Vincent Colman, Ramapo's newest Board of Trustee member, is no stranger to the campus community. As a Mahwah resident and a member of the Ramapo College Foundation's Board of Governors, Colman has been involved here for five years.
Now, after being officially sworn in on Feb. 24, he joins the Board of Trustees with more than 30 years of financial experience and an enthusiasm for serving Ramapo.
"In the five years I have been involved at Ramapo, I have been immensely impressed with the quality of the management," Colman said. "Dr. Mercer and his team are doing a fantastic job. I think you can see the results in the growth in the College and its reputation as a top state school."
Colman currently leads Pricewaterhouse Cooper's Assurance Practice, "which is our core audit and accounting and risk management services group," he explains. After joining PwC in 1982, Colman has served as the senior audit partner for major multinational companies, has led PwC's National Office and was Vice-Chairman for the East Region.
"I love what I do because as accountants, we help foster trust and confidence in financial decisions of almost every kind–from the billions of shares that trade hands every day in the stock market, to people's confidence in investing in mutual funds for their retirement, to major corporate mergers and lending decisions made by banks," he said. "Our practice is made up of 1,200 partners and more than 12,000 professionals across the country."
Colman hopes his extensive work in accounting, auditing, financial reporting, mergers and acquisitions, and risk management will be of use on the Board of Trustees.
"With my financial background, I felt I could make a difference," he said. "I believe in giving back to the community, and I believe in the pivotal role of education in our society. It was exciting to hear that Ramapo was again named to Kiplinger's Personal Finance's list of 100 best values in public colleges for 2014. Our country needs more quality education available to everyone."
Colman earned his bachelor's degree in accounting from St. John's University and is a Certified Public Accountant in Connecticut, New Jersey and New York. But, he maintains that New Jersey has always been his true home.
"I love being from New Jersey, and while I have traveled the world, I always come back here. It's home," Colman explained. "I grew up in Middletown, stayed in the area for college at St. John's, and my office used to be in Florham Park. My wife Jean and I have a beach house on the Jersey Shore, where we love to relax by the beach."
Aside from his work, Colman said he enjoys golfing and sailing in the summer and is a "huge" Bruce Springsteen fan.
"I have been lucky enough to see him on stage more than 15 times! So I guess Jersey is just in my roots," he said.
Colman has four children, and he and his wife live in Mahwah.
"I am part of the community and have been familiar with the college as a neighbor. A friend introduced me to the folks at the Foundation Board; I was honored to get involved and really have been impressed with the school," he said. "But perhaps the best part about serving is to see the students walk in the door, learn and develop, and see them graduate and move on to successful careers in the marketplace. That's the frosting on the cake for me."
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nalliegr@ramapo.edu
