president of finance and operations since 2017. Previously, he was a partner at the firm of CohnReznick, where he managed their not-for-profit and education industry practice.

James Perrino

Earlier in his career, he was a founding partner of the Perrino Consulting Group, where he led a firm that specialized in not-for-profit and higher education organizations until its merger with CohnReznick in 2012. Previously, Perrino was senior vice president for finance administration at St. John’s University in Queens, where he managed business affairs, facilities management, enrollment management and internal audit. He began his career at KPMG, where he worked for 22 years, ultimately becoming a partner in the consulting and audit departments.

“We are thrilled to welcome James Perrino to Manhattan College,” said Milo Riverso ’81, Ph.D., P.E., president. “He is a highly accomplished financial executive with a proven track record of success. His deep experience in higher education finance, as well as his strong leadership and strategic skills, will be invaluable as we continue to grow and evolve through these challenging times.”

In his new role, Perrino will be responsible for the leadership and management of all aspects of the College’s financial operations, including budgeting, accounting, investment practices, and auditing. He will also play a key role in the College’s strategic planning process.

During his six years at Adelphi, he was responsible for setting the strategic direction and actively managed operations for finance, human resources, facilities, project management and information technology. Perrino’s accomplishments included managing a $220 million budget, achieving annual surpluses in fiscal years 2018-2021, and oversaw the completion of a $60 million renovation of the campus university center.

“I am so excited to be joining the Manhattan College leadership team as its next Vice President of Finance,” said Perrino “I look forward to meeting the community and leveraging my past experience to help the College have the necessary resources to achieve its mission and vision. I look forward to being part of the journey to position the College for continued success and growth.”

Perrino is a graduate of Boston University, where he earned a bachelor of business administration with a concentration in accounting. He holds a CPA in both New York and New Jersey and was the 2021 honoree as Long Island Business News financial administrator of the year.